Should our landlord pay for hotel? (bathroom remodel)

[piglet too]

OK, our bathroom is in bad shape, and our landlord has decided to just redo the whole thing. Their contractor will be replacing everything, even the floor, and it should be real nice. I was wondering if it is the landlords responsibility to put us up someplace if the remodel is going to take more than a day. I can go someplace during the day, no problem, just we can't really be expected to stay overnight with no bathroom. I am thinking we will have to go to a hotel, but we can't afford it ourselves. I don't want to ask our landlords if it is not a reasonable expectaion. Any ideas from my DIS friends?

 

[CheshireVal]

I think they should put you up in a hotel.

I threatened that a few times at my apt complex when the management wouldn't promise to have *serious* repairs done the day I reported it (or on weekends).

You can bet that got them there quickly!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

What does your lease say? That is the legally binding document you signed, but if you have a nice landlord and you have been a good tenant then maybe your landlord will put you up for a night in a hotel. Do you have any nearby friends or relatives who wouldnt mind a one night visit?

 

[diznygirl]

If it is the only bathroom in your place, then yes I think the landlord should pay for a hotel. My bro is getting his bathroom repaired - they took out both toilets! His landlord offered a hotel stay to him.

 

[piglet too]

Our landlords are wonderful people! They have been so understanding when we have had our finacial problems, are even letting us spread out the back rent into smaller payments. They listen to us whenever we have something go wrong here, and pay my DH for any labor that he does around the place. I think that is why I don't want to ask about a hotel, but probally will.

 

[piglet too]

Originally posted by luvmarypoppins
What does your lease say? That is the legally binding document you signed, but if you have a nice landlord and you have been a good tenant then maybe your landlord will put you up for a night in a hotel. Do you have any nearby friends or relatives who wouldnt mind a one night visit?

Only problem is we do not have a lease. We have a rental agrement with the rent stated, but that is really it. We have family in the area, but no one that can take in all five of us!! LOL

 

[Hillbeans]

Not to be the wet blanket of the group, but I think that they don't need to pay for your hotel room, esp. if they let you slide on the rent.

If you were doing the home remodel yourself, you'd be in the same situation - - and you're going to have at your disposal a new bathroom.

Is there any way you could shower at your work, gym or a neigbors?

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by piglet too
Our landlords are wonderful people! They have been so understanding when we have had our finacial problems, are even letting us spread out the back rent into smaller payments. They listen to us whenever we have something go wrong here, and pay my DH for any labor that he does around the place. I think that is why I don't want to ask about a hotel, but probally will.

Just ask about a bathroom. Prehaps they have an unrented apartment you can use. Given this additional information I don't think I'd push for a hotel but there must be a bathroom you can use.

 

[piglet too]

Originally posted by Hillbeans
Not to be the wet blanket of the group, but I think that they don't need to pay for your hotel room, esp. if they let you slide on the rent.

If you were doing the home remodel yourself, you'd be in the same situation - - and you're going to have at your disposal a new bathroom.

Is there any way you could shower at your work, gym or a neigbors?

That is partly why I am asking, because they have let us be late on the two months rent when Dh was only getting half a paycheck. As for the shower, that is not what I am concerned with. It is more the toilet situation, especially with the three kids!

 

[lapinluv]

Also, this is the type of stuff that renter's insurance is for. Generally, landlords aren't expected to pay if something happens to an apartment unit - the tenant or tenant's insurance is.

Also, considering how great they've been, I would ask for another bathroom. Will your toilet be operational? Because you could always wash your hair in the kitchen sink for a day or two.

 

[Chicago526]

I think it depends. If after the first full day of work on the bathroom, it is usable (all the plumbing works and you can shower and such), then I don't think it's nessesary. But if the toliet is still ripped out, then you might have a case.

Find out first how much they expect to acomplish the first day and see if the bathroom will be usable in the evening. The idea that they might have an empty apartment you could use is a good idea, too. That should make everyone happy.

 

[disykat]

Given the situation, I don't think I'd ask about a motel room either. When the plumbing has gone out at our house, we go to the nearest store, etc. to use the bathroom and skip a shower for one day. One late night run and another one in the early morning is really not that much to ask considering they've been so good to you. Just pretend you're camping. It happened twice when I was a kid and we thought it was an adventure - especially going to Dad's office late at night in our pajamas!

 

[ca859093]

I would ask my landlord "Do you know how long the remodel will take? I need to figure out what we are going to do, since we will not have a bathroom." and see what they say. Maybe the whole bathroom won't be done, but maybe they will get the toilet in.
Good luck

 

[minniecarousel]

Initially, I thouhgt - yeah, they should pay for a hotel room, but given that they've already been generous, I opt for just asking what you should do for a bathroom while the work is going on. Don't mind me, but there is no way that a bathroom remodel will be done in a few days, let alone a day! (I still cringe at the thought of my sister's only toilet being out of her house for 6 months! - don't use Expo Design!)

 

[piglet too]

Originally posted by Lewisc
but there must be a bathroom you can use.

Since we live in a townhouse, and this is their only unit, there are no other bathrooms for them to let us use. The other properties they rent are all houses and all have tenents in them.

The more I think about it, the more I really don't want to ruffle any feathers. We can probally get DH's folks to loan us the money for a hotel for a night (or two?!)

lapinluv ~ I will have to check on our renters insurance, never even thought of that. There will be no toilet since the layout of the bathroom is such that it will be the first thing out and the last thing put back.

I swear we have the smallest full size bath ever! We have to squeez between the toilet and the sink just to close teh door! There is barely enough room on either side of the toilet to place a small garbage can without hitting the sink/counters or tub!!

 

[dg39]

We rent out an apartment and a few years ago we put in a new bathroom. The tenants work during the day and thats when the contractors did most of their work. At night, the toilet was usable. We put in new walls, floors, shower/bath and bowl. It was just fine. No complaints from our tenants. We didn't offer to put them up in a hotel, because it wasn't necessary. Everything was done with their convenience in mind.

 

[piglet too]

Originally posted by dg39
We rent out an apartment and a few years ago we put in a new bathroom. The tenants work during the day and thats when the contractors did most of their work. At night, the toilet was usable. We put in new walls, floors, shower/bath and bowl. It was just fine. No complaints from our tenants. We didn't offer to put them up in a hotel, because it wasn't necessary. Everything was done with their convenience in mind.

That would be perfect if the toilet is hooked up at night. We can go to family for showers and I can visit people during the day, it is just that toilet thing that has me worried.

Thank you all so much for helping me see this clearer, it really has helped. Dh is going to call our insurance agent today to see if our policy will cover a room or not.