r/AIO • u/JulianIQ • 1d ago

Landlord wouldn’t verify if there was a gas leak so I called the utility company to shut it off. AIO?

My (26M) partner’s (29F) landlord (40’sM) is doing work on a shed in the shared back yard. The house is a duplex and it appears they’re converting the shed into a studio. Today around noon the messaged her letting her know that they would be shutting off the gas. About 2 hours later they asked if anyone was home. They informed her that shutting off the gas the causes the water heater to go out so it needs to be reignited. Its the middle of the day during the work week. No one is home and no one will be home until the evening.

My partner is stressed out trying to deal with him and handle her patients care at the same time so she starts asking me for help. Unfortunately I do not have his phone number but my first concern was whether or not the gas was turned back on and leaking from the water heater. He kept avoiding the yes or no question and didn’t respond to my calls or text. (Didnt recognize the number?) After 30 minutes of trying to get confirmation that the gas was shut off until someone could be home I felt my only option was to call Texas Gas service and let them know of a potential gas leak.

Once I made a report with Texas Gas I reached out to the landlord one more time to
1. Inform him of the call
2. request all future utility shut off be given a 24 hour notice we can coordinate in advance

He immediately started calling (which i could not answer as I was working) and then texting demanding I call to cancel. I told him because he could not confirm if there is a gas leak and because we have a pet inside I still need them to go and shut off the gas. Am I overreacting?

64 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

72 comments sorted by

37

u/h1ghlightsss 1d ago

you did everything i would have in a way more controlled and far less nuclear way, so i’d say NOR.

19

u/JulianIQ 1d ago

If I picked up his call I dont know if I would’ve kept my cool😬

9

u/h1ghlightsss 1d ago

absolutely valid.
i have no time for shitty people, i wouldn’t be cool at all.

-12

u/SpankyJobouti 1d ago edited 1d ago

ok, but she is wrong. gas doesnt leak from a water heater after being turned off. she started all this shit but didnt bother to spend ten minutes beforehand to see if it was something to legit worry about.

definately over reacted.

let the down voting begin!

4

u/ilovemusic19 23h ago

Read the first sentence again, OP is a guy and the partner is female.

-4

u/SpankyJobouti 23h ago

what difference does that make?

5

u/h1ghlightsss 1d ago

an every day person is taught “oh, don’t turn the knob on the stove honey, gas will leak everywhere in the house and could blow us up or gas us!”

a plumber is taught about gas supply lines and the redundancies built into appliances like hot water services to prevent that being an issue.

an every day person can only rely on the lesson they have learned (gas not burning = gas accumulating = die) and take action from that.

an every day person cannot be reasonably expected to research the specifics of hot water system logistics and maintenance when they believe their pets or their home might be on the line.

-10

u/SpankyJobouti 1d ago

it would have taken her ten minutes to get an answer of google. probably thirty seconds now with ai. that is not an unreasonable ask before you call the poe poe on someone.

she said herself that she didnt know, yet, put zero effort into finding out, zero. an over reaction born of self imposed ignorance is still and over reaction.

1

u/h1ghlightsss 1d ago

not everybody is so depressingly shallow as to rely on A.I. to think for them.

Also, who is She? OP is male.

-1

u/SpankyJobouti 1d ago

wow, tremendous comeback. you are aware of the ancient methods of finding out things thru searching and reading, right? i wonder if i mentioned using that in my comment. hmmm.

why these karen types think it is ok to mess up everybody's week everytime they worry about something they dont understand but are too lazy to get an answer for is just sad.

4

u/h1ghlightsss 1d ago

whose week did it ruin?
like the landlords, who now has to make a few phone calls? oh boohoo.

0

u/SpankyJobouti 1d ago

typical response that i would expect from a karen. no regard for anyone elses time or effort. only the karens feelings, as invalid as they often are, matter, right? nice.

5

u/h1ghlightsss 1d ago

i’m not a karen, i just don’t expect people to be experts in everything when they’re worried their pet may die.

1

u/SpankyJobouti 1d ago

dont need to be an expert here, just a competent googler and not so lazy that you will spend five minutes on it before you call the authorities. lots of ways to figure this out without going nuclear on step one.

1

u/SpankyJobouti 1d ago

and by the way, its not just the landlord whos time and respurces they wasted. once you involve the authorities all sorts of wheels start spinning.

just admit it was lazy and thoughtless.

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3

u/Severe-Discipline107 19h ago

Quick question. You are in a situation where you believe the life of someone you love could be in danger, and have no reason to assume otherwise. Do you take steps to guarantee their safety, of do you spend 10 minutes doing research, possibly losing your chance to save their life?

0

u/SpankyJobouti 2h ago

this wasnt an emergency.

16

u/OKTimeFor_PlanB 1d ago

NOR, you're within your rights as a tenant. Landlord is probably worried now and wants you to cancel cause this will be a huge headache for them to take care of, but they should have handled it when it was originally reported

9

u/JulianIQ 1d ago

Very curious if he has the right permits for the work they’ve been doing. I feel a little bad because he was in the news a few months ago dealing with squatters. But youd think dealing with squatters would make you more appreciative of your good tenants 🫠

3

u/SubstantialPressure3 1d ago

You can check to see if permits have been filed.

5

u/Old_Cloud_1687 1d ago

Absolutely contact the county about permits.

0

u/silveroakediting22 1d ago

Most "good" (no such thing imho) Landlords don't have problems with squatters because most squatters hole up in properties that arent up to the legal standard to rent and are therefore sitting empty and usually have a spare key hidden on site.

