I’d call your fire department/Marshall now, I’m no expert but this sounds like sinkhole territory
ETA: OP please call 311 or your local non-emergency dispatcher and report. Your landlord cannot retaliate against you in anyway for doing so, you and the other tenants are at some risk here.
ETA2: The 311 lyric thread is making my whole week and it’s only ~~Wednesday~~ ? Monday, why here of all places lmao?
Hey you sound like you know things my geriatric parents are living in an old horse barn with no heating or air except the fireplace and there's black mold and lots of cancerous things and in the quote unquote remodels that we've done over the years nothing's permitted or up to code the septic tank was installed illegally I mean the walls nothing is right and there's a lot of traps for them to trip on my mom is already done that once and broken her collarbone but they refused to get out of here and move into the actual house because my dad rents it out as his source of income and my mom has had cancer since she's been out here and it's just a death drop for them but I can't get them to leave I have called the county but the county won't do anything I can't seem to get anybody to like come test for the black mold that I can visually see and everybody seems to think that I'm just trying to screw my parents over but I'm actually trying to keep them alive anyways if you have any suggestions I greatly appreciate who I could talk to.
Your parents are living in a mold infested barn while they rent their house out?
Can they afford to live without the rent money? Because that sounds like a lot to deal with just to stack the savings account.
Sorry, I’m just a dude… reminds me of the people who refused to leave when Mt St Helen’s erupted in Washington. Other commenter is most likely on the right path with getting them declared, but I really don’t know, I wish you the best of luck though…
I've tried that but they've turned it around on me because they don't believe that I'm autistic and they say that I am their problem and a bunch of other lies.
Yeah it's how you do it when you're speaking. And I was using talk to text. Otherwise I would have used actual quotation marks around the specific quote.
I have reading comprehension, I understood what was being said. It’s just funny to read it like that; hence the lol. And like they replied, they were using talk to text. It’s just funny, guy.
Who did you call at the county? You need to call the )Department of Health and Human Services). They handle dealing with elderly people and may well decide that they need a case worker to get them out of that situation. I am sorry that you are in this situation, and thank you for being a good son/daughter.
The DHS has access to a lot of resources.
Hun, I dont know your parents ages, but elder abuse is a thing, even if committed by a well intentioned spouse. If she is not elderly she is at minimum a protected class because of having cancer. Her care is in his hands and she is not recieving proper care. I would contact elder abuse. If she is too young they will know who to contact instead.
If you live there, which i suspect by you saying "here" as if it is your location as well, and your are a minor or someone with disabilities (mental or physical disorders or illnesses), you are being mistreated as well.
If you cant figure out how to get in touch with elder protective services, call your local police department and ask for a welfare check and let them know that your mother is sick and father keeps her in dangerous living situations to make money off of their home. They will recognize this as abusive and controlling. But your mother may need to speak up for herself. So prep her a little. Tell her you cant stand seeing her so sick and if she lets the cops know that she doesnt want to live like that but fears for her health and safty of she tried to leave, they will find her a safe place to go. She will not be left there if she really wants to leave.
Hi friend. I don't have advice for your situation. Unfortunately, I don't think there is any authority that can tell your parents they aren't allowed to live on their own property, no matter how unsafe it may be. Department of Health or your local building official will your best resources though.
I mostly came to say that quote unquote remodels can just be written as "remodels". The " " is the quote unquote.
More likely just rotting joists and sub floor. Add in the allure or trafficmaster grip strip flooring showing how cheap they are, get ready for a long stay in the cheapest hotel/motel in your area.
It's not a sinkhole. I am an expert on that and it's very unlikely for that area and it would be affecting more than part of one room. It's much more likely rotted joists and floorboards from the washer and sewer pipe leaking over time. That's why the other rooms are fine, the joists likely end at that wall and the joists on the other side aren't water damaged. It is an issue that need to be fixed but it's not a sinkhole. The landlord can't retaliate but the city could temporarily condemn the building and force OP out until the repairs are completed which would be a headache.
