My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: California.
This may not be that unique, but I really would like some legal advice and need your attention, so thanks so much!
I was taking a shower last week, when I heard knocking at my front door. I hopped out and answered it. My downstairs neighbor informed me that water was leaking through her ceiling. I looked back at the shower and noticed that my shower curtain had been placed outside of the tub (by house cleaners) so that water had certainly been spilling onto my floor. The amount of water (maybe irrelevant legally?) was as if someone took a bucket of water and spilled it across my floor. I cleaned it up immediately, and then promptly put the issue out of mind. Small amount of water, immediate cleanup, what's the worst that could happen?
My landlord called me earlier this week and informed me they would be invoicing me for repairs, including caulking and repainting, to the ceiling of my neighbor's apartment. I'm guessing this will be a substantial amount.
I recognize that my ignorance (don't want to use the "n-word" here) caused water to spill onto my floor. I recognize that water spilling onto my floor leaked through my floor (it is impossible to see where) through my downstairs neighbor's ceiling, causing water damage.
What seems unreasonable to me is the expectation I'm supposed to have, that, should I spill water on the floor, I would (or even might) cause damage to my downstairs neighbor's ceiling. I restate that this was NOT a substantial amount of water. I think it's clear that the construction of my floor is conducive to water leakage, and I think it's also reasonable to assume that of all rooms in an apartment, the landlord would ensure that leakage is LEAST LIKELY in the bathroom, where the floor is wet ALL THE TIME.
How can it be reasonable for me to live in an apartment expecting that should I spill water anywhere, I may be accepting responsibility for damage to the floor below me? Should I not reasonably expect that the landlord would have maintained the apartment such that spilling water on the floor anywhere would not have repercussions outside of the apartment?
Could someone please help me judge my legal standing here? If I am truly in the wrong, I will certainly pay for the damage. But I don't think a rational, well-informed person would, in signing an apartment lease, be implicitly accepting that spilling a "normal" amount of water on the ground entails a high risk of responsibility for damage to my downstairs neighbor's ceiling.
Of note is the fact that there is zero noticeable damage, mold, or "holes in the floor" in my bathroom.
Thanks much!
Calvin

