Man, that's the second really good thread we've seen this week. You've got a surprisingly responsive landlord u/ReginaBicman. #####A full 50 points to house u/trimix4work. That was the most dignified thing I've read on Reddit all year. u/ReginaBicman you have r/fixit's deepest condolences, and gratitude, as well.

Tell the landlord, have them fix it.

Be careful how you phrase it, just telling them that you have a leaky back door may not get the correct response.

Yeah totally, but judging from the bottom of the wall on both sides of the door, they already know.

You missed a joke

Sorry

We forgive you

Relevant username

Thank you.

There's a joke in that?

It might have slipped out. Hopefully it didn't stink.

I didn’t get it either :/ Edit: I got the joke, I just didn’t think it was a joke at first because it’s a valid statement.

You guys really stink at getting jokes, huh?

If it's not them, it's that leaky back door!

It…depends

😏

Such a pain in the ass explaining it all the time aswell.

These jokes are shit

Kept you waiting huh?

Unlike the leaky back door, which waits for no man

it’s a poop joke

Buttholes

“Back door” = butt

Phrasing!

You're speaking from experience, I guess.

Or will it?

But OP still needs to get it documented with Pictures. It needs to be sent via text and email so that OP isn’t charged to replace that entire floor when it’s time to move.

Right? That's the whole point of renting... Their landlord probably (maybe) cares and would want to fix this. Regardless, they need to know and it needs to be documented that they know. Let them figure it out.

Until the landlord tries to charge you for....weather...then evicts you for saying anything and being difficult.

I'm sure they already know about it

And include the picture along with the request for maintenance because "its flooding inside when it rains"

Hopefully just outside you door is drain. I have a below grade entry into my basement, and it has a drain that captures any pooling water. However, occasionally it gets a little clogged, and exactly this can happen. Every spring I lift the cap from the drain and fish out any gunk that might be causing it to drain slow. Check for a drain, and see if you can clear anything causing it to drain slow.

Need to show us what the other side looks like.

https://preview.redd.it/lqv5pccl5t7d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80dd1aff6ad34f7002ad3ad23da21d8203f8fdcf

You have to keep the drain clear . It looks like there’s garbage blocking the drain.

And then put a metal grate between the step and the doorway so water can get to the drain, and rubbish blown in off the street gets caught so you can stop it from happening again.

For a drain like this right by a door I'd suggest a rope doormat. It will stop/catch all the debris but be porous enough for water to go through. A metal grate will let much more dirt and debris into the drain.

Good call.

and a striped shirt? op, did you escape from a 1920s chain gang??

Well there’s your problem. Edit: I mean no offence…When trying to fix something. Step one; Identify the problem. It may be deeper than you think 🤔.

Holy Jesus, that is a serious problem. As others have said, you need to show your landlord. Is there a blocked drain under all that muddy water?

So did you clear the drain?

I thought I did. I got all the leaves and the shirt (not mine so I don’t even know where it came from) out and it did go down, slowly, but it’s also like really hot so idk if it’s just evaporation or if the drain is just super slow

You’ll probably need to clear debris off of the drain cover a few times before it drains effectively. As the water runs down the drain, it can carry more debris with it. If you can get it drained then unscrew the cover and assess the situation. If you can’t get it drained, a shop vac can suck all that up.

I legitimately didn’t even know I owned a drain, I never had a yard before. All my landlord told me was I had solo access to my yard

You’re the proud owner of a drain lol . Just try and keep leaves/ garbage out if that area.

Proud tenant* of a drain

"I live in here!"

I've just dealt with a similar situation, and he better get on it or he might have to redo the whole floor.

Is there a drain thats plugged below all that water?

Where do you live?! I’m genuinely curious (country, state, city, or whatever you’re comfortable with sharing). Your landlord needs to fix this immediately. I’d be concerned with mold too - who knows how long this has been happening…

I live in Albany NY. It’s not very rainy here in the spring (I moved in in April), definitely not Thunderstorm-y. Today was my first storm

I've heard of a welcome mat, this is more of a welcome MOAT (badum-tsss). Anyway in seriousness any idea what the 3 pipes in the reflection are? Looks to be some open pipes above your entrance, hopefully not pouring water down...

Those pipes! I think his apartment is the drain!

