Cleaner flooded my rented flat. Who's liable?

So we have a cleaner arranged via an agency. Today was this particular cleaner's first day cleaning our flat, we had used a different cleaner through the same agency until recently. Both myself and my wife were at work but the agency have a key so she let herself in.

While she was cleaning the sink she knocked the kitchen tap out causing water to pour out of the pipe into the kitchen. I had noticed previously that the tap was slightly loose but it had never come off before. Evidently she was unable to turn the water off. My wife got a phone call from the agency saying that the cleaner was unable to turn the tap off, my wife explained that it was straightforward and that if they were still unable to call her back. She got no further phone calls from the agency.

When she got back from work about 6 hours later water was still pouring from the sink into the kitchen which was flooded. The cleaner had left after moving the rug and some other items off the floor onto a sofa. There was damage to the wooden floors and to the oven which keeps shorting. We currently have no water until an emergency plumber can come to fix the tap.

My question is does the landlord pay for damages and ask for compensation from the cleaning agency or are they entitled to ask us to pay and we recoup that from the agency given that we hired the cleaners?

Many thanks for any help.

Posted Mar 30, 2017, 10:32 AM UTC

137
Glitterbugtoo•

Any decent cleaning agency has insurance for this type of thing. You need to get their details.

16
ChocolateSnowflake•

I can't believe the cleaner just left while your home was flooding.

The agency will have liability insurance and should be their responsibility

12
purplepatchOP•

I know right. It was a nice surprise for my wife to come home to.

2
[deleted]•

[removed]

-11
[deleted]•

[deleted]

3
purplepatchOP•

I haven't got contents insurance, but my personal belongings weren't damaged anyway. The landlord has building insurance.

2
beachcomberfife•

You should notify the LL asap. But it won't be their claim to make. This isn't an issue for LL to fix. Its down to you as you engaged the agency.

You could:

  • claim on your insurance

  • have agency arrange for repair (they have insurance)

  • you arrange repair, pay and recover from agency

3
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1

Whoever you contract with to clean your flat.

Probably the agency.

Who do you pay the money to?

1