I didn’t know if I should post this in the health, or rental section, so I have posted in both locations.
My partner and I just recently took up a short term lease at an apartment building that requires 3 units to share one bathroom, which is located at the end of the hallway on the 2nd floor.. Each unit gets their own private, separate and locked full apartments with kitchen and rooms, with the exception of the shared community bathroom.
The other two neighboring units that share the bathroom consists of a guy who lives across the hall. He is hardly ever home and works a lot of the time, and is very nice and polite. And another guy who lives a floor down who is rude and very dirty. I knew moving in I would be sharing the bathroom with a couple of other guys, and I was alright with that because we only took up a short term lease to save up on money because I am currently pregnant. It would just be kind of nice to have an extra bulk amount of money saved up in case of any emergency. I also knew prior to moving in that the bathroom wasn’t going to be a breath of fresh air that smelled of flowers and was always tidy.
However, the bathroom conditions are absolutely unlivable. The shower has cigarette butts inside on the floor near the drain, and the toilet is so bad I can’t stand being down there. And not because I am being picky or uptight, it really is absolutely disgusting! When you walk in it smells of musty urine. The toilet lid is always up – which isn’t even a problem at all. I am after all the only female, and I don’t mind at all lifting and closing the lid. But when the lid is up it is just flilthy. There is mold growing on the rim, urine stains everywhere, fresh and old. Some so old that it looks like hard orange dots plastered onto the rim. The urine (fresh and old) goes from the rim all the way down the base and onto the floor. When you close the lid it is dirty, but no pee stains. I scrubbed the top lid and always set down toilet paper before I go. But many times when I get into the bathroom, the lid is up, and there is un flushed urine. About 4 times there was unflushed feces (and I have only been here a month), and a couple times it was even filled up with feces and urine and water, plugged up. The guy doesn’t unclog it himself.
It’s all completely disgusting and unhealthy. But just about a half an hour ago I went down and there was a puddle of liquid urine and diahrea on floor in front of the toilet. It feels very unlivable. If I would have known the bathroom was going to be so bad and so often, I would have NEVER moved here. I keep thinking to myself, "don’t be picky – I’M the new person, and I am also a girl… I can’t just move in and expect the guy to change everything because I am here". But the bathroom is not even tolerable. I feel like I am going to get sick, especially being pregnant. And even worse, having to pee every hour due to being pregnant.
The male that lives a floor down is very rude also. He told me I need to clean the bathroom, which is insane – I am not cleaning up after a grown man with vile bathroom habits, and he also jiggles the door handle when I am using it! He has done that twice since moving here. If no one is using the bathroom, the lights are off and the door is opened. When I was clearly in there with the door shut, locked and with the lights on here jiggles the handle to get in. After jiggling it once, about 15 seconds later he will do it again, and then gives me rude looks when I come out. It’s gotten to the point where I now have my partner wait outside the bathroom for me.
I know it was my decision to move here, and I regret it so much. Only because of the bathroom though. Besides that and the one particular neighbor, everyone else in the building are wonderful and friendly. Our unit is nice and comfortable and I like it very much. We could try talking to the guy, but he would likely only become rude and aggressive, since he treats my partner worse whenever he runs into him than me. He swears at him and is almost resentful that another unit needs to share the bathroom too. So we are likely going to bring it up to the landlord. I am wondering a few questions though:
What can the landlord do about a situation like this? I don’t want any more hostility from that guy than there already is, all I want is a usable bathroom environment.
What do we do if we inform the landlord, and a reasonable time has gone by but nothing is done, or nothing changes?
Is there any health hazard from using a bathroom like that? I don’t want to get sick, especially being pregnant.
Thanks for all who answer and I’m sorry it’s so long. I just don’t know what to do without being a hassle to anyone.
