When you’re moving into a new home, you might be focused on details like furniture placement, wall colors, and plumbing fixtures. People rarely take time to notice underlying problems before signing any documents--and sometimes those underlying problems haven’t developed yet.

Regardless, before you move in, consider learning exactly what your rights and responsibilities are as a renter. If you didn’t realize that you have rights along with your responsibility to pay the rent, you are reading the right post!

We’re going to discuss what problems must be covered by a landlord in order to make the house livable. Keep reading for more information!

What Problems The Landlord Must Fix

When you pay rent, you are paying a landlord for the right to live in the home and that the home is habitable.

If at any point, the home becomes unlivable due to electrical, plumbing, or heating problems, the landlord is obligated to fix it.

This can include problems like a burst pipe flooding your home, or a major clog in the sewer line causing sinks and tubs to bubble with sewage.

Anything that makes the home unsafe or unacceptable to live in must be taken care of by the landlord but smaller repairs may be performed by you.

Thinking of Buying a Home?

Buying a home is a great financial strategy as you can build equity over time and eventually own it outright.

However, when you own your home, any major repairs must be made or paid for by you.

Sometimes homeowner’s insurance will cover part of the cost, but this is not guaranteed so you may be stuck with the whole bill.

When renting a home, you typically have to cover repairs that are the result of normal wear and tear--up to a certain dollar amount. After that dollar amount, the burden of the cost of repairs reverts back to the landlord.

Local Ordinances & Code

Although your landlord is supposed to be obligated to pay for major repairs, it doesn’t always happen as such.

Unfortunately, some landlords take advantage of the fact that you don’t know your rights and think that you will pay for the repair yourself.

Some areas have a ‘right to deduct’ stipulation which means that you have the legal right to deduct the cost of the repair from your next month’s rent if you have given ample notice of the need. This might be a tricky move and should be done under legal advice.

Regardless, state law and county ordinances supersede any lease that is signed. This means that if your rental is unlivable for an unacceptable amount of time, you may be able to break your lease without penalty.

Making The Call For Urgent Repairs

If you are facing a major repair that is quickly damaging your property, you may want to go ahead and call (903) 630-6153 for professional help, especially if you do not have renter’s insurance.

Hopefully, your landlord is understanding and will deduct the cost from your rent or pay you back immediately. If he or she doesn’t, you might look at finding a new home because you will likely pay for all future repairs.

Do you have a story about a time when your rental home needed urgent repairs? Tell us what happened and what you did to fix it in the comments!

Flooding is devastating for homeowners, their families, and anyone around them. Not only is a flooding event devastating, but it is also stressful! You will wonder if insurance will help pay for the damages, possibly how you’ll pay the deductible if sentimental items will be ruined or can be replaced, and what life will look like after the water has subsided.

There is no way to guarantee that you will NEVER experience a plumbing emergency in your home, but there are tips on what to do after. We have compiled a few of them and hope you’ll keep them in mind if you or someone you know ever faces a flood. Keep reading for more information!

Not All Floods Are Natural One

Most of the time, people hear the word flood while watching the weather or the news. It is usually due to heavy rains, hurricanes, snow melting, or other natural disasters.

However, flooding can take place on a bright, sunny day with no rain in sight--and it can be an isolated event that specifically affects your home. We are talking about flooding that occurs when pipes burst, water leaks, drains, and sewer lines are clogged, washing machine hoses are faulty, or pipes burst (with or without freezing weather).

The good news is each of these instances is preventable by a simple call to Super Plumbers. Sometimes you might not know exactly what is wrong, but just that something isn’t right--that thought and the action of calling us can prevent a flooding event in your home!

Cleanup Should Start ASAP

After a flood, you may want to go through your home and see the damage to all of your things. This is understandable, but really, the first task should be removing all of the water.

Water may need to be pumped out, but you may be able to use towels and mops to get rid of the last bit. After the water is gone, look around your home. You are looking for water damage on your floors, drywall, cabinets, and furniture.

Chances are if any of these have sustained damage, your cabinets, toilets, and tubs have too. You will need a professional to assess the issue and make sure that these items do not pose a risk of growing mold.

Air Scrubbers > Air Fresheners

Air fresheners are great for cars and gym bags, but they do not actually clean the air. Air scrubbers, on the other hand, do. These machines can help remove mold, construction dust, and fumes that can come from the repairs being made to your home. The removal of such contaminants is important to ensure your family’s safety and health.

You should note that after the air scrubber has been put away, there is a small chance that your home will start smelling musty. If this happens, a specialist may be needed to find the source of the smell and remove it properly.

Why pursue a career in the plumbing industry? If you want a job that is always on-demand, you want to work independently, and want to constantly learn new on-the-job skills, then plumbing is the right field for you.

However, plumbing is more than just making physical repairs, it’s also about customer service and how to improve on a daily basis.

Plumbing methods and repairs are always changing - as are the needs of your customers. That’s why you need some easy tips to follow to continually improve in the field.

Customer Service Skills Are Vital

Of course, great customer service is of the utmost importance. Let’s face it--more often than not, when a customer calls a plumber, he or she is under stress. Maybe a toilet backed up or a dishwasher is leaking all over a newly remodeled floor. Whatever the case may be, you are entering an environment where the client is unhappy from the start.

On top of identifying and repairing the problem at hand, you have to remember to keep your customer calm and reassured. Sometimes, he or she will be panicked about the cost of the repair on top of the stress of the underlying problem itself.

As a customer service professional, you have to remember to stay calm, cool and collected even in these challenging situations. It’s a balancing act of reassuring the customer while thoroughly troubleshooting and identifying the problem, and providing a professional, diagnostic evaluation of the situation. Be honest and upfront about what needs to be done to correct the problem.

Get The Right Tool For The Job

Above all, you are responsible for your personal safety while on the job. As you know, plumbing sometimes involves working with hazardous materials.

You are responsible for your own personal safety while on a job site. Remember to follow all industry standards and safety protocol. This is not the time to cut corners.

Make sure you have the proper protective gear you need before showing up at a site as you may encounter asbestos, mold, lead, and other biohazards, or you are potentially creating a dangerous situation for yourself and others.

Always Add On-The-Job Skills And Tricks

Even master plumbers with years of experience are constantly honing their skills. This is particularly true in an industry that is constantly changing, such as plumbing.

Plumbing is currently experiencing a technological renaissance. New, high-tech shower heads, faucets and eco-friendly toilets are being regularly requested by customers.

However, old-school plumbing tricks are still the best way to get the most out of your plumbing repairs. Always add to your repertoire with skills like cutting pipes with wire, using silicone to seal new connections, and leveraging the heat of your blowtorch to loosen overly tightened nuts and bolts.

The key to any plumbing job is to always be improving - this will not only make jobs easier, but also it’ll get you the recognition you deserve from your customers and your plumbing company. If you need even more guidance, try to work with our local plumbing experts like the pros at Super Plumbers - the leading plumbing company in Tyler.