Am I responsible for the increase in utilities due to a burst pipe?
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Am I responsible for the increase in utilities due to a burst pipe?
A pipe burst under the house I rent, due to no other reason than the age of the pipes, and my water bill went up exponentially. I am told I am responsible for the increase in utilities, as the landlord fixed it immediately and because it was broken for a long time before I was aware of it. I became aware of the leak when I went to pay my water bill. Also, now there is considerable mold growing in the crawl space under the house and I am concerned about my liability in the growing mold problem.
Asked on November 5, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Montana
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
You have no liability under the laws of all states in this country for any growing mold issues due to the burst pipe since you did not cause it to break. However, if you are responsible for the water bill and you have a big bill due to the break where the landlord fixed the problem immediately upon being notified then you unfortunately are responsible for the increase.
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