If the plumber unclogs the sink, the tenant has to pay the costs – in most cases.
We’ve all been there! The sink is clogged, the water is backing up, and it may stink from the drain. A drain cleaner is often enough to unblock the trap. But sometimes, professional cleaning by a plumber is required. A tenant from the canton of Bern wants to know whether she has to pay the costs herself. The SRF consumer magazine “Espresso” asked the Tenants’ Association of German-speaking Switzerland for advice.
When the tenant has to bear the costs: The tenant must repair minor defects in the apartment herself. This is part of what is known as minor maintenance. This includes work that an averagely talented tenant without specialist knowledge can do themselves in a few simple steps. The maintenance of the siphon also falls into the category of minor maintenance.
If it is blocked, the tenant must unscrew and clean it herself. If she is unable or unwilling to do this, she must bear the costs for the plumbing. This is also the view of the Swiss Homeowners’ Association.
When the landlord must bear the costs for the plumbing: If it is not the trap that is blocked, but the wastewater pipe, the landlord must pay for the plumbing.
This is part of so-called normal maintenance. The Swiss Homeowners’ Association takes the same view on this point as the tenants’ association.
If the siphon cannot be unscrewed, the landlord must also bear the costs.
If the siphon is already blocked when you move into the new apartment, the tenant cannot be the cause. In this case, too, the landlord is obliged to pay for the plumbing.
Who decides which plumber is hired? If the tenant hires the plumber as part of minor maintenance, she may also choose the plumber herself. If it is a matter of normal maintenance, the landlord has the right to choose which company to commission.
