Last Updated on January 16, 2022 by
The first thing to do when there is no water in your apartment is to determine the source of damage. Since taking legal actions takes time, you can consider relocating temporarily and then deduct the expense from your tenancy fee. Ensure to follow the lease agreement and the state’s laws and regulations when doing so.
What Do You Do If Your Apartment Has No Water To Bathe?
Living without water, even for a few hours, is difficult. Be sure that your apartment does not have water before reporting. You can do this by opening other taps to ensure that it’s not the only one running to the bathroom that lacks water. Some cases might be false water loss alarms only for plumbers to find lots of them in other outlets.
If you find out that your apartment does not have water to bath, call your neighbor. Confirm whether the issue is just in your place or the entire building. If the problem is only in your apartment, you can visit a friend for a bath. Alternatively, you can move out for the time being until the management fixes the water loss in your apartment. After that, you can talk with the landlord about who to cater for the repair and maintenance charges.
You could also check the main water supply before deciding on anything hasty, such as moving out. Ensure the shut-off valve is functional. Sometimes, the valves accidentally trigger themselves, which stops the water flow. Some immediately turn off once they detect a leakage. After determining the reason for water loss, you can decide what step to take next. You can call the professionals to fix the problem or report the case to the landlord. From there, get a place to take a bath and have your laundry done as you wait.
How Do You Deal With The Lack Of Water In An Apartment?
Water is a basic need. Lack of water can cause a standstill in your life. You use it to clean, bathe, cook, among other activities. Find out the cause of water loss in your apartment. There are various reasons for water loss, like clogged pipes, faulty appliances, and busted outlets. From there, decide on what action to take.
If water loss is due to the building management, report the issue to the landlord. They should fix the issue within 12 hours of reporting. Failure to do so could attract legal consequences. Most state laws warn landlords against leaving their tenants without water for longer than 12 hours. If they do, they could face legal charges such as paying compensation fees, among other penalties.
Some causes of water loss which the management is liable for include faulty appliances. It is up to the property manager to fix such issues. The other one is on busted pipes. In most cases, water pipes burst due to pressure. On other occasions, it results from old pipes, which calls for maintenance. Busted pipes result from management negligence of maintaining worn-out systems. It is upon the management to repair and ensure continuous water flow in tenants’ apartments.
Natural causes also lead to water loss all over a state, for example, water freezing inside the pipes during the winter season. In such a scenario, the only thing you can do is wait until the utility service provider comes up with a solution. When lack of water in an apartment is involved, the best thing is to keep up with the state laws. That is where you find the drawn line between non-liability and liability regarding the issue. You can decide who to take fault and who walks free due to water loss.
It is also important to go through the lease agreement to determine what it says. With such a guideline, you know what to do if there is no water flow in your apartment. It is advisable to stock up some water. Sometimes, your water issue may remain unsolved for quite some time. An alternative for such days is healthy since major repairs may take more than 48 hours to fix.
Can I Claim For Lack Of Water In My Apartment?
In most state laws, the tenant has the right to continuous water flow in their apartment. Lack of water due to poor management attracts legal action on either the landlord or the utility service providers. If you lack water in your apartment for more than 12 hours, state laws allow you to file a compensation claim.
Lack of water leads to laundry and dishes piling up. It also becomes impossible to take a bath and use the washrooms. For this reason, it becomes difficult to continue living in the apartment. Such reasons entitle you to compensation. Water companies pay compensation charges depending on the water loss period. The table below shows the average cost of the claim charges.
| Water loss period | Compensation charges |
| 12 hours | $20 |
| 24 hours | $30 |
| 48 hours | $40 |
| 72 hours | $50 |
The water company pays $20 for the first 12 hours without water from the table above. After that, there is an additional $10 for every 24 hours your apartment taps run dry.
There are some extreme situations that the compensation claim does not apply, for example, in cases of countrywide water supply disruption. You cannot file a claim in such a case since the entire country is experiencing the same problem.
Can A Water Company Shut My Apartment Water Without Notice?
Millions of people have their water disconnected every year due to delayed bill payments. Only under very special occasions should the utility service providers disconnect your water. Other than that, they must provide you with a 10-day notice. They must explain their reason for the disconnection and state the day to expect the connection back to avoid inconveniences.
Despite different state laws, there are some common reasons when they can disconnect your water without notice. Some of these reasons include;
1. When your water service has fraud issues
2. When there is evidence of tampering with your water meter connection
3. When they find out you have been stealing your water service
If caught in any of the above cases, visit the public utility commission. They can advise you on the legal way forward, including the charges you might pay. You cannot file for a compensation claim when in such a situation.
How Long Can I Stay Without Running Water In My Apartment?
A landlord should not leave their tenants without water for more than two days. It contradicts their health and well-being as water is a basic need. Whatever the case, they should also never restrict water supply to the apartments unless there are urgent plumbing repairs or water supply fittings. Even for the two days allowance, they must provide a prior notice unless the reason for the cut-off was more of an emergency.
In case of property improvements, landlords should give notices. In addition to this, they can make arrangements on the water supply schedule; for example, they can open up water sources at night with fewer activities. Some activities require more than two days, such as installing a new ensuite bathroom. Such activities take about five days, which calls for the tenants’ notice and approval. We say communication is key, and this case is no exemption.
Where Should I Go For Help For Water Loss In My Apartment?
Where to go for water issues depend on the extent of the damage. Some are just a matter of doing it yourself, for instance, leaking taps, mildew, and small cracks. Such cases require little knowledge, and you can fix them single-handedly.
Since lack of water in an apartment is a serious issue, the landlord and relevant management must ensure such problems get fixed. They should take the least time possible. It helps prevent the tenant from becoming aggressive. Some tenants may start asking for compensation if the water loss problems persist for more than 12 hours.
If the problem is a state issue, you should report the issue to the utility services offices or the water company supplying to your building. Reporting to these authorities helps avoid cases such as water cut-offs unknowingly. Millions of people have reported cases of water cut-off by the supply company without notice. In some cases, delayed payment of the water bills causes unexpected water turn-off.
Conclusion
Water loss in an apartment is a major blow for anyone. It makes it difficult to cook, clean, or even take a bath. Such leaves your apartment untidy, resulting from piled-up laundry and dishes. In case of water loss in your apartment, you can move out temporarily, as the relevant party fixes the issue. However, you should make sure there is no water in all outlets. Sometimes it might be just a single tap malfunctioning from busted pipes. Other issues are minor and require little knowledge and effort to fix.
