Is a lightbulb with a broken socket and exposed wiring safe? My landlord says that it is but I don't think so.
Safe like “it can wait over the weekend until I replace it Monday”? Sure.
Safe like “it’s good to go and I’m not replacing it ever”? No.
Is it a serious fire hazard? It is in a commons area that I share with the other tenants that has sparked and tripped a breaker before when someone accidentally touched it. But my landlord said he fixed it after he got his electrician to restore power to the house. It was only last month after a party that we noticed the condition of the electrical wiring.
So this has been like this for a couple weeks or years and you just noticed a couple weeks ago?
This is a 10 minute fix…
"Electrician?". That SOB has the cheapest goddamn "handyman" (I even put that one in quotes) that does exactly what his owner wants and says it's good. No self-respecting electrician would walk by that and say cool.
The cheapest light replacement for that is like 20 bucks for a fixture at home depot. That is exactly how cheap your landlord is. Will risk so much to save 20 bucks.
Just remember, this is stuff you can see. Imagine what you can't inside those walls.
Seriously, it's just a shame that landlords don't take any pride in the homes that they rent out. I know the people like to rag on landlords, but there are such thing as good landlords that actually manage their properties effectively and learn the skills to maintain them themselves. I mean, I get that there have been some nightmare tenants, so surely there's some landlords that are a little bit jaded and burned out, but for real I would feel like a straight up slumlord to consciously rent out a place that had something like that in it. If I got a call about a light fixture like that from a tenant, it would be replaced within a few days at the most and I would advise them to leave that light off and put tape over the switch just to be safe and also to not be liable for something bad happening.
That includes going to the local hardware store for the new socket!
Fire hazard
Electric shock hazard
Burn hazard
Electrocution hazard
It is a violation of the National Electric Code and would get flagged by any inspector.
Realistically, is it a fire hazard? Assuming no AFCI, if an exposed wire were to get cut however it may be able to arc to ground or neutral, you'd still need something quite flammable, which I'm not seeing here. I'm not arguing that this isn't a hazard overall and needs fixed, but I'm struggling to see the specific mechanism that makes this a fire hazard.
So by your logic, as the fixture is 8’ in the air above what a normal person can reach, it isn’t a shock, or burn or electrocution hazard either because for that to happen would require a human to come in close proximity (or contact) with the bare exposed socket.
Hazards are defined by what is possible and likely to occur. A child throwing a stuffed animal in the air, someone tossing a blanket or a jacket, a pillow fight during a kids sleepover are just a few examples of how this could become a fire hazard. Is it likely to happen, probably not within the next day or two until a repair can be made but it is still a potential.
Hanging by the wires imparts stress and can loosen connections. Loose connections get hot and or arc. Heat and arcs make fire. Seems pretty straightforward to me.
National electric code rules are written in blood. (and charred bodies)
Yes it's a fire hazard. It's broke broke. He's saving less than $30 while risking your life, your stuff, and every other tenants as well.
If he's too busy to deal with this, call an electrician and send the bill to him.
Good advise until the end. Don't just send him a bill out of the blue unless you're willing to have a confrontation with your landlord.
And unless you’re willing to actually pay for it out of pocket. Most states have a very specific set of rules that must be followed before you withhold rent (or a portion thereof) or otherwise force the landlord to pay for work you authorized or performed.
For non-critical stuff (things other than heat, water supply, whole house electric, etc.), it’s usually something along the lines of: Written Notice (via certified mail), then waiting 7-10 days for a repair. Sending a second Written Notice, and waiting another 7-10 days. Lastly, sending a Final Notice to cure including a notification to pay out-of-pocket… waiting another 7-10 days, then paying for it yourself.
And all of that might only allow you to present a defense due to withholding rent, as the landlord can still take you to court for it.
So, just simply withholding rent, or paying out of pocket and expecting to be reimbursed… is about as smart as a landlord who thinks he can just randomly change the locks on a tenant one day.
Yeah, technically you can just do that, but it’s usually not gonna end well.
Don’t be so dramatic karen
There is exposed conductor which will spark if it gets close enough to the metal fixture housing. This is absolutely a fire hazard and needs to be replaced. Safe-ish to leave as is temporarily. Be very careful not to knock it with anything that might push it into the metal.
I cry bs on OP!
Must be some awfully low ceilings. Wrap that thing with electrical tape (turn power off first) any that provides some protection for the few days it might take to get a new fixture installed. And if landlord doesn’t want to replace the fixture you now know that you’re dealing with a slum lord. Replacing that is so freakin cheap hard to imagine someone not doing so.