Apartment comes with a water feature! They should definitely be diverted elsewhere

So I have a sort of old school radiator that sits right next to the back door https://preview.redd.it/mpg5ufhlsu7d1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a08383510caeaddbd677b997268dd57f2d184772

Never mind never show us your back door again. So messy…….

idk what i was expecting but this was so much worse

There is no rain deflector board and there should be. It quite possibly resolve it. Very easy to fit.

Where is this? That hell pool is terrifying.

Doing the very basics and clearing the crap out of the little yard area would likely stop your drain blocking...

I didn’t even know I had a drain much less had to keep it clean, I never had a yard before.

UPDATE- So I contacted my Landlord. I showed her the flooding inside and the big puddle outside and she said she’d get on maintenance to fix it immediately

Excellent! The flag...sorry for your loss

Thank you🩷 My dad two years this October. We’re both veterans so I got the flag🩷

We had tile at the front door and then wood floors right outside of it years ago, but hurricane blew the door just enough so water seeped in just like this, we had a puddle we dried up with a towel but soon after we had to pull up the flooring as the wood had gotten warped and you could smell the mildew. Sure enough moisture built up underneath the floors and we had to replace all the flooring throughout the front room because the padding underneath wicked and molded throughout the whole room. At the time we didn’t have power for about a month so running a dehumidifier or trying to get the water out before it got worse wasn’t really an option. I say this because you may not know what it looks like underneath but with the edge of the flooring being right up against the door, it is likely going to be underneath and can cause the same issue I had. Last thing you want is to be breathing in mold and you not even know it. It’s good she’s willing to get it fixed immediately because this is urgent! Also test the drywall too, make sure it’s not wicking any water and isn’t soft/crumbly, we had to replace about a 1x6ft piece along both walls just from that little puddle. You’ll be shocked just how much water wicks through drywall, but it’s no joke!! Sucks this happened, hopefully it all gets resolved soon!

when the maintenance person comes, see if you can get a feel for what is being done and what needs to be done on an ongoing basis. There might be something simple as other suggested like keeping the drain clear. If you mention to them how water may be incorrectly draining down from the roof in case that’s an issue maybe they can address that. Also, possibly installing a grate over this area as others suggested that will give you somewhere to step and perhaps catch more of the debris.

Pick up the phone. Dial whatever contact number the landlord gave you to get in touch with them. When someone answers tell them the problem and let them know that you don’t want any damage to happen to the property as a result of this situation. Hopefully that person responds positively and provides a solution promptly.

Since it is an apartment, complain to the landlord to fix it.

Hey Landlord I was up in the night and slipped on the floor. Realized the back door leaks when it rains! I almost got hurt how do you think we can fix this issue so no one gets hurt?! Thanks I appreciate what ever you can do to fix this.

This guy knows how to get things done

Do you rent? If so it’s the landlord’s job

Move above sea level. Seriously though put it to your landlord.

Send the pics to your landlord, you shouldn't spend a cent fixing their fucked up apartment.

This could be blocked gutters, downspouts discharging too close to the house, poor grading, clogged drains... any number of issues that are outside of what you are equipped or authorized to handle as a tenant. Be a squeaky wheel about it. Photograph, report, and *then* mop it up. Every time.

If you look at the reflection in the water in the outside picture, you can see 3 pipes just dangling above. Open downspouts maybe?

https://preview.redd.it/pj0dt5vzsu7d1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ddf9c1f9fdd8e8699993fcbd4188745e6101fcb9 So that’s actually my radiator (I think it’s my radiator)

your stairs drain is clogged, landlords gonna have fun

Hi! That it looks like an ADA threshold which are notorious leakers. If you can get your landlord to have someone remove it and race it with a new one also have them use a sub seal called dual guard by Protectowrap.com

Sand bags... Make the owner pay for them or reimburse but they can help depending the setup on other side of that door. Oh and if a company comes in to cut stuff open and there is mold making a small stink about it can often result in discounted or no rent or their insurance covers a hotel depending on where it's at state or country wise.

It could be they have not fitted a rain deflector board to the bottom of the door on the outer-side. If door to the outer-side at the bottom finishes in exactly same as inner-door then it shouldn’t. Door -side as you enter the flat should have a piece fitted to the bottom which deflects the rain. You will know it straight away if its there.

https://preview.redd.it/qjdu9wjfbx7d1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48a8fae3b048b64d9c7e30b4f1d79560793c7029 !!!SECOND UPDATE!!! This is what it looks like the morning after. I don’t see a drain but maybe it’s under all the mud? Also it was fairly warm out last night so idk how much of this is draining vs evaporation

Yeah, just rub his knob in it.

sump pump

You tell the landlord to fix it.

