tony de wonderful

Woke up at about 4am on Saturday morning for a ****, heard a strange noise through my ear-plugs (which I use to help sleep). Investigated and found a lot of water pissing down in my bathroom from the air vent in the ceiling and light fitting!

Obviously it was a leak from the flat above so I immediately put on some clothes and went upstairs and started banging on the door above. Got no answer, no light on or anything, so figured the occupier was probably out.

So I was thinking WTF do I do? Who do I call? Had no number for the person above (vaguely know them). Can I kick the door in? Thought better of that and would probably hurt myself. Had a think for a minute, went back down to see the leak again...really pissing through the ceiling and onto the carpet, went down to the flat below me, nobody in either but I could hear the water flowing!

Decided to call the police station and they sent a copper down. I was really surprised they didn't tell me to Fark off. The Copper arrived about 20 mins later and explained he couldn't enter just for a leak, but when he saw how much water was leaking and how you could hear it like a pressure washer, he said he could enter under some legislation or other (PACE I think?). So he smashed the door in with this ram thing he had and we shut down the water at the valve.

Now my bathroom is soaking. There was so much water coming through in the ~1 hr it was leaking that the cellar had about 3-4 inches in it. Fortunately I don't own this flat, so told the letting agency. They sent over some guy and he just hoovered up water from the carpet. It is still damp as hell. Bulb went pop when I turned on the light, haven't tried to change it though yet. Electrics may be farked....so I'll give it a while to dry out.

I was just wondering if this will cause long term damage? It's not my property, not my problem I suppose but still interested. I lived in one flat years ago which had a slow, long term leak into the floor and it rotted the floorboards and joists.

Guy who owns the above flat did thank me BTW - even though his door was wrecked - leak could have gone on for hours potentially.

Anyway it is a good lesson in the hazard of living in flats - and owning them - you are really at the mercy of the quality of the pluming above!

SpecDscooby

The floor/ roof is farked, the floor is probably chip board which soaks water like a spong, as it dries it will distort and weaken; the floor/ roof joists should be pressure treated timber and will be ok. Electrics should dry out and be fine.

David Lock

There is possibly a stopcock for the whole building outside? Surprised copper didn't have a look around. Doesn't water board have an emergency number?

dl

Dingdongler

I thought you lived with your mum? Why are you trying to pretend otherwise?

ScoobyWon't

You should have kicked the door in. Your defence to a charge of criminal damage was that you were doing it to prevent further damage which is therefore a lawful excuse. No further action.

As pointed out above, you live with your mum, so it's irrelevant.

Leslie

Its an insurance job no doubt but it will cause you a fair bit of inconvenience.

Les

Coffin Dodger

Happened to me (also in rented flat), bloke two floors up flooded his kitchen with the washing machine. Was running down the walls of the flat above and eventually into mine where it found its way through some electrical conduit, shorted out a socket and blew a fuse. Unfortunately was away that weekend so the contents of my freezer was fecked.

Was sorted out by the building insurance on the whole block, held by the management company. As the flats were purpose built, i.e. concrete floors at each level, there wasn't much risk of timber damage. They just dried it all out and redecorated....

tony de wonderful

I think there is a law about unlawful entry as well not just damage?