I am tired of fixing other people’s things for them.
We arrived in Morocco the end of August and moved into a furnished apartment, not our own. Everything there belonging to someone else. We stayed there for September and October, and during that time we broke and replaced several glasses, fixed the shower when it broke, and rehung the laundry lines.
The handle to one of the pots was tenuous at best when I started using it, so I didn’t worry about it when it broke off quite early in our stay.
We arrived in this current apartment, also not ours, the third week of November (after a trip to Spain and a stay in a friend’s basement, where we replaced a shower curtain rod). We vacate tomorrow, although we’ll be back next month. We are spending our time sorting our things out from the things already here, pulling books and DVDs off shelves, remembering which are ours and which aren’t and who we borrowed which books and DVDs from. We are emptying drawers and folding clothes and finding things that we lost 2 moves ago, which is fun. Still no sign of that library book though. I wonder if it got tossed overboard on the ferry? Seems unlikely, but then, it seems unlikely that we wouldn’t be able to find it anywhere. Seriously, have you seen it?
One of the problems with staying in people’s houses is that the second law of thermodynamics is alive and well here in Africa. Things fall apart. (bonus point: correctly identify the author of the novel by that name without googling it. How does the title fit the novel? How does the novel fit this post, or does it? What do you mean you haven’t read the novel? Discuss.)
We’ve essentially sub-let both these places, paying rent and utilities. So how responsible are we when, for example, the toilet goes on the blitz, or the shower head springs a leak? We’ve only been here 2 months; these things long pre-date us. But we’re the ones here when they break.
The owner (okay, technically he rents it too, but the rental contract is in his name and the furniture is his) arrives tomorrow. So it makes sense to me that in the last week or so, things have started to really break down.
We have replaced the shower head but not the broken toilet. We have not called an electrician for the fact that suddenly, the light in the dining area (I.e. the main area of the house) doesn’t work, although we began by replacing light bulbs and went on to some amateur electric work which fortunately left no permanent scars. We were only startled, not hurt, when the hot water heater exploded in flame the other night; it died out quickly and still works as well as it ever did (which isn’t saying much; when you turn on the cold water tap, the hot water stops. Dish-doing is an exercise in burnt fingers and patience).
Obviously, we will pay for any damage we do. We’ve broken an inordinate share of glasses, because I believe in child labour chores. We bought new ones. That’s simple. But what about all the maintenance of a place. Is that included in a sub-let?
Discuss in comments.
Planet Nomad 
13 comments
January 19, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Pmom@ChocolateandGarlic.com
I don’t know the answers to your questions.
I do know that the thing I really hated about subletting furnished places–twice for three months and once for six–is the feeling that I ought to pay for a bunch of things that were/kind of were/might conceivably have been my responsibility. I handled it by spending more than justice or the people I was subletting demanded because I felt so nervous and guilty. I do not mention this to recommend it as a course of action, just as a statement on what I did. Subletting a furnished place is hard.
Your post also brings to mind the time my newlywed husband and myself offered to drive my brother to his new place of employment (twelve hours away) as a favor to my parents. Our beatup old car died in a small town in the middle of nowhere and the expenses were expensive. My parents only paid our gas money. I was a bit miffed at the time. With hindsight of 11 years I can see that it seemed reasonable to them–our car would have probably needed the radiator replaced at some time or other–it just happened to be in the middle of that errand. But it was hard to feel that way at the time. It broke on the trip = it broke because of the trip? I always worried that people lending us their houses or apartments might feel that way.
It doesn’t seem like more long termish maintenance expenses ought to be your affair after a two month rental though. At some point, it’s more like they should pay you? A working shower and toilet, electricity–these are not extra amenities (well, not in my part of the world) they are basics and reasonable expectations.
January 19, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Anna
Chinua Acebebe
I actually met him, he guest lectured for a class I was in.
Do you really want to discuss the book?
January 20, 2009 at 12:10 am
Carrie
Ahh! Anna got it— Chinua Achebe. I really liked the book, I read it a few years ago, when I was missing Africa (still happens). The main character’s life completely falls apart. . . as the old ways are replaced by new, I think. ..
