Apartment in Amstelveen: Residents Banned from Using Bathroom Due to Leak Damage – Judge Imposes 20,000 Euro Penalty

A resident of an apartment in Amstelveen is no longer allowed to use his bathroom because a leak is causing moisture damage to the neighbors. The family asked the landlord of the adjacent building for months to help find a solution, but received no response.

The leak came to light in January last year when neighbors discovered moisture damage and mold growth in their home. The family then called in a plumber who determined that the cause of the leak must have been in the neighbor’s home.

In order to schedule the necessary leak detection, the residents contacted the owner of the building, but he did not want to cooperate. “Please solve it yourself. I have no water leakage as previously reported,” the woman, who lives in Aruba, texted in February 2023. The neighbors had already contacted several times at that time.

The residents did not leave it at that and continued to insist on leak detection over the course of the year. Twice in October and November, the couple were told that a plumber was on the way, but ultimately it never arrived.

Mushrooms

Meanwhile, the damage to the home continued to worsen. Photos shown during the hearing show the mushrooms growing on the wall. In addition, the wall is in such a poor condition that residents expect it to collapse.

To encourage the owner of the house to do something about the leak, the judge has now prohibited the tenant from using the bathroom. If this does happen, 1000 euros must be paid per violation. The penalty can amount to 20,000 euros.