IfI break something in my apartment, amI required to use the apartment’s contractor?
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IfI break something in my apartment, amI required to use the apartment’s contractor?
I recently replaced my shower head in my apartment. I ended up breaking the pip attached to the shower head. I wanted to bring in my friend that’s a plumber and have him fix it at a low rate. But management insisted I use their contracted plumber and I would have to pay their rates. Is that legal?
Asked on February 2, 2012 under Real Estate Law, California
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
I suggest that you carefully read your written lease for the premises you are occupying with respect to any provision requiring you to use the apartment's contractor for repairs in that the written lease controls the obligations owed to you by the landlord and vice versa in the absence of conflicting state law.
If the lease does not state you are required to use the landlord's contractor for repairs, then you are free to use any person qualified to make the repairs who is a licensed contractor assuming a licensed contractor is needed for the repairs. The shower head issue you are writing about does not require a licensed contractor to make that type of repair.
I would get your own person to make the repairs and you then pay him or her for the time and material directly.
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