Landlord's Learning Center: Have a Condo? Find Out if You Have "Soft Plumbing"

A landlord recently told me a story about how his condo in Natomas was flooded out by a prior tenant.

The tenant went to hang a small picture in the bathroom, and used a typical carpentry nail on the wall to hang the frame. Unfortunately, when the nail pierced the sheetrock, it also pierced the soft plumbing lines that ran through the walls, causing a spout of water inside the wall that went undetected until the unit was partially flooded.

If you have soft plumbing in your walls, it is imperative that you disclose this fact prominantly in your lease agreement, so that you can prohibit your tenant from piercing the affected walls (usually limited to kitchen and bathrooms) in any way. 

Best wishes for a safe and leak-free holiday season.