Avatar's Blog

It rains in Seattle. Not, perhaps, as much as non-Seattleites may believe, but sometimes you can tell how this town earns its name as the Emerald City. Our trees are hardly ever in need of water.

However, the following is not just a Seattle story, because it rains everywhere. Last Saturday night, Seattle experienced one of its first torrential downpours of the fall, and residents at an apartment complex in the city found out first hand what kind of damage a leaking roof can do to their belongings. They also found out what happens when water is left to drip down drywall, soak into carpet and warp wooden doors for twenty-four, forty-eight and finally seventy-two hours. They then discovered what mildew smells like, and were spurred to wonder how much moisture inhalation is necessary before one develops pneumonia.

A leaking roof is a big problem in itself, but a leak that is not dealt with immediately is a serious health hazard. Appalled residents in the apartment building watched water dripping from light switches and smoke detectors, all the while waiting for the building’s management company to send in the cavalry. By Tuesday afternoon, a lone workman had placed fans in the four badly affected units, but the roof remained untouched. Wednesday rolled around, and residents were vacating their apartments, some preferring to stay ten miles away in Bellevue rather than sleep in a soggy, smelly building.

On Wednesday night, the roof was patched. By this time, however, the damage was done. It was too late. 

There are a number of things the building’s management could have done, both prior to and during this debacle that would have saved them much headache and a lot of money. It seems so silly to point out that roofs should be maintained to the highest possible standards, but in a likely attempt to save money, this particular building’s roof had not been properly cared for. It can be frustrating to fork over money, especially when a building appears to be in good shape, but maintaining the structural integrity of something like a roof requires work. In this case, properly repairing said damage will cost far more than what would have been required to keep the roof in good order.

Just take a quick glance through Washington State’s Landlord / Tenant Law: This company violated a slew of clauses. The law states that the landlord must, among other things, “maintain the dwelling so it does not... endanger the tenant’s health and safety”, “maintain structural components, such as roofs... in reasonably good repair”, “maintain the dwelling in reasonably weather-tight condition” and make repairs to “a condition which is immediately hazardous to life” within twenty-four hours of being given written notice. I don’t know a great deal about electricity, but I do know that having standing water underneath light switches that are also dripping is pretty dangerous. I also know that pneumonia isn’t nice. Because of these clauses, tenants are entitled to move out of they so wish, and they are entitled to a prorated refund on their rent as well as the normal return of deposits.

It is so sad that all this could have been avoided by a little proactive behavior by the landlord. Residents pay rent in part so that their landlords can afford to maintain their buildings: They do not expect to hand over exorbitant Seattle rates for the privilege of acquiring an indoor water feature. I implore you all to respect those who live or work in your buildings by respecting the buildings themselves. It is the stuff of nightmares to be flooded out of your home, so please keep your properties in a condition in which you would be comfortable living. The money you spend on maintenance today will save you lost rent, major repair costs and legal fees tomorrow.