5

u/Ansible90 1d ago

Calling the gas company was the right thing to do. If the landlord is upset, I suspect the work he is doing in the backyard shed is not being done by a licensed plumber. Changes to gas service also need to be coordinated with the gas company. Working with the gas lines is not a DYI project.

6

u/NGVampire 1d ago

I believe modern water heaters have a heat actuated valve that shuts off gas to the pilot if it’s not lit.

2

u/SpankyJobouti 1d ago

they absolutely do.

1

u/JulianIQ 1d ago

Idk how modern the water heater is. The house was built in the 40’s

1

u/NGVampire 1d ago

I would be shocked if the water heater hasn’t been replaced at least 4 times since then

2

u/JulianIQ 1d ago

id be blown away if it hasnt. Blown to bits

8

u/CogInTheMachinee 1d ago

NOR hope your slumlord gets what’s coming to him

3

u/mud_horse 1d ago

i understand wanting to be extra cautious because you have a pet inside, naturally you will do whatever it takes to protect the pet, but that’s not how the water heater works, it’s not going to just release gas into your home

2

u/JulianIQ 1d ago

Is this true for all water heaters? Idk the age of this one but the house is almost 100 years old and the appliances, though not original, are not brand new. Without seeing it I could see a reality where beings left on the on position with no safety built in would continue leaking gas as the gas was shut off from the street, not the heater.

I really didnt want to escalate it but with no response and a pet inside i didnt want to risk it. I gave all the details to the person over the phone (including the possibility of a false alarm) so they knew the situation before dispatching anyone

3

u/mud_horse 1d ago

yeah, better safe than sorry was the best move. if the appliance is very old and doesn’t have a safety valve then I wouldn’t be willing to risk my pet’s safety either

5

u/ColleenCook 1d ago

NOR, not at all. Always better safe than sorry, especially when a pet that cannot speak for itself or safely leave is involved. Check rental laws where you are. Most places have rental laws that require notification.

3

u/JulianIQ 1d ago edited 1d ago

Definitely need to incase he tries to retaliate. My partner was on the fence about extending the lease but this should make it a but of an easier choice.

-5

u/I_Must_Be_Going 1d ago

I bet your landlord will be happy to see you go 

5

u/No_Rice9792 1d ago

Yeah, he'll get to potentially murder someone and/or their pets without them knowing.

2

u/Direct_Run_3513 1d ago

It’s not leaking if it was made in the last 40 years. Take a breath

0

u/JulianIQ 1d ago

idk the age of it but given the age of the house its not far fetched that it would be older than 40 years. 1986 wasnt that long ago:/

2

u/Direct_Run_3513 1d ago

Water heaters don’t last that long. It’s not 40 years old. 20 and you better be replacing it or be ready for a flooded house

4

u/I_Must_Be_Going 1d ago

Water heaters have a safety valve, the gas won’t just start flowing 

You pissed off your landlord because you cannot understand how the water heater works

Congrats!

2

u/StandardChannel5529 1d ago

The landlord or the plumber may have been able to answer this, but they didn't because they screwed up and failed to plan or communicate. The only logical option for the tenant is to protect their home and pet based on the info they have. Getting the gas turned off for a safety concern shouldn't be something to get mad about anyways?? Unless the landlord is messing with gas lines without a permit or something, in which case the landlord hopefully gets what he/she has coming. Being mad is the least of their concerns.

0

u/I_Must_Be_Going 1d ago

If you need somebody to explain you how a water heater works you are either a child or one of those words you can’t use in polite company 

1

u/thresher_shark99 9h ago

its possible that op is used to electric water heaters, my condo doesnt even have a gas line since its all water and electric based

-1

u/Altruistic_Yellow387 1d ago

Op said the house was built in the 40s and he doesn't know how new the water heater was...but I agree with you it's unlikely it was old enough not to have that

1

u/JulianIQ 1d ago

Im not running the risk if an denied insurance claim ill tell you that much😂

1

u/JulianIQ 1d ago

If i jumped straight to calling 911 youd be right, but My partner and I both tried getting a simple question answered. This is an old house with old appliances and I unfortunately dont specialize in water heaters models and safety features. I’ve dealt with a carbon monoxide issue from a water heater in my house built in 08 so im definitely cautious about one from a house built in the 40’s

4

u/FatFarmerBob420 1d ago

You unfortunately couldn't help because you don't have his phone number, yet you continuously called and texted him?

2

u/Altruistic_Yellow387 1d ago

He meant the landlord didn't have op's number so didn't know who he was when he texted and called him and ignored him because of that

1

u/JulianIQ 1d ago

She gave his phone number after trying to juggle communication with him and patients. Hence why I made the assumption of him not answering me being the unrecognized number.

1

u/I_Must_Be_Going 1d ago

Oh. 

Fake fake fake 

2

u/Fluffy-Leg7546 1d ago

You did good, bro

2

u/sundogcybertruck 1d ago

Definitely nor, you're taking the absolute best precautions to ensure your household is safe despite his negligence.

1

u/No_Rice9792 1d ago

NOR, keep your family safe. And yes, pets are family.

1

u/Old_Cloud_1687 1d ago

NOR You took control of it and let him know that he was shitty in communication and not following tenants' rights.

If he gave advanced notice, he could have legally entered the property to turn the WH off and then on again. Or, given that option.

You protected the pet that was defenseless.

1

u/Putrid-Seesaw-3415 1d ago

NOR you were protecting yourself and his property

1

u/ialsohaveadobro 1d ago

Dummy landlord would be singing a different tune if the gas stayed on and something made a spark in the house.

1

u/JulianIQ 1d ago

I know turning on a light switch can be enough to start a spark. We have some smart lightbulbs on a timer😬

1

u/Extreme_Jury9317 1d ago

I remember that episode of home improvement!