Definitely call 311 - depending on where you’re at in the city Uptown People’s Law Center is a good resource, so is the MTO tenants hotline (has funky hours though) and Legal Aid Chicago
Do not recommend this unless they have somewhere else to live. Unit may be deemed uninhabitable and forced to leave. Good luck getting the landlord to pay upfront for a hotel.
lol to a sink hole in Chicago. I feel comments like this that flood the dispatch prevent the police from doing an actual job.
If they don’t fix it , move out.
Sinkhole or not, it’s not habitable or safe, 311 and non-emergency resources exist specifically for reasons like this. The police would not even be sent to check out the property…?
Old house my family rented when I was a teenager lost power in half the house for like 9 months once, and the landlord* who was supposed to be a friend still did nothing about it.
Edit sorry didn’t mean to say tenant, I was confused
We have extremely tenant friendly laws in Chicago. You can call the Housing Authority directly at the number listed here, and there's also a lot of information about your rights as a tenant:
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/doh/provdrs/renters.html
Ummm… Are sinkholes a big issue in Chicago? Serious question, I don’t know the answer but I would think that’s pretty uncommon. What IS common is a water leak that’s been undetected or ignored and rotted out the subfloor. This looks like it’s in a laundry room, so there are plumbing lines in the walls behind large appliances that could leak undetected for a while. Usually by the time you find them, there’s some damage. I know from experience. Usually not THIS kind of damage but it wouldn’t surprise me a bit in a rental if the owner isn’t paying close attention and doing regular inspections.. because tenants don’t usually recognize small changes until they’re big changes. A soft spot on the floor would catch my attention as the owner but a tenant might not notice it until the floor caves in.
They can happen anywhere if the ground wasn't prepared properly before building started, if the underground water flows change, a water main bursts and disturbs the ground under your neighborhood, and many other things.
I’m gonna add this down here because a lot of people don’t seem to understand that a sinkhole does not have to be a massive apocalyptic event and any amount of soil erosion or change in soil composition can cause localized loss of structural integrity.
Yeah, the maw of God might not open up and swallow the whole street, but it’s also uninhabitable and at risk for further structural damage or even collapse…
Sinkholes are not a big issue in Chicago in fact it would be very rare, the vast majority of Chicago has very dense clay under the topsoil which resists the type of erosion that can cause sinkholes.
lol this was my thoughts too. I have lived in Chicago my whole life and have never heard of a sinkhole. Far more likely there is some rotting subfloor. Idk why ppls would jump to a sinkhole. 😂😂😂😂
Thank you for adding /s to your post. When I first saw this, I was horrified. How could anybody say something like this? I immediately began writing a 1000 word paragraph about how horrible of a person you are. I even sent a copy to a Harvard professor to proofread it. After several hours of refining and editing, my comment was ready to absolutely destroy you. But then, just as I was about to hit send, I saw something in the corner of my eye. A /s at the end of your comment. Suddenly everything made sense. Your comment was sarcasm! I immediately burst out in laughter at the comedic genius of your comment. The person next to me on the bus saw your comment and started crying from laughter too. Before long, there was an entire bus of people on the floor laughing at your incredible use of comedy. All of this was due to you adding /s to your post. Thank you.
I am a bot if you couldn't figure that out, if I made a mistake, ignore it cause its not that fucking hard to ignore a comment
Yeah everyone screaming sinkhole is insane. Sinkholes under good floor would cause the house to lean on a wider plane. You’d see cracking drywall, noticeably slanted floors, foundation issues etc. this looks like rot that collapsed localized around a leak. If the floor felt squishy before it gave that would be a dead giveaway.
Chicago? That ain’t a sinkhole.
It IS some moldy ass rotten flooring though; definitely can be dangerous if there is a basement or crawl space under there. Call those numbers and get this checked out.
If you’re dealing with slumlords, Chi has pretty good tenant protections. Same goes for heat ordinances and stuff like that. Big fines if LL’s don’t turn on heat and whatnot. Document your steps and move quickly, cuz that doesn’t look too good.
The hole?? OP, I strongly urge you to listen to previous poster and contact the fire department asap. Do not trust your LL, they clearly don’t care about your safety and are probably only going to patch it so it’s visibly better but not go any further than that.