This is a death hazard my friend!
If that was just a bit closer to the metal fixture, it could be arcing right now.
So, did one of your party guests break it?
I worded it poorly. My landlord had a birthday party for his kid and so there was a lot of jumping and it kinda just fell out like that. If I had broken it then I would have paid for it to be replaced but it was like that when it popped out of the ceiling.
When are you moving?
this month
Fire Marshall.
Your LL wants to play those games then its time all his properties get inspected.
Absolutely. Once you've got a new place lined up call them up and tell them what's going on. That might get an investigation started.
Yeah please don’t do any of the petty shit in the comments above this. Just call your AHJ and they will make sure it gets fixed. It’s their job. Nobody fucks around once the government is involved. Especially since it’s in a common area so there won’t be any retaliation against you.
Person making this post probably doesn't know what AHJ means --- OP, they are referring to the electrical inspector, i.e., "Authority Having Jurisdiction". . Edit: un-autocorrect
Thanks, I worked in remodeling for over a decade and I had no clue what this meant.
Tell your landlord I called them "a vile piece of trash that doesn't consider others, and as such I don't consider them human". You can also say that I inquired about "his wife, and if she needs a real man in her life".
No, that's not safe. Don't touch it - thats an exposed conductor..
Not even an expensive repair. That landlord is a cheap SOB.
Yeah. That would take about 5 usd and at most 15 minutes to fix.
There's at least one leaky pipe in the building fixed with the tube from a bike and hose clamps
"This'll hold it until the hardware store opens" is different from "fuckit I don't live here"
The versatility of a bicycle tube is truly a wondrous thing.
Oof, you just described my pops, the only difference is we fix it same day if the tenant is home.
That’s like a 8-10 dollar fixture. That’s sad that he won’t change that.
Tell him, if it’s safe, prove it! He can lick his fingers and go touch it. I doubt he will though and there’s your answer.
It's safe enough for an electrician to touch. I'd like my fingers barefoot and touch it
I also like my finger feet to have no shoes.
I too finger my shoes
Are you saying you don’t like gloves or socks?
thats because the electrician would know the outside of the socket is neutral.
if its wired correctly...
It’s a rental property. I wouldn’t bet that anything is done correctly.
Tell him you intend to have it fixed if he doesnt, then after 15 days you can fix it yourself and bill him in most states.
My landlord brought one of the other tenants to court over their damage deposit because the landlord claimed they needed to replace all the drywall when they really just painted the room white again. I can't image what would happen if I did this lol
LL here, I mean if you communicate with him and he's not a complete nut (sounds like he might be) it might work out fine like the poster above says.
It's $10-20 for a new fixture and 20 mins of time for anyone handy. Hell if I was a tenant I'd prefer to do it myself so I don't have the landlord bumbling about my unit. As a LL, personally I'm okay with tenants doing small fixes and I always cover the cost of materials and any labor over 30mins but for eletrical or plumbing specifically I'd insist on doing it myself (well okay, except for 1 tenant I have that does marine eletrical systems and really knows his shit) just in case.
Take pictures on your way out, hope you don't need evidence, but it could save you if he tries to pull a similar thing on you.
No…. Just no….
Safe? Sure, it's not going to fall or hurt you in any way, unless you start sticking your fingers where they don't belong anyway. There's no switch up there and it's not your responsibility to replace that bulb, either.
Acceptable? Hell no, blast his ass back to the stone age. He should probably also provide a shade or diffuser for that light. Not required by law, but clearly there was one at some point or another.
Thing is that it wasn't like that before as the light was in the ceiling. But they have a kid upstairs that jumps around a lot so the light fell down to where it is now so is there a risk of the bulb falling out and hitting someone if they walk by it? A few of my friends live in this building too and they have to walk by it in the hallway.
The wires aren't going to break, and if the socket were to slip off the wires, then it would not be powered or dangerous as it is falling, it would just be a plastic led bulb with a little bit of dead electronicals. The vibrations won't mean as much to it now, as they will be dampened by the wire.
Recall that none of this is an excuse for the landlord, this absolutely needs to be fixed, I'm just trying to give you the comfort of understanding that you aren't in danger in the meantime. And that you may use your light.
Take a picture, send it to your local fire marshall, CC your landlord and ask, "Is this considered safe? My landlord says it is."
Then include your address.
This.
lol fucking landlord
Anonymously call the local Fire Marshal.
Safe for the amount of time it takes you to swing by Lowe's and get a replacement? Probably. Don't push it too far from that.
Just tell him OK Ill contact the electrical inspector to come take a look at it.
