Pipe renovations! Need info ASAP! Plz

kelz1305 · Post by **kelz1305** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:54 pm

Hi
We have been accepted to rent an apartment,we haven't make a contract yet.
But we do not have many other options and we need to leave were we are living 15 .2 .
However they told us that they are expecting pipe renovations in our apartment during the space of a month. They will be doing the bathroom and the kitchen.

Apparently they will only be turning the water off in small periods, there will be water at night time.
There are not porta loos outside to use so I presume we won't need to leave our apartment at any point to use the toilet.

We have a 1 yr old and I am just wondering with personal experience if pipe renovations what it will be like for this month?
Will we still be able to live kind of normal for this month?
Does any one know if when they are doing the other apartments in the block in it will effect my apartment.
Should we need to pay rent during the renovation? As I have read else where they did not need to.
Also can the landlord up our rent after renovation without us agreeing!?
If yes? Do we have any rights to leave without loosing the deposit?

As much help as soon as possible would be great!
Just so we know if we will be making the right choice.

Cheers guys!

**Sponsor:**

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:39 pm

> They will be doing the bathroom and the kitchen.

Then you will have no bathroom or kitchen.

> Apparently they will only be turning the water off in small periods,

from 8-17 on every weekday and maybe also Saturdays.

> there will be water at night time. There are not porta loos outside to use so I presume we won't need to leave our apartment at any point to use the toilet.

There's ususally a toilet in the basement. You can't use the toilet when the water is off (they also replace the sewer pipes)

> We have a 1 yr old and I am just wondering with personal experience if pipe renovations what it will be like for this month?

Very dusty

> Will we still be able to live kind of normal for this month?

You must be joking.

> Does any one know if when they are doing the other apartments in the block in it will effect my apartment.

It depends. Water might be off.

> Should we need to pay rent during the renovation? As I have read else where they did not need to.

It should be.

> Also can the landlord up our rent after renovation without us agreeing!?If yes? Do we have any rights to leave without loosing the deposit?

Depneds on the contract. Probably not.

kelz1305 · Post by **kelz1305** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:56 pm

Hi
Thank you for your reply.
So as much as the estate guy makes it sound like not a big deal, it actually is?

Also ur answe to the paying rent, was it we need to it it shoul be stopped?

Also the estate guy said that the old pipes will still be there?
Do I know what he meant by this? Was it that I thought, that we could still use stuff.

Thanks

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:45 pm

I don't usually recommend double posts, but it would have been better in the 'living in' area (edit: changed now). There are more than one way of doing that renovation and yours isn't apparently at least the hardcore version. Any chance of getting something on paper?

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 6:51 pm

Could it be "coating" where you dont have to remove old pipes etc.?
That would be way less intrusive and it means they wont tear down toilet/kitchen IF there isnt any problems.
Disclaimer, i have no experience, not first or second hand. Only 3rd hand from www. In worst case scenario you dont have water for few months and that means no toilet too.

kelz1305 · Post by **kelz1305** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:08 pm

Thank you for your messages.

The guy said something like we will be using the old pipes until the new ones are ready? Do you know what that would mean?
When I asked him about the rent he said it will stay the same. And people from other apartments have not needed to leave the building.

Also, it says this is in the " Living in" area. I'm confused

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:12 pm

kelz1305 wrote:Thank you for your messages.

The guy said something like we will be using the old pipes until the new ones are ready? Do you know what that would mean?
When I asked him about the rent he said it will stay the same. And people from other apartments have not needed to leave the building.

Also, it says this is in the " Living in" area. I'm confused

Sounds like coating, do you have anything on paper? scan/photo it if you do so we can check.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:39 pm

It must be coating (because otherwise they would not have water or sewage system at all, possibly for several months), but they should get more specific information than that. It's a family with a small child after all.

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:46 pm

Rip wrote:It must be coating (because otherwise they would not have water or sewage system at all, possibly for several months), but they should get more specific information than that. It's a family with a small child after all.

Yep, i would steer far away from that kind of housing but i dont know how much coating affects and how desperate they are etc

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:03 pm

This Helsinki Times article could be of some interest. (See the light grey info box as well.)

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:49 pm

Well.. there are pipe renovations and there are pipe renovations.

Usually the ones from the basement to the street are done separately, so it could be that.

As for the ones to the apartments, sometimes they put new ones in beside the old ones. Sometimes they can replace pipes from the stairwell. You'd really have to ask.

(we had one that was basically done in two days, but that was a terraced house)

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:10 am

And before you sign on the dotted line it might be a good idea to find out if there are any other renovation projects planned for the next year or two. Ask the neighbours rather than the landlord.

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:42 am

What I’d be wondering about is whether they will also install new broadband cabling (optical fiber to the apartments) at the same time — when drilling new holes through the walls and the floors and installing new conduits. That is, unless it has already been done. In the future, it’s going to be a bit sad living in an apartment with only the old CAT3 POTS/DSL cabling or a DOCSIS cable modem for Internet...

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Sat Jan 26, 2013 12:44 pm

Jukka Aho wrote:DOCSIS cable modem for Internet...

+50kB/s torrents uploading at the same time.

Foreigner(1) · Post by **Foreigner(1)** » Sun Jan 27, 2013 2:34 am

Hi we are at the end of our pipe renovation and it seems like you will be having the same kind or similar to the one we having. So with the water pipes the will prob. install the new ones next to the old exisiting ones and once they do everything in your staircase and they are ready to switch over to the new pipes they will cut off the water to the old plumbing and switch over to the new plumbing. Very little mess and yes you can live through it. Work is usually done during work hours 9-5 pm so if you working or studying during those hours it should be ok. Our drainage system is do last and the old exisiting pipes will stay. What they will do is coat the inside of the drain pipes with a sort of strong plastic layer that forms the new drain pipes. Also no mess at all but you might not be able to use the drain system while work is carried out. But its only for tops 8 hours.... during the evening and mornings everything should be ok to use. I know it makes your life harder but its def. possible to live in those conditions. We have a 2 year old and a 6 month old and we have coped fine. I would imagine that there should be some planing information availible for you to see exactly what kind of work will be carried out and how and when it will affect you. I do think that their should at least be a discount in rent.... we have an apartment next to us free because the owner will not rent till the renovation is finnished. If you want I might be able to put you in touch with him. Its a 3 room apartment in Maunula with a new bathroom. Hope that helps

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