I hope your lives don’t get that out of control. . . 🙂
January 20, 2009 at 2:07 am
Kim
I think small fixes are okay to handle yourself, but like the first commenter said, basic plumbing and electrical issues should be the responsibility of the owner.
We only half jokingly tell people that the hubby has fixed toilets on four continents. Broken toilets seem to follow us wherever we go. Fortunately he’s a handy man extrordinaire. And having grown up overseas where parts weren’t always readily accessible, he’s also good at “rigging” things.
We’ve faced issues with the house we moved into in October. I think sometimes Americans are taken advantage of because it’s just assumed we’re all really well off and “can afford it”. But the hubby has just kept firmly and persistently pushing for the owner to take care of things and she’s finally starting to do it. Not always easy to know what to do in different cultures where the expectations might not be the same as what we’re used to in the U.S.
January 20, 2009 at 3:13 am
LIB
I’ve always gone by the rule, “Leave it better than you found it”. That said, you ‘found’ it after several people had been using it, not the ‘owner’. So, I think you would need to leave it only better than the previous borrowers. But, this only pertains to cleaning and replacing broken things.
As to major repairs (electrical, pluming and so forth) I don’t think you should be expected to pay for these.
January 20, 2009 at 5:08 am
mary margaret
hmmm … this series of unfortunate fix-it events is frustrating to say the least.
We here at the Brotherton ranch are not skilled in the way of fix-its, but I am wondering if duct tape may come in handy? But in all seriousness, I don’t really think it’s your responsibility to become plumbers or electricians for a rental.
January 20, 2009 at 7:39 am
Kit
Unless you went out deliberately to break the toilet, I’d say it was the owner’s responsibility to fix and pay for. Glasses you’ve already replaced, so don’t worry about it too much – just let him know that the toilet needs fixing now, so he can organise it.
January 20, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Jeanne A
Chinua Achebe
Since I read it in college—oh so many years ago—-I can’t remember much of the plot.
I don’t think that you need to repair the major stuff in your sub/rental.
January 20, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Missus Wookie
We just found library books we thought we’d returned over eighteen months ago… so there is still hope. I figure toilets are landlord stuff too – hope the landlord agrees.
January 20, 2009 at 10:42 pm
LG
Chinua Achebe and no it does not relate at all, unless contact with all these apartments is making your culture fall apart, and then again, perhaps it is….
Unfortunately, knowing that African landlords say that ALL repairs are the responsibility of the tenant, you are stuck fixing lots. At Waglers, we paid to fix the A/C, the suppressor… we did not get the rusted tub fixed nor did we end with the wiring problem fixed as we could not argue with both the landlord and the power company. We also never got the water bill fixed, but we did really pay for at least four extra months as they never read the meter, just guesstimated it. But we did replace the thermos we broke and a few other things as well, plus paid to feed the dog that we never loved nor asked for. Hmmm.
So I think that subletting is both chancy and a blessing. I mean, you have to live somewhere, you need furnished, you can’t just sublet a place that has no stove or no screens….
Do you have a skype name? Will you be in town to visit on April 3? What if we fly out of NKC on Thursday am april 2, then sleep most of the day, have the 3rd with you, then we have to go to Istanbul on April 4th? Should we come earlier than that? Let me know, as I have to book tickets NOW as the Istanbul / Antalya flights are almost all booked up….
And about cars. Never borrow my in-laws” car. It will break down. You will need to be towed. Repairs will cost hundreds of dollars. They will pay, if they remember, at least they intend to pay. But it will take tons of time and be inconvenient. Take the bus or borrow from someone else.
January 21, 2009 at 1:29 am
bluestockingbb
Wow that’s rough! And expensive. Thanks for visiting today.
January 21, 2009 at 9:52 am
meredith
I don’t think you can be held responsible for normal wear and tear or the break-down of major appliances.
We’re missing a library book, too. Maybe it ran off with yours…
January 30, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Nan
Oh, Chinoa… Achebe. There’s a poem in the book, but is it by someone else? “Things fall apart, the centre is something or other.”
Good to catch up with your news! How lovely to be in a house with all mod cons! I am beginning to panic about our move. We need somewhere to live too. You would think it would be easy, with the housing market falling apart.
“The centre is lost”?
Now I’m going to have to Google the poem.
LOVE the surfmobile pictures, oh my goodness!