How did it get like that? Somebody try to do a pull up from the bulb?
That looks like an old fan assembly that he pulled the wires through and put in a broken socket.
Send this pic to his house insurance company....
I guarantee someone tightened the light bulb and it broke shit is from the 1980s or early 90s at best
And your landlord is a piece of shit
As a former landlord I would have wrapped it in lots of electrical tape,then put in a new fixture asap.
What I was going to suggest as well. At least the tape would insulate the exposed parts and should keep it connected well enough.
Hell, a quality roll of electrical tape is probably nearly as expensive as the $6 porcelain lamp holder that would be needed to replace it, and it’d take more time as well.
It's more of an indicator that you should be double checking all of your wiring. This is just something obvious.
This is a shocking thing here. I’d report him immediately for code violation.
Edit: If your area does regular fire extinguisher inspections like mine do. Invite the fire department in to check the fire extinguisher and point it out so it was a safety inspection that had nothing to do with you reporting him.
Doubles as a bug zapper
Ask the landlord to Touch the metal threaded part of the bulb when powered and find out
Look at the bright side, if you’ll pardon the pun; at least it’s not a ceiling fan!!
Call the fire department. They will usually come over and check hazards at no cost to you. Fire safety is a big part of a firefighter’s job.
Your LL is a cheap MFer. I’m a 70-yr-old woman and could fix that in no time. What a loser.
It depends on your definition of safe. It’s probably not going to spontaneously burst into flames but if you grab it when it’s on you may end up unhappy about it. Bottom line is the landlord should fix it.
You need to move.
The problem is sometimes the tenants are the issue. They reck things faster than they can be fixed. That fixture didn't fall apart on its own.
Thank you
Report him to your city code enforcement. Go in person and take the pictures with you. A basic ceiling fixture is only $15. What a stingy and uncaring landlord.
As long as the wires of the light fixture are properly connected to the house wiring, it looks safe as long as you don’t touch it. Having said that, I would tell the landlord to get his ass out to fix, or replace the light fixture! This shouldn’t be left like this in a tenant occupied apartment as it can be unsafe, not to mention it looks bad! What kind of cheap ass landlord do you have? If he leaves this and says “don’t worry about it, it’s safe”, I’d be worried about what else has he neglected that you don’t know about?
2 minutes and a 98 cent fixture. Just flip the breaker off and replace it. You can’t wire it backwards.
That would pass inspection in India or China.
Not! Fixture need's to be replaced.
That’s not safe, and worse it’s not an expensive fix
That perfect. Looks good from my house.
Not safe and against NEC codes for residential housing.
Tell him to turn the lights on and change the bulb.
Tell him to fix it promptly or you will make a call to the rental inspector. That usually gets their attention.
Even if it was safe, it looks like fucking shit
Land lords, still fucking playing stupid games I see
Touch it find out.. then sue them.
All the rent he collects and can't send 10 to 20 bucks on a new fixture. Not looking for a chandelier. Ssmh
Is not safe, broken electrical potential fire and/or shock hazard.
Tell them to touch it to show you how safe it is
Hell no
Tell your landlord to stick his hand up there and grab the wires above the bulb if he thinks it is safe (hint: it’s not safe to stick your hand up there)
No it’s not “safe”
It’s unsafe, and easy to fix. Your landlord is a slumlord and the law is on your side to compel them to fix it.
What a cheap POS. You can buy a cheap fixture for under $20 and replace it in 5 minutes if you know what you're doing.
Your landlord should be drawn and quartered for leaving that exposed fixture in a unit that they expect rent for. I don't know where you are, but in my state, you have the legal rights to hire an electrician to repair it and take it off next month's rent. Bo,it's not safe, anywhere, anytime.
Good luck deducting from the rent some thing that is damage caused by the tenant in the first place.
Where did it say that?
There’s a picture. Light is broken and hanging from the ceiling.
But how are you coming to the conclusion that the tenant is responsible?
not much worse than if you were to shove your finger in a empty socket.
Noooooooooo
Not safe tell him to change bulb with it on.
Cheap ass pandlord
The only way to find out is touch it with your tongue. You will know directly afterwards.
Thats such an easy fix, I'd fix it myself and take it out of the rent. Just keep the receipt. If he complains, tell em, take me to court if you want those 20 bucks.
Your landlord is not safe
No wtf....
Hell no!! If it isn’t replaced within a day drop a dime on the electrical inspector.
They literally have lamp assemblies on Amazon for like $25 that would be a perfect replacement, assuming there’s a decently mounted ceiling box behind that all
Hell to the no ! That is not safe and needs to be replaced ASAP
Do you live in Russia? If so, you’re fine!
