I don’t need to tell you that water and electricity don’t mix, but one penny-pinching Illinois landlord insists that the danger is “inconsequential.” In a post uploaded to r/mildlyinfuriating, a tenant recorded a rather shocking situation of a pipe connected below her breaker box leaking water. Titled “Our landlord decided this is inconsequential,” the post has the comment section very concerned that the leakage is anything but negligible.
“All water leaks are consequential,” reads a top-upvoted comment, and anyone with a lick of sense would agree. Whether it be flooding, electrocution danger, fire hazard, or mold forming from the humidity, any water spouting beside electrical wiring is not good news. “Everyone knows it’s better to wait until repairs are at least $10-20k,” joked a user. It would seem that the landlord is waiting until the problem gets out of hand before addressing it. Anyone with common sense would agree it’s going to be a lot more expensive to repair later on than to fix the issue now.
“File a report with the city, they’ll make sure this is consequential. Or perhaps, the city will make your landlord inconsequential,” suggests a commenter. One Redditor claiming to be an electrician chimed in: “I’m f**king sick and tired of idiot homeowners/renters not understanding how electricity works…when will you people learn that electricity is a liquid before it hits the breaker of your house where it’s converted? Why do you think we wear rubber boots in substations where the liquid electricity is stored?” Still, it doesn’t take an expert to realize the tenant’s safety is at risk.
Although the post has gained tons of traction and engagement, OP has yet to provide any update as to whether she or her husband has reported the issue to someone other than the shady landlord. “If your landlord remains unresponsive to the very real danger at hand, report the issue to your local housing authority, building inspector, or tenant protection agency,” a user strongly recommends. Let’s hope he at least pays for the water bill if the tenants are responsible for covering any repair costs. Whatever the case, all this is definitely a “Ah hell naw” situation, as a commenter puts it. The Illinois tenants might need to find a safer home and a better landlord if the breakbox leak isn’t addressed soon.