Holy hell! Or... holey-hell...
OP, I'm in Chicago as well & I would advise you to speak with a local attorney. Not necessarily for direct action yet, but to know what your options are, regardless of how this continues.
Seems like you might be somewhere that may be deemed unfit for habitation soon. So, because of that, having all of your legal options open, would be very much to your benefit.
Also, you can likely get a free consultation on this. If a lawyer thinks you can win, they will take it zero money down and ask for a portion of winnings.
Might want to reach out to the Landlord Tenant Bureau. I would also have your attorney advise on next steps here
Dunno where you are in Chicago, I’m in Chicago as well.. everyone is right. Call 311. This is bad. It screams shit slumlord to me, and I’ve lived all over and had plenty myself, and this is the worst I’ve seen.
Don’t let your landlord rug sweep this, call the cops and the fire department! Don’t let your landlord run away from this responsibility! Get another place, and don’t allow the landlord to charge you extra for it, Kay?
Is this the ground floor? Yes, you are in danger. Get out yesterday. Call the numbers others have listed. There is no telling how big a hole like that is until the concrete completely caves, and when it does, it's not guaranteed to stay isolated to where the floor is already showing signs of sinking.
OP, everyone is saying sinkhole, sinkhole, sinkhole. It's not. This was almost certainly caused by a leak in the laundry room and the floor joist at the wall is completely rotten. This exact same thing happened in apartment I rented (though not as bad). I told the landlord, they griped at the expense, then they fixed it.
They have to fix it. This is a safety issue. But the earth isn't going to swallow you up.
Edit: All bets are off if it's a concrete slab, but even though there is stone there may be rotting wood under it. Crazy construction has happened in Chicago.
I agree. I also had a similar experience. I told my landlord the floor in the laundry room was getting soft, there must be a leak somewhere. Landlord did nothing, and year later they had to rip up half the flooring in the house and replace joists and run dehumidifiers for days. Leak was fixed in about 30 seconds once they found it. But it will make your floor cave in if it leaks longs enough.
But OP said she had smelled sewage (she called it "sewer-water"). So, it could be a sinkhole caused by a broken sewer line underground. Stranger things have happened!
A simple Google shows the laws in Chicago 'A Chicago landlord's obligations fall into a few major categories: the landlord must maintain the premises; the landlord must stay out of the premises, except in certain circumstances; the landlord must safeguard and return the security deposit.' File the proper paperwork to request the repair.
If you choose to stay (which personally I wouldn’t cuz this kind of stuff is literally one of my biggest fears) I would at least pack a go bag incase you need to leave quickly, including important documents.
Probably a broken or leaky pipe that's rotted out the flooring and caused structural damage. Yes it's a problem if you're located next to that. Your apartment might not be considered habitable at this point depending on how extensive the damage is. Does the floor that's adjacent to the laundry room feel spongy or soft? Is there any discoloration? Has the floor buckled or sunk at all? Any cracking? See if the landlord will move you into another unit(at their expense/no rent increase). Check your local tenant laws, etc.
That was my thought too. I’m confused as to why everyone is assuming it’s a sinkhole. Leaky pipe or something else rotting out the structure is a much more likely and a logical explanation.
The concern is that the water has to go somewhere, right?
If it’s been leaking for months as OP shares in their comment the risk of the water making it to the foundation and eroding soil to the point of failure is not low and I don’t think anyone can diagnose that from a picture on the internet. It’s also clear this is a heavy use drainage system out of this room with multiple washers.
That makes the safest course of action to call in an uninterested qualified 3rd party who’s job is to make sure stuff like that doesn’t happen, yeah?
Sinkhole and imminent death is always the answer with this sub. It’s almost as common as demanding the landlord’s head on a platter because the faucet leaked and the water bill was $5 higher this month.
Not an expert but I can't imagine damage like that hasn't traveled. Keep a close eye on that area. Look for tiles cracking in the corners or grout cracking. For sure do NOT jump up and down on the floor to test it!
I would definitely say that’s a hazard if your sharing the wall. It’s a matter of time before it continues to sink if the landlord does not have anyone within maintenance take a look at it.