A new leviton lampholder is less than 2$ and takes maybe 5 minutes to install. Your landlord's a prick
Nah, don’t touch that.
Let him know he will lose more with an electrician than his repair guy replacing the fixture
Your giving him the cheap option but will take matters into your own hands if he doesn't act in a timely manner.
if you have to ask …
It's fine but looks trashy
Looks great, more than great, fantastic.
I mean, it's not safe to touch while it's on. From a tenant standpoint no it's not ok and should be fixed.
No it's not safe....get a lamp and shut that off until he fixes it (or you fix it)
It's not safe but it's not dangerous. As long as you don't touch it. Or move it in any way. Or look at it too long and anger it
I mean it’s really only unsafe if you grab at it but definitely not ok.
Report your landlord to the city. Get his safety assessment in writing if you can.
This is a put-on; right
Your landlord is either an idiot or a liar, maybe both.
It’s a hazard and illegal to not remedy.
I'm not an electrician but I am THAT person who has had the shit shocked out of themselves on something like that.
Well fuck no
I’m more concerned with what kind of dump you are resigned to living in? Trillions of dollars for everyone everywhere else but not for the home land.
It's a 2 dollar / 10 minute fix. Just fix it.
I once had a landlord try to convince me thats it’s normal for the attic to have rats in it
If he doesn't want to fix it. Just change the bulb and sue after you get shocked. Lol
RCD s installed ? Right side of the porcelain says 250 v .....Happy Landing 😀
That’s like a 10-minute job to replace with a new fixture or LED.
Socket is busted. That base of the A19 led is barely in there. This is an easy fix
Sad part. It only take hime 15 dollars and 39 min of his time
Not safe, do not use. It's a problem if you can see the basic insulation (blue/brown) you have way more exposed.
Oh For the love of god!
Turn off the switch. Now there is no current to the fixture.
Replace it with a $5 porcelain base. Safe. Quick. Complete.
Not safe, and not to code. If your landlord doesn't fix it, tell him you're going to ask the Building inspector or fire safety inspector to double-check it just to be certain that it's safe. And most small villages like my own, the building inspector doubles as a fire safety inspector as well. Just in case your village doesn't have one listed, that's what you got to do is ask the building inspector if it's safe. Every building code inspector is certified as a fire safety inspector, but not every fire safety inspector is a certified building code inspector.
It's safe if you don't touch it! Contact is made and the bulb isn't flickering then it's probably not gonna cause issue just like this but it is exposed live wires and a shock risk should it be toiched
That's a less than 10 dollar fix and 5 min install. If your landlord is too cheap or incompetent to do this, terminate your lease on grounds of safety, file a complaint with the city housing authority and leave.
You have an amateur landlord. He’s also an idiot. Get rid of him - ie, start looking for another place to live because this will not end well. This is a sign that he’s not going to fix anything and will try to steal your security deposit. Get out now.
Fuck no
Is the power off??? Maybe the landlord decided they don’t actually need that light and killed it from the panel and since he’s cheap and it’s dead he told the sparky to leave it up as is the light bulb for seem to be working from your photo
You mean the light bulb that's lit up in the photo??
Hahah I only saw the last photo
until the light bulb goes out 50,000 hours later.
If wired correctly, the visible outside shell of the socket is neutral. These fixtures are often not wired correctly.
This is not a flagrantly unsafe situation as long as no one takes a swing at it or tries to yank on it but it should be fixed sooner rather than later.
I'd rate this as "go to Home Depot at some point in the next week or two and spend the $10 on a new fixture"
Your landlord is an honest to God piece of shit. This isn't even expensive to replace. BTW yes it's dangerous
Of course it isn’t, your landlord is just a lazy scumbag.
If someone electrocuted themselves changing the lightbulb would his insurance pay out? (assuming he has insurance!)
No, they wouldn’t.
At no point should a tenant be able to electrocute themselves without jamming a fork into a socket…
But in the interest of an easy life, just offer to fix it for him. It’s all of 10mins and $10.
That’s a no for me dawg.
You should go watch A Shock to the System starring Michael Caine. You'll see
I had a landlord remove the lighting to the main room and fuckin left the wires ahnging for 2 years lmao. Cause he didnt want to go up into the attic crawlspace.
Have them touch it to prove how safe it is
Fire hazard if in contact with any combustible material, paper/cardboard/cloth/dried plant material/etc..Definitely a risk of electric shock and/or electrocution if touched by someone. It needs to be repaired as soon as possible. Also, that fixture is probably less than $20 with the glass cover.
