Tenant Claims Bad Bathroom Odor, Should I Just Let Him Go?

[Mark S.]

I have a tenant who claims that there is a bad sewage smell coming from the master bathroom - making it unbearable to live in the condo.

He just moved in there on May 1.

The entire condo was remodeled. I was there very often to oversee the project and smelled nothing. Prior tenant had no complaints.

Two different plumbers have gone there to investigate and neither smelled anything. They felt the tenant was angling for something, but unsure of what that was.

I'm now sending a third plumber, per tenant's request.

Tenant is also asking to be let out of his lease so he could move at the end of the next month - due to the smell.

If the third plumber also smells nothing, should I let the tenant out of the lease? Keep the deposit? Hold him to the signed lease?

[Nathan Gesner]

I wouldn't send a plumber for a smell test unless absolutely necessary. If you're in the area, ask the tenant to contact you when they smell the odor, then drive over and confirm. If there's no odor, tell him there's no odor and you're not going to pay a plumber for nothing. If he persists, tell him to give 30 days notice to vacate and then find a new renter. He could be trying to get out of the lease or he could be a chronic complainer. Either way, some people just aren't worth the trouble.