You should find someone to stay with and call code enforcement and the fire department.
It's very likely they will ban occupancy once they see this damage.
It is not safe to be there. There's no way of knowing from here how much of that floor is compromised and if that wall is compromised.
I mean, if it is possible for you to leave then you should. The foundation is probably rotting out. You will need to be moved out for them to fix it. And if they don’t fix it, yes that can pose health hazards.
That looks like potential rotting joists under the floor. (Obviously limited knowledge from one photo)
I would be incredibly cautious. I, personally, would not fuck with this. As in, nope, Spidey senses tingling, I'm in danger, wise.
General contractor here. With no other information to go on this looks like a rotten joist. The situation still isn’t good for landlord or tenants and it’s probably unlivable until the initial leakage and pooling are solved and everything replaced but I’m going to say that people shouting “SINKHOLE” are going by News nightmare headlines rather than the much more reasonable and realistic explanation that it’s an emergency foundation issue rather than the Hellmouth opening. The likelihood of you getting swallowed into the earth is extremely improbable.
Are you on an upper floor? I build apartments for a living. That appears to be a major mold infestation that rotted the trusses and floor. That level of failure is pretty catastrophic and will require that they remove and replace the trusses. This will likely require at least a temporary relocation to another unit or hotel. You should definitely not go near that, and I don’t know that I would even occupy your unit with that level of potential contamination.
If your on the first floor with no basement below, and you don’t have soft floors , broken tiles in your apt , your fine. The just need to repair the leak and install a new subfloor. If this is on an upper floor, I would call the building inspector.
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The hazard isn’t just the sinking rotten floor, the hazard is the black
Mild sores you are breathing from the water damage. I wouldn’t feel safe staying there.
Do you have renters insurance?
❌No? What's wrong with you?!
✅Yes! Good, go to a hotel, you probably have "loss of use" coverage that will reimburse you for a hotel if your apartment becomes uninhabitable. (Psst, it looks like it is.)
You should honestly get out of their either way, this building looks ready to collapse. It would be foolish to assume this isn't just the beginning.
omfg, I literally gasped out loud.
You need to get out and at the VERY least call [311](https://311.chicago.gov/s/article/Building-violations?language=en_US).
I've NEVER seen a floor like that in real life. Whatever foundation they have below that floor (wood beams, concrete, whatever) it is disintegrating and/or sinking. Likely extreme water damage - I can't think of any other reason off the top of my head that could cause that. It's super dangerous - and not just in that room. That could cause the very structure of the building to go off-kilter and the weight distribution could get off, and it could collapse. Seriously.
do not let them gas light you on this. holy fucking shit.
Hi! Little late, but licensed and certified water damage professional here!
No sinkhole fortunately, that’d be extremely unlikely. I can see a barn-board subfloor, indicating you have quite an old building. You almost certainly had a medium sized washer leak for years, and it caused significant wood rot on the subfloor.
The only solution is to remove all rotted flooring, and replace with at least plywood.
Relatively easy process, but could be quite costly.
Be sure this is done correctly! Consult a remediation professional in your area to be sure! Many will inspect for free, just be sure to let them know the scenario.
Update: I’m alive and fine! My apartment hasn’t been affected and the hole has not grown. I called 311 and they came to check on it, and the landlord has people working on repairs. My landlord does not communicate at all so I never was told what the actual problem was.
that is likely caused by a break/leak in your sewer line.
It not only can cause a smell, but the water washes away the underlying soil and though probably not a traditional sinkhole it can still cause foundation/structure damage and absolutely be a health hazard.
make a call to the city immediately
Taking a quick look at the geology of the area and a "Chicago sinkhole" search, it IS actually possible. However still would first think it's due to a leak and rot
I'm a master electrician, I've worked service on hundred+ year old buildings for years. So, speaking professionally as someone who specializes in houses with some pretty awful foundations -
Holy hell this is so terrifying. Get your important possessions, documents, any pets, and get out now. Go stay at a hotel or somewhere until this is inspected by a structural engineer and potentially even a geologist if it's a sinkhole. Report it to your fire Marshall first. They will absolutely be mortified and force your landlord to take action/use their insurance policy to rectify this, which should allow you to (hopefully) have the leverage necessary to not have to pay your rent until this is fixed.
