Should landlord pay for my damaged sofa?

Q. I rent a house with three others and I'd like your advice. The landlord was recently having work done on the roof of the house and due to an accident caused by one of the builders, there was a major leak which resulted in a considerable amount of water going into the living room. The landlord had someone come in and get the place sorted for us straight away and I do appreciate that. He is a good landlord, quite considerate. The issue is that the leak completely ruined a couch that I bought for the place. It smells of damp now and whether it is to be replaced or if there is some way of having it professionally treated, it will be of considerable expense. Should I bring this to the landlord? I don't know if I'm legally entitled as the couch was bought by myself and not a piece of the furniture he supplied.

A. The very simple answer to your question is yes, you should certainly bring this to the attention of your landlord.

It would appear that you have a good relationship with your landlord and him/her with you as is evident from the works that they recently carried out. They have paid the contractor for carrying out these works and the contractor caused the damage to your couch.

Under the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 and the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 you must notify your landlord in writing, outlining the issue and give them a reasonable timeframe to resolve it.

I would suggest that as you have a good relationship with your landlord that you should also call them to let them know the issue and explain that it was caused by the contractor. It may be that your landlord replaces or repairs the couch and then pursues the contractor for the cost.

John O’Sullivan, Chartered Residential Agency Surveyor and member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, scsi.ie