Help! There is a sump pump in my bedroom!!!?

Question

Recently, I discovered a sump pump disguised as a bench in the bedroom of my new basement appartment, while moving some of my belongings in. The cushion on the bench felt damp so I lifted it up to find a concrete hole filled with a foot of smelly water and all kinds of mould. The walls of the bedroom were mouldy as well, and the floor surrounding the pump was quite damp. Needless to say I will be finding a new appartment to live in during school, but I was wondering about the responsibilities of my landlord. Could anyone tell me if there are laws against having such a thing in the bedroom? Surely it is a health hazard. I live in Canada and I was wondering if there is somewhere I can call, or what I should do in this situation. I would not want the apartment to go to some other unsuspecting person, but I do not necessarily want to s***w my landlord over either, as he is an older fellow, and seemed quite nice.

Answer 1

Talk to the landlord nicely about it.  I would surmise that because it is a basement apt., you got what you bargained for.  Sump pumps are common in basements, so I'm not sure Mr. Landlord is really violating any laws.

Move as soon as you can, and good luck.

Answer 2

NO DONT TALK TO THE LANDLORD just yet. look into this first. know your rights and their rights before you go jibber jabbering about what you do or dont know. you signed a lease maybe? this will come into play as well. you do in fact HAVE RIGHTS tho...so maybe look into what we have here in USA called revised codes (breaking the law). the best way is maybe go online or what i did and went to the library and checked out a For Dummies book (lol) about tenant/landlord rights. it will tell you how to find your rights from the state you live in. and what to do from there. i know that would be a health hazzard here in ohio. especially the mold.

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then be sure when you do know your stuff and go to the landlord...its best you do it in writing rather than oral. they i think have to respond to you within so many days or you can do something about it (at least its like that here). health department would shut it down lol. they do have to cooperate with you but you also need to watch your step. you could sue for your money back ect ect ect if in fact they are not doing things right.

another thing...if you read your lease really good sometimes you will find they had you sign for something illegal really. like i signed a disclaimer for asbestos/lead, saying i know its there blah blah blah. well they cannot do that...they have to obide by certain standards to even rent to you (applied warranty of habitablity). just learn your stuff first =) good luck

Answer 3

One purpose of a sump pump is to help keep water out of the basement, and they are frequently REQUIRED by building code.  A sump pump itself is not a health hazard, but if radon is seeping through it, that may be a problem.  A radon test would tell you if the radon levels are too high.  Under those circumstances, you'll need to take some action.  Again, though, sump pumps are often required by building code and are not a problem in and of themselves.

Answer 4

call the landlord and tennant act. tell them your story over the phone they will give you a number to contact the appropriate dept. more than likey some one will come out.

Answer 5

No laws about having a sump pump in a bedroom.  A basement has to have it somewhere.  It doesn't hurt you if it's working properly.  Obviously this one isn't.  I like your attitude about protecting the next renter without s******g over the landlord.  That is fair.  You would call the city planning and zoning office to find out where to register your complaint.