Report back and let us know how long it takes your tenant to say "Well, if the roots weren't there in the first place, the tampons would've went down!"

Regardless of who pays the bill, this tenant needs to go. Flushing tampons down a toilet is flat-out dumb and irresponsible behavior. I don't want either/or of those in my property.

Next time, it will be a grease clog from pouring leftover oil from the turkey fryer down the drain.

Btw, does your lease address this? If not, it should. "Clogs" is not specific enough.

Mine is specific: "Only human bodily waste and toilet paper may be flushed down toilets. Wipes, paper towels, tampons, feminine hygiene products, condoms, drugs, cat litter, toys, oil, grease, dirt, leftover food, table scraps, plastic bags, etc are not designed properly to be handled by residential household drains or a sanitary sewer system, and any of these items found in a line will result in a charge to tenant to clear the line."

Stick to the rental agreement: what does it say about clogs? Does it mention items not to go in the drains and toilets?

If yes, follow the agreement.

I say no charge for this first time and just a warning.

You have to be fair. And a couple of problems.

First a duplex. Unless they admit the tampons. Would a Judge make a tenant pay for a problem that may have been caused by another tenant?

Next is tree roots. This is most likely the cause.

Since it would have eventually caused a clog even without the tampons.

Roots in the line, I'd pay myself. But I would definitely flag to the tenant that there were tampons in the line and these are not allowed in the sewer.

Any roots- broken pipes- cracks-- LL pays. Give me a break.

Last time I Posted about this I said I sent back 300.00 to a tenant I had billed for products in the line-- when I found the root I sent her her money back--- killed me to do it but ya gotta sleep at night.

I am a licensed plumbing contractor. Get a letter from your plumber that he removed a tampons that got stuck in some roots and caused the blockage.

Then send a letter to your tenant saying, you can not put tampons, facial tissue or paper towels down the toilet -- only toilet paper. And that that this time you're not going to charge them. But if they continue to flush down products that don't break down immediately, then they will be reasonable for the entire plumbing costs to free any blockage.

On job I did for a Hollywood Actor on one of their rental homes to clean a blockage from an attorney tenant. The lease and owner warned the attorney. So I sent my bill to the Owner/actor and he told me to send the bill to his attorney tenant. Neither of them paid me so I sent a demand letter and followed it up in small claims court. Since I refused to meet in the hallway and try to reach a settlement, my case was put at the end of the list, to be head in front of the judge at 4:30 pm.

GG,

Simple: broke the lease rules by flushing tampons. (you DO have a proper lease with this spelled out, right?)

Fluid can pass thru roots until tampons collect into a dam.

Bill now. NEVER wait for the move out. That deposit is to protect you from other things happening before she leaves.

Side note: visiting girlfriends can flush stuff when visiting your male resident.

BRAD

PS

I had a house occupied by 2 gay men. (that's what THEY called themselves).

The sewer line kept clogging. I finally asked the sewer guy to report back - tampons. Huh?!?

Turns out the sewer line was connected to the house next door which DID have teen girls.

I pulled paper towels out last week. One of the teni asked if the laundry room was clean. I answered. " go look,". I followed with advice to tell whomever flushed paper towels to clean the laundry room floor.

I see the problem as not the roots, but rather what was caught by the roots. Everything was flowing while the roots were there. A treatment of root killer would have eliminated the roots.