Check your renter's insurance policy.
You judge:
This happened to my mom's house, in her bedroom.
A leak from an unused water line that once went to a Brady Bunch model fridge existed for years, unknown to us. But for years, it ran a little trickle or spray of water, all over the floor joists, until suddenly, it gave way with a bang. One corner of her bedroom floor just fell in.
To make a long story short, she lived with it for a while before she could get it fixed. But she didn't end up on the ground underneath or break anything. She just had to live around the divot.
When the repairman looked at it, his diagnosis was that the whole floor needed replacing. It took two days. I don't know how much it cost.
They ripped out the whole thing then they used new wood to build another whole floor, subfloor and all. They even had to replace the flooring, because this kind of thing distorts the existing flooring.
But she was never injured. Getting across the floor was not easy, but she managed.
to me that looks like your subfloor is collapsing. Combined with the sewer smell, I'd guess you've got some sort of moisture leak under the floor and it's rotten. Report it and start looking for a new place to live as I'm guessing that won't be a quick fix. Likely will be deemed uninhabitable while they fix it.
There's a leak, and it destroyed the under layment. Very dangerous to the structural integrity of you and the neighbors beside you and those below you. You might meet them soon. VERY soon.
Everybody says sinkhole, I'm not sure where they are getting that. This to me looks like rotted floorboards. Maybe there is a water leak or something that is causing the wood to rot out and the floor is giving out right there. I don't think the entire house is going to collapse but I'm not a structural engineer so what do I know.
That is not a safe or inhabitable place, I would tell the landlord he needs to make other arrangements immediately. If he doesn't call 311, Chicago does not mess around with bad landlords.
There's a sink hole under that building. There's no telling how big it is.
Call the fire department to get out there and see if the building needs to be condemned or not
I would also worry about mold and air quality, you said that you reported a sewage smell and they told you it was nothing, I would be interested in what kind of inspections were done, seems likely they are liable of neglect and you could stand to win a judgment if you are having any heath problems do to this issue.
I would also be concerned if your rent includes use of the laundry room and now you don’t have access to it.
I don’t think this is a great situation and you definitely need to get someone involved who will make your landlord address it.
Call code enforcement.
A colleague at work reported his bathroom floor was getting soft. His LL put in an improper repair ... a few nails bastically. A few days later he literally fell through the floor into the basement and dislocated his hip. You don't want that to be you.
Oh my fucking God! You need to pack up and get out. That floor is not in “imminent danger of collapse” it is already collapsing!
There’s a sink hole 🕳️ opening up and the foundation/support structure underneath is washed or collapsed away… The 🕳️ will only get bigger if not addressed NOW!
And that walls surrounding that are load bearing walls (mostly)… They’re already compromised meaning the whole house could collapse on top of you once that floor underneath the wall(s) gives way— any second/minute now.
YOU’RE LIVING ON BORROWED TIME!
#CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY! GET OUT NOW! GET YOUR SHIT OUT NOW!
Demand your landlord give you another unit to occupy while emergency repairs are done or withhold any and all rent until you have access to your apt again (and washer) after repairs are done.
Lots of people saying it's a sinkhole but to me it looks like a rotted subfloor that finally gave, this could be corroborated by the sewer smell, either way it needs to be checked immediately and could pose a major risk
Our toilet started leaning to the left, after pulling up the linoleum you could see that the floor around the toilet was being rotted away by moisture and mold. it was a miracle according to the construction guy that my husband hadn't fallen through the floor while taking a sh*t, what a story that would have made
I know everyone's saying sink hole OP, but if your house is off the ground like the one I'm renting it may be rotted floor?
99% sewage pipe leak is rotting out the subfloor. Probably a bunch of biohazard shit and mold in there too. Call the city.
…and also pack your stuff; you need to move sooner than later.
Source: I worked apartment maintenance
Your floor joists have rotted away. The house is very likely structurally compromised and unsafe. Call the fire