Building not taking care of water damage and breaking the lease

[andyross]

Dealing with water damage that happened slowly due to a small leak and damaged the floor. Building office kinda tries to blame it on me with something that really can't be the reason for the damage. I suspect it's due to bad insulation, which is clearly visible, bad construction quality. Owner is kinda undecided who's to blame.

Problem is that the building office just picked one small reason that they can blame on me, but otherwise only looked into the whole issue very superficially. I'm kinda fed up with it and also suspect that if they don't deal with it properly, it will just turn into something bigger and cause more damage.

Lease says I have two months notice. What would you guys do? Give notice with some other reason, in order not to piss of anybody? Explicitly tell them that it's because they don't deal with the situation properly? Would giving the notice backfire and have them blame it on me even more?

The worst that can happen is that I don't get my deposit back, right? If they don't care of it properly after I left, can they hunt me down for even more damage?

[impulse]

Do what you have to do.

Do it honestly and with integrity and do your best live up to what you agreed to- without letting anyone take unfair advantage of you.

Then deal with the consequences if and when they come.

[andyross]

Right. In Europe or the USA, I would deal with it in a pretty straight forward way. My impression is though that in Thailand that can backfire. For example if I mention that I feel like they didn't take proper care of the situation or that the construction quality is bad. Feels like there is a thin line between not letting anybody taking advantage of you and defending yourself, pissing somebody off and have the whole thing backfire.

[impulse]

I probably jumped the gun with my platitudes there. But if this runs like most threads here, you'll soon be getting advice to skedaddle in the middle of the night, taking the fixtures with you, and leaving a pile of dog poop in the refrigerator after breaking all the mirrors.

Sounds like you already know better.

[ripley]

This is an interesting question.

I think what I'd do is hire someone (a plumber perhaps?) to trace the source of the damage and write it down w/ date and signature. Approach the owner with "Gee whiz, I thought you might be interested in this problem causing damage to your building", rather than a demand to fix it.

Once I'd established that the damage is not my fault and that the owner has no intention of fixing it, I'd look up a list of legal reasons for breaking a lease & use one of those. Damage not done by yourself may be one of them.

A long shot as people don't like parting with deposit money, but maybe worth a shot. Your expert's written assessment of the cause of damage should serve to ward off anyone trying to "hunt you down".

[blackcab]

You don't have to give any reason when you give notice. Just inform whoever needs to be informed, by registered letter if you need to.

[andyross]

So now it looks like they figured out what the problem is. Looks like they will have redo the wooden parquet floor, which doesn't seem like it's a one day job... along with the potential health issue of mold under the floor.

In the lease it's not specific how such situations should be handled. If it takes them 2 weeks or so to redo everything, I obviously can't live in the apartment during that time. The lease only has 3 months left. I could obviously talk with the owner. But would be great to know what's common legal practice is in such situations. Anybody knows?

[blackcab]

There isn't a standard course of action. It's up to you to negotiate with your landlord.

Option 1 is you stay there for 3 months and quit.

Option 2 is the landlord gives you notice to quit.

Option 3 is the landlord expects you to put up with it while the repairs are done.

[andyross]

Thanks. Even when there is a mold problem and therefor a potential health hazard? Still up to the landlord to decide what they want to do?

[impulse]

Thanks. Even when there is a mold problem and therefor a potential health hazard? Still up to the landlord to decide what they want to do?

Your biggest problem there is that mold is so ubiquitous in Thailand, that it doesn't raise any red flags, nor fear of legal action.

[blackcab]

Thanks. Even when there is a mold problem and therefor a potential health hazard? Still up to the landlord to decide what they want to do?

You can not force your landlord to renovate their property. All you can do is either quit early and lose your deposit; ride it out or negotiate another solution that suits both of you.