Forgive me if this has been asked before but I did a search and couldn't find a thread that was closely related to my question.
Our property management agency has informed us that our bathrooms are being renovated, which we are delighted about. However they have told us that we will be without a toilet or shower for a whole two weeks. She said that the contractor will not do one at a time, but insists to tear apart both at the same time. Our manager asked if we have a friend near by that we can use their toilet!! I really can't believe that she was asking me this. I told her this is a huge problem and we can't be expected to leave our flat every time we have to use the loo. I really can't believe I was asked this.
She then called back and said that they can do one toilet at a time, but we will still be without a shower or bath for the entire two weeks.
We also have a small baby and the noise, smells and work schedule is going to very trying on our daily routine, which we have worked hard on making.
Here is my question...
How much of a rent reduction is fair for a two week duration to be totally inconvenienced like this? Is there a guideline that I can follow so I have a reasonable number when I approach the landlord?
Dangerous question to ask since the obviuos reply is - fine but since you will have a better bathroom then afterwards we will increase the rent! It would be smarter to not open this hornets nest or if you do ask if you can be compensated for the estimated cost of finding showers by telling hem you have no friends that will loan you a shower.
How 'bout a 2 week vacation and avoid the whole mess?!
They've already said rent is going up by around 7-8 percent.
Wish we could take a vacation but totally not doable. Great idea though!
Where I live there are a lot of renovations.
Once the builders built a temporary shower in the bicycle room.
Once they hired a fitted bathroom, in a half container, and put this in the front garden.
They gave us about CHF 500 compensation for a month.
Can you move to a new apartment? Have you joined the Mieterverband?
You'd have to check it out with the Mietverband but I think there is a chance you could lodge an appeal over the renovations on the grounds you have a small baby and it might delay it for a few months.
The dust, adhesive and new paint fumes won't be very healthy for a little one.
That's a really good point. I've heard also that there's a risk of lead poisoning with older houses like ours. Getting more concerned here...
An update for anyone interested.
I met with the Mieterverband and they said to document all the ways in which it impacts my family each day. At the end, they said to come back and they will then help us write a letter asking for a reduction. No amount should be named. We then take the reply back to the Mieterverband and go from there.
I should also add that the workers have left a huge mess each day that we've had to clean up each evening. Worse still, they're putting in a shower and no bath now. We have a baby and he uses the tub with my wife. They never told us about it and we only found out from the workers. Had we known last year, we'd never have stayed through the renos. Not happy to be paying a rent increase for removing something essential to us like a tub. We're going to find out if we're still bound to the 2x a year we can move or if we can leave sooner given the circumstances.
Personally, I would have told them to put you up for the duration in a hotel, at their expense, else no renovation.
Tom
Yes, that is what you should do. When you rent an apartment, you have the RIGHT to an apartment suitable to live in. No bathroom and no toilet are beyond that. They have broken their side of the contract. So you could move the next day and not pay a penny more. If you paid in advance you should demand the rent back for all days the apartment was unlivable. UNLESS they offer you a hotel room for the period. It is still not like home, but livable. I would not accept not having a toilet, not even for a day.
We did manage to negotiate them doing one bathroom at a time so we have a toilet but basically have to sponge bathe ourselves each day. This will be for two weeks. Our son can't have his naps either as we're forced out of the house most of the day. We won't settle than less for a full rent reduction for those days if they don't offer that in response to our request. It's really frustrating to not have a bath though as we need it for our son. What do they think we're going to do - lay him on the floor in the shower?
I will post more updates and advice we receive from the Mieterverband as it comes.
"Full" rent reduction, as in no rent at all? If that is what you have in mind then you are dreaming...and no mediation authority (if it got that far) would grant you that either.
You cannot possibly live in a house with no tub if xou have a wee one!
The feckers.
The Mieterverband advised us that with bathrooms, it's 100% for the duration of the work. I couldn't agree more.
It's not a case of just not being able to bathe. There is dust everywhere, bad smells and very loud noises. We have to spend an hour+ for two of us cleaning up after the workers each day just to get down the hallway. We asked the landlord to talk to them and their response was "Ask them yourself." We did but all they do now is remove the plastic on the floor. Our baby can't nap during the day and my wife is resorting to breastfeeding in various places around the town. We've had to rearrange his nighttime sleep schedule too so we can accommodate the very early morning hours they come. Any parent will understand how tough this is with a baby. He needs time at home on his play mat...etc.