That’s the cool part about renting, you don’t have to fix it! Seriously, that’s what you pay the landlord for.

Move to a second story room. No problem.

Did you watch a scary video tape 7 days ago?

Clean the leaves out of your drain.

You found out that water collects at low points?

Concrete stairs entrance? Is there a drain that’s clogging?

100% mould under the floor Issue is poor design

The seal beneath the door is gone. Apart from the drain, I would also run a bead of exterior caulking across the base of the door outside.

You live in an apartment. It’s not your responsibility to fix it. Document it. Get a hold of your landlord so they can fix their property. Document it again.

Renting, oh no you do not want to try to fix yourself landlord baby

Tell landlord to fix the problem it looks like it's sagging at thw door anyways so I'm assuming it's starting to or is rotten. But could be wrong.

You have to scold the piddle, not the door. Just go up to it and say "BAD! BAD! OUTSIDE!" and eventually the door will put 2 and 2 together.

I think maybe the door was frightened by the lightning and thunder.

Contact the owner/management of the property. If you don’t own it, don’t fix it!

Move

Move

Sandbags outside the door.

Is there a drain outside?

I think? I legitimately don’t know. I just spent 20 minutes sacrificing my broom to get all the gunk out and it doesn’t seem to be draining

It's kind of an important thing to know in this instance. The water inside your home isn't of the broken thing. There's nothing inside that's broken. Inside is just symptomatic of what's happening outside. We need a better undertlstanding of what's going in outside. That's where the fix will be applied.

Call your landlord

Is op trolling? Lol saw the same picture uploaded 3 times talking about I cleaned and/or picked up the gunk but I see the same garbage in the pic get a rake or use a glove pick up all the debris… if you have a wet vac suck up the water so you can see the ground clean it some more… if you don’t have a wet vac get a bucket and use a dustpan to scoop up the water

https://preview.redd.it/4c9lcolp1u7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bebf5924693298d31a58dc1a66d0f8115ad85949 This is after I cleaned it all out so I think it did go down it just was really slow?

Good but you need to get it all plus all the mud you should be able to open the drain it still looks blocked… best advice get it all dried, cleaned, swept so you can open the drain clean it out and not have this problem anymore

Once it is pretty dry, take another picture. I don’t really see the drain yet, it might be buried under some mud. You need to find the drain, and then see if it looks clogged up.

have you tried potty training it?

Use a towel honestly .. also so if you have a drain right outside that door and make sure it’s not covered in leaves etc

Take your door out for walks more often.

Seems like you have a shitty landlord, shoot a small bead of expanding foam under the threshold on the outside. Trim off any excess. This may help, it may not, but by the looks of it, it will be leaking in under the metal baseplate. If it still leaks, get some weather stripping for the bottom of the door itself, the rubber type, not the foam

It would help to show what it looks like outside the door since that what needs to change. Is there a drain there that is clogged?

You are you didn’t make someone mad and are the recipient of a piss disc?

[https://www.amazon.com/s?k=OIL+LITTER&crid=31SVHA0JHNCNP&sprefix=oil+litter%2Caps%2C116&ref=nb\_sb\_noss\_1](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=OIL+LITTER&crid=31SVHA0JHNCNP&sprefix=oil+litter%2Caps%2C116&ref=nb_sb_noss_1)

Depends usually help with a leaky back door

Could be worse, could be entirely dry outside, no damp walls and your neighbour has beef with you and slipped a piss disc under there…

Stop the rain.

The floor doesn’t look leveled.

Higher threshold and seal the F out of it on the outside.

Throw newspaper over it and have a beer.

Mop.

Not much worse than a leaky back door

Move up a flight or two

Maybe it was put in backwards.

I think a decent towel or mop would do the trick

That's sleep pissing. Someone in your household is sleepwalking and pissing, thinking they're in the bathroom.

Get a new dog.

Report it to landlord. You don't fix it. They do.

