Who's responsibility Landlord ???

[Pamalicious]

I have been having trouble with the phone. I changed service and the phone is now very staticky. I mean I can't even hear. I am wondering that if it is determined thru my initial payment for a service call that the problem lies with the wiring inside the home (it's a relatively old home) who is responsible for getting the wiring in the home fixed? The landlord? Seeing as I didn't put the wiring in and it's his home, or me since I'm trying to use the phone. Thanks! because I'm paying a phone bill and I can't even use the phone!

[Juicey1]

If the wiring can't be fixed through the phone wires with the phone company and needs to be fixed on the home I would think that would be the Landlords responsibility.

But don't the phone company come out to replace those wires? It could be their responsibility. Just make a service call and see.

[sistuhchey]

Wiring can be a tricky thing....hidden in the walls blocked,temintes..can't get too it...water damage...etc, etc,...and knowing my landlords...they probably wouldn't pay.....Hell, when the cable man came out....land lords s/o he was trying to get a hook-up for his basement for free.....yuck I despise that man..... :blah: ....

anyways...if you have a good landlord...he/she probably won't mind.........

[Tastey]

If you have Bell South is YOUR responsibility if it's an INSIDE line issue. If it's an OUTSIDE line issue then it's the phone companies responsibility.

They usually offer you inside wire maintenance, so that if anything goes wrong inside you don't have to pay it's covered in your monthly bill, but if you don't have that. You have to pay for them to fix the wiring.

You may be able to get your landlord to help...but that depends on the landlord.

[Pamalicious]

Well this is one of the offshoot telephone companies (long story) but I believe they are contracted with Bellsouth. So there is no wire maintenance and all that jazz. Damn! I'll see what he says - he's a very good landlord and I sho as hell am a good Tenant.

[zuriyahe]

The phone company is usually responsible for the line up to the home. After that, I believe that it is YOUR responsibility. I am pretty sure. That is usually why the phone company offers line insurance. Of course, in my case, I had DSL issues...and I didn't pay the few dollars a month line insurance...

Well, they fixed it...but it cost me.

[Pamalicious]

Ok, the people came out and ascertained the problem was probably inside the house and then I kinda saw the point, each of my jacks is DIRECTLY over a free flowing heat vent on the floor DUH after a couple of winters, I'm sure that they have sustained some kinda melting or something.

So I told my landlord, cause I really don't have the money for this. I don't have wire maintenance and the phone company says I have to hire an independent contractor. I'm also going to see if someone knows someone.

[dns70]

Anything having to do with the phone is NOT the landlord's responsibility.

If it's due to something going on inside the home, it's your responsibility.

If it's something due to an outside problem (i.e. a tree falls on a line, etc.) then it's usually the telephone company's responsibility.

But the landlord has no liability for it at all because he doesn't own or lease the lines. You as the one receiving the service have some responsibility, and the phone company (who actually owns or is leasing the line) has responsibility IF it's outside the home.

[Pamalicious]

I am fixing the problem and my landlord is a very good one and he'll at minimum find someone who is priced reasonably.

[Andre98]

You mean that even if the customer ( or landlord) has to pay, the phone company won't do the actual work? They could at least have a list of refferals, the way the Gas and electric folks can contract out the installation of a hot water heater.

I think the landord should pay at least part. True you are leasing the lines, but the lines came with the house, and will be there for use after you are gone. It should be treated like the roof leaking and be fixed by the house owner. I had static on my line and the phone company man came in and said all phone lines have more than one line in the wire. He just switched the leads on the end and it was good as new, and I had no maintenance.

[Pamalicious]

This was my thinking, we can share the expense seeing as I came in the house and just plugged my phone into the walls, the wiring came with the house and I haven't DONE anything to the wiring as in 'break it' where I would be soley responsible.

He's a really good landlord, and I am his best tenant and so I'm sure we can work something out.

[dns70]

But, I don't see how phone lines are remotely a landlord's responsibility...

[Pamalicious]

But, I don't see how phone lines are remotely a landlord's responsibility...

He took something off my rent for the phone wires.

[Andre98]

DNS, Can you take the phone lines with you when you leave? No. They are the physical property of the house, just like the electrical lines, the plumbing, etc.. You can pay the electric and water bill if utilities are separate, but if a pipe breaks, or electrical wiring needs repair, the landlord pays.

[dns70]

The Landlord didn't put the phone lines in though.

You can't take the electricity with you when you leave the apartment either, but it's still not the landlord's responsibility.

I mean, I'm glad to hear the guy helped you out, Pam. It's nice to hear you have a cool landlord. My father raised us off real estate. He was a full-time real estate owner. He owns about 5 buildings. Generall speaking, phone problems aren't the responsibility of the landlord. Because the landlord never installed the lines in the first place. A tenant wanted phone service, so he put the lines in and the phone company owns the lines. It really has nothing to do with the landlord at all.

All the other things you mentioned Dre, (the pipes, the gas lines) those are the landlord's responsibility because a landlord has to provide those items for a place to be deemed "livable" by that state's or city's housing standards. Phone lines are not necessary for the unit to be livable. A lot of landlords aren't responsibility for electrical either, but to not be liable for electrical, the landlord has to provide gas heating.

In the instances of water, a lot of times that depends on how the water is heated. If the water is heated electrically, then many landlords won't claim responsibility, but if a gas boiler is heating the water coming into the unit, the landlord will absorb the monthly cost of water.