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Horrible plumbing in my rental apartment?

I just moved from NYC to Southern California. I have always had cats and have lived with my boyfriend/now husband for the better part of 10 years. We have never had plumbing problems before, but ever since moving in to this apartment 5 months ago, we've had nothing but plumbing problems. For a while it was just a slow drain on one toilet. The landlord would snake and it would be fine for a while and then it would get slow again. Then last month, one morning out of nowhere, both toilets and both showers started spewing sewage in unison at 7am! A real plumber came, snaked from the basement/garage and told me to stop flushing litter. Done. Now it seems the toilets are starting to drain slowly again. Can I use rid-ex even if we don't have a septic tank? Any other suggestions to keep things flowing? Thanks! I am adding details to answer some of the questions/suggestions raised in the answers: 1 - THANK YOU to those of you responding 2 - I don't want to move, everything about this apartment is perfect except for the plumbing. 3 - The landlord has assured me it is not a problem with the roof vent, though I don't know how he knows this. 4 - None of the plumbers could identify what they snaked but one suggested we stop flushing our flush-able litter. 5 - I just want to know what I can do to help the plumbing running smoothly. I know it's not technically my responsibility, but it would certainly make my life either. 6 - Is Ridex safe for non-septic systems? THANKS!

Public Comments

  1. you got to not care. continue to use the toilet anyway .if it gets full and goes onto the floor its not your problem ..you dont own it.. you are just renting it like a motel for 30 days of space. relax. if it stinks enough they will fix it
  2. Keep a record of all the problems you have with the plumbing. Request in writing (politely) that the landlord fix it. If they don't, then you pay a plumber to fix it, & keep the receipt. Then deduct it from your rent, and attach COPIES of all the records.
  3. This is what turns nice units into slums, landlords that don't care and, let properties run down. Find out the owners name or the management company that runs the building, ask him "why" on your problems and see what type of results you get. If you hit a block wall here, move, that's your only alternative. Under no conditions hold back rent, deduct rent, etc, your the one that will be in trouble. It doesn't work anyway, the constable with an eviction notice would beat you to the door.
  4. do you have a roof vent for drainage?has the lines started running uphill vs downhill,what was on the snake when rodded out?
  5. most of the time tennants are flushing things in the toilet that do not belong there i.e. sanitary napkins, kotex, cat litter ect and think the plumber ormaint tech will be to dumb to tell. hmmm well the snake will bring the gloged item out with it therefore offering proof of what went into the pipes. maybe not you but 99% i find this to be the case.