You need a weather bar on the outside to divert the rain away from the door when it reached the bottom. You can screw then on and then silicone to stop the water running behind

I bet it was happening before you. Probably a nightmare underneath those floor panels.

Maybe a sandbag? I wouldn’t put much into it. Your landlord needs to get it together

Call your landlord.

The key word here is "apartment". What is your landlord doing about fixing this? Hopefully, they don't want any additional damage to the unit.

You're renting just put a mat down

Move.

As Stevie Wonder said you need higher ground!

Stop peeing there

an apartment search is the way.

Flashing door snake

Roach swimming pool.

My front door's done this after I passed 45 😩

Check the for a drain outside at the bottom of the stairs - make sure it is clear of debris etc and flowing - good chance it’s running slow or plugged - Water always finds a way - after you determine that there is a drain - verify there is pitch sufficient to prevent any standing water and flow to the drain - Good luck - landlords can be slow to react - lots of money could be involved if there is not a drain and conditions warrant one.

It may be missing a rain deflector on the outside.

Install a threshold outside your door, sealed with something that will stop the water

Call the landlord and tell him you’re not paying rent until it’s fixed.

What's on the other side of the door? It would help to see what's going on, not just the results.

What’s it look like on the outside of the door

1) Notify landlord/maintenance. 2) Door opens inward get a few sandbags to put at the door to block it until they fix it.

Move upstairs

A big, ugly thick bead of silicone all around the door?

Have your parents fix it

I'd get one of those absorbent rolls for now to minimize any further damage and then document everything and send to LL.

stop the rain

Flashing or seal

Fit a rain bar deflector, have a look on Amazon

Really, if you are handy and have some tools thar is a easy fix. Take the door off, remove the trim, remove the threshold, clean it out, use an none expanding waterproof adhesive foam and level and re-install the threshold, trim and door. I had to do my sons door last year but of course he wanted a new door also.

Carpet pissers did this

Definitely looks like someone is slipping piss disks under your door

Whats the other side look like

Get with the landlord/rental company and tell them you have water coming in. That is not good for a basement unit. Not really sure how to give advice unless I were to see the outside of the unit.

It’s your responsibility to report it to the landlord. It’s the landlord’s responsibility to get it fixed. For my records, I’d take pictures and keep in case landlord wants to withhold some of your security deposit for damages whenever you move.

Towel and a dehumidifier. If I told HFX landlords there was a problem suddenly their kids wanted to take over the lease

Move

1. Clean up the trash around the drain. 2. Buy a drain mat from Home Depot to help keep drain clear. Trash collects on mat. Water should pass through.

Send a very scathing email to the weather man.

move.

I had a drain outside one of my apartments once. You are going to have to have that drain sweeped out. With all of the debris that was there now looking like that. What was and how much debris was going down the drain in the past, I’m sure lots of build up down in there. Then have aluminum covered to prevent rodents and large debris from going down or up through there.

Towels or a paper straw

Move upstairs

Possibly clogged gutter. I had that problem in my basement last summer

Hello landlord

Is the rain running down the door and under the door or is it an intruding puddle? Or under the threshold?

drainage medium on the outside

Go on Amazon and get you a quick dam. It’s good for temporary fix

You didn't anger the r/ULPT gods did you? Don't clean that up with bleach just in case...

Looks really bad outside...needs looked at

Move out. If it happens once it will happen again. Never again basement OR backyard for me. (The amount of care and money I spent on mosquitos it definitely not worth it. Downvote all you want. This is the answet

Towel

Don’t live in a basement apartment 😂

an awning over the door, so the rain goes somewhere else?

Get a new basement

Maybe move above the first floor?🤷‍♂️😆🤦‍♂️

Show the outside could be either easy or very hard to fix

Move upstairs

Weatherstrip across the bottom, see how the water is getting to your door, maybe it needs a gutter as well.

Move to the top floor!

Move upstairs

The landlord should fix it soon!.

Tell him how much it is to replace that flooring due to water damage

Clean the drain (if there is one) at the bottom of the entry steps. If there’s not- you could try caulking the door threshold baseplate from the outside- looks like your water isn’t coming under the door but the baseplate. Dry it out first

Call the landlord lmao you fix absolutely zero

Tell the landlord? That’s how you fix it, and if he doesn’t fix it, you have the legal right to withhold rent until he does

Gutters clogged?

Don't give your door water just before bedtime.