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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
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    1

    Default Can a Landlord Charge a Tenant for Breaking a Door that Became Stuck

    My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: New York

    Have a bit of a bizarre situation - I've lived in my apartment with my girlfriend going on 4 years. It's an old building and we've been having some issues with our bathroom door which is also old. 2 days ago we let our landlord know we've been having issues with the door not working and it getting stuck. They sent over some recommendations for how to fix the door ourselves which we tried and didn't seem to help.

    Now today, I went into the bathroom to take a shower and closed the door and the door wouldn't open again. I was stuck in the bathroom for hours and my girlfriend had to come home from work to help. We tried everything to open the door and Googled options but nothing worked. Eventually we had to break the door to open it and get out.

    Embarrassing situation and I realize we technically broke the door but who is responsible for paying to fix the door? We tried contacting our landlord while this was going on for help and still haven't heard back.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    18,340

    Default Re: Bathroom Door Repair - Who's Responsible

    You're going to get as many different opinions as there are people giving the opinions.

    As a former landlord and something of a landlord tenant maven, here's how I see it.

    You notified the landlord of the problem. You apparently have evidence of the response ("sent over some recommendations").

    It's never a good idea to allow a tenant to attempt to repair one's own property. By doing so, my belief is that the landlord accepted the potential for something going wrong and is responsible for the cost to repair or replace the door.

    My opinion, however, is worth about 2 cents so you are going to have to present the landlord with that assertion (preferably in writing) and report back to this thread with the results if you'd like further discussion.

    By the way, did any of those recommendations include removing the pins from the hinges?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    98,846

    Default Re: Can a Landlord Charge a Tenant for Breaking a Door that Became Stuck

    Quote Quoting isun
    View Post
    It's an old building and we've been having some issues with our bathroom door which is also old. 2 days ago we let our landlord know we've been having issues with the door not working and it getting stuck. They sent over some recommendations for how to fix the door ourselves which we tried and didn't seem to help.
    As we're talking about a bathroom door, and as the door got stuck after you showered, it sounds to me like you may have a ventilation issue in the bathroom. When you shower, the room fills with steam, steam is made of water, and when water meets wood, wood expands. Does the bathroom have an exhaust fan? Is the fan working? Have you been using the fan?

    You say you told your landlord about the problem for the first time, two days ago. Your landlord replied with suggestions, which you tried but which were not successful. What did your landlord say when you followed up to inform them that the suggestions did not work? How long before the door became stuck did you have that conversation?

    A problem with a door's closing is normally considered to be a minor problem, unless the problem prevents the door from closing or prevents the door lock (when required) from working. Thus, your landlord's treating your initial report, or even a follow-up of "your suggestions did not work", does not require the landlord to treat the report as a matter of urgency. Your report that the door was stuck so severely that it could not be opened is a different matter, particularly with you inside the bathroom, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to be able to reach your landlord or get better short-term advice than "Call 911".

    I suspect that your landlord's response to the situation is going to turn in large part upon whether the door can be repaired, or whether the damage rises to the level that the door (and possibly the frame) has to be replaced. For now, I suggest trying to find out your landlord's position, as if they're willing to absorb the cost your worries are over.

    If you come back with more information, please indicate if you are in NYC, and also how many units are in the building, as that information may affect your rights.

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