Text/email pic to landlord and ask nicely if he can have this fixed. Then if he responds by saying he wont,email this to code enforcement and ask them what they suggest you do. Bet a call from code enforcement to landlord will have it fixed asap.
So, what I'm getting from this is your landlord is pissed that this was damaged at a party. He's being stubborn and not fixing it. He needs to repair the safety issue ASAP and deal with the tenants that are wrecking shit.
Grab it, electrocute yourself, then sue him.
As far as practical safety goes, unless the neutral and hot are swapped, the exposed should be neutral. I wouldn't bet money that it was in fact wired right.
This should be fixed. Not only because it has a possibility of issues, which shouldn't be fucked with when it comes to electricity, but also because it's stupid cheap and easy to fix this... 10 dollar fixture and 5 minutes of time.
The exposed part of the socket plus a ground could shock a person if they could reach it. Again, how did it happen? There is the option to give the tenant notice of lease violation.
Call the fire department business line or your town electrical inspector.
Ask your landlord to touch the broken socket
Your landlord is an idiot. He can get sued for unsafe conditions.
Sooo instead of taking ten min to replace a fixture this landlord just says, ayeee let's wait for a lawsuit.
Fuckin slumlords strike again 🤦🏿♂️
SAFE LIKE YOU CAN TOUCH
exposed wiring
No just no. 120v feels very spicy.
Nope. I’m an electrician and a landlord. That is dangerous af.
He clearly doesn’t give any f’s
He should care about:
1) his tenants’ safety 2) his tenants suing him - all you have to do is change the bulb to potentially get shocked/ see sparks 3) his property
I go to my property once a month to check on stuff and make sure everyone’s happy - as possible - it gives me a chance to find this shit. I also tell everyone to call me. I have had tenants find water leaks, bugs… whatever
This guys sucks.
Sounds like something a slumlord would say. Exposed contacts and broken socket is definitely not safe or acceptable. We need electricity to be contained
Touch it and then sue the landlord😩
This thing is no longer a light fixture 😝. Just on those grounds it should be replaced. Safety is very relative.
It's already off the ceiling, replace it already!
Quick note: the majority of people on this sub don’t have the “Verified Electrician” flair, so when it comes to safety issues like this, Reddit should not be your primary resource.
That being said, as a non-electrician who has had several shocking encounters with 120VAC, DO NOT TOUCH THIS!!! This is a HAZARD, plain and simple. Is it going to start a fire within the next week or so? Probably not. But probably isn’t good enough.
My advice is to never leave this light on unattended, and get it replaced ASAP.
Those typically work fine right up until the house burns down.
SHOULD BE CHANGED ASAP
A new socket costs $5 and takes 15 minutes to replace. Your landlord is a prick.
No !!!
Where is your sense of Adventure? Get your marshmallows ready and wait.
Not safe. The power to the light enters through the broken socket and you can now easily access the connection point through that break. I am surprised that the whole thing did not shatter.
It is definitely not safe, not at all. Broken ceramic insulator, exposed neutral (and probably exposed hot), wires able to be pulled out if you walk past it wrong...
Ask their insurance company about it, send them these same photos and see what they say. Seriously..
This needs to be replaced. Don’t let any landlord say this is safe.
Touch the metal part of the socket and sue your landlord
Are we really at a point in history where this question needs to be asked?
Wonderful example of a POS landlord not giving a fuck about their tenents rights or safety. $20 or hospital/legal/code compliance bill what’s cheaper. Sad part y’all just know those landlords would rather go the $20 route.
It’s all connected. Its okay . Just might want to replace that sometime
its fine....
Slum lord. I'd move if he can't fix a 20 dollar light.
All the receptacles in my place are rated for 15A, but all the wire and circuit breakers are 20A.
You wouldn't even know to look for this, but your problem is way safer than mine.
Sleep well!
electrically 15A receptacles are rated for 20A pass through so it's fine to install them on a 20A circuit as long as there is more than one receptacle
the 15A rating comes from them not having the T shaped slot that allows a 20A device to be plugged in, they are limited to only accepting a 15A plug
And if you were wiring a house for a regular person, sure. 15A ought to be enough for two little old plugs. What are these plebs going to use the electricity for anyway... charging their phones?
I'm swapping them all to 20A because I do dumb shit with my electricity.
as I said, 15A receptacles are already rated for 20A that's why they're allowed by code
I don't see the point of swapping if you don't have a 20A device, to me it seems like an unnecessary expense
It's as safe as a rattlesnake that says it won't bite you.
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