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Should you wait until the waterproofing fails so you get a big contribution towards your bathroom reno? That’s up to individuals and how long they are prepare to live in a flat with a 40-year-old bathroom
Thanks for the replies!
As for how long an owner is prepared to tolerate an original bathroom … it also depends on whether they live there at all, or just rent it out to people who need somewhere to live and won’t risk complaining about how old the bathroom is. In this case, it’s the latter, unfortunately.
It’s a matter of some concern and debate in the OC, as it is far from the only “original bathroom in a rented-out apartment by a couldn’t-care-less absentee owner”, and there’s a precedent about to be set.
Even the most casual inspection inside the unit would have shown the problem starting, even years ago. The bubbling paint in living areas adjoining the wet areas; the mouldy carpet; the built-in wardrobes expanding and splitting due to damp; the corrosion on doorframes. The owner’s agent made no inspections, the tenants reported no problems.
So assuming we can’t opt out of dropping the $30k in this case, is there anything the OC can do to prevent other owners from taking advantage of this opportunity in future? Could a by-law ensure that owners and/or their agents report these problems before they become so expensive, or else they wear the cost of their negligence?
the OC will pay to put the bathroom back but for replacement cost only
By “replacement cost only” do you mean like-for-like? That is the OC will pay to repair to the same standard as was there, and if you want an upgrade you pay the difference yourself?
Regards
RL