Compensation for plumbing issue

[John Bucknum]

We own an 11 unit property that has had numerous issues with sewage backups since we bought it about 3 years ago.  Place was empty when we bought it and in horrendous shape due terrible tenants and awful management company.  We successfully rehab the property and have steadily filled the place to 10/11 units rented.  

We have had reoccurring sewage issues with maintenance going out multiple times to fish out tampons, hair weaves, child handcuffs, razor blades, red solo cups, etc.  We thought we were finally clear until 3 months ago, same apartment kept having issues with blocked toilet and little black sewage flies in apartment.  Maintenance kept putting flip killer down shower drain and we actually removed and replaced toilet.  Eventually multiple camera scopes revealed pipe had settle and was bowing down.  Removed shower pan and found that the found no plumbing from shower drain to main sewage line and it resulted in stone settling out from under main sewage line causing the bowing. Currently in process of repairing shower which will take estimated 5 days.

The current tenant is a college student and has been there for 3 months, she has had issues from day one especially with flies. Toilet would back up every week or 2.  Maintenance would go out that day or next to resolve the problem and never failed to clear the toilet clog until about 4 weeks ago. At which point we called in a plumber and he felt the pipe had a break causing all the issues, but this has since turn out not to be the cases described above. 

To our knowledge the tenant never stopped using the shower. 

As owners obviously we are upset that this tenant was inconveninced and had to continue to deal with the ongoing toilet issues and maintenance coming out.  Her parents were very upset and demanded that we waive a months rent.  We sent a $100 gift card. We offered her the ability to move to the vacant apartment which is the same size, but doesn't have a bedroom window, but otherwise all 11 units are identical.

Since discovering the root of the problem with the shower and it's lack of plumbing, she sent an email to our PM and again demanded a months rent and threaten to contact the inspector.

Looking for advice on the situation.  Wife/business partner are having dififculty deciding.

[Chris London]

If your leaning toward obliging the request you might consider instead of giving 1-month free, offering to take the equivalent of 1-month rent off the successive month's rent for the remaining term. Meaning if 1 month = $800 and she has 8 months left, write up an addendum to charge her only $700/mo through the lease term.

Also, options are a good way to control the situation but still help the tenant feel empowered. For example, option 1 is the rent reduction above, option 2 is the other apt you mention, and option 3 is let her out of the lease.

The benefit of spreading out the rent reduction is that if next month the dishwasher breaks or dryer goes out for an extended period the tenant won't go straight to asking for another month free. Also if she just wants to get out of the lease in another month (or you want her to leave) you didn't take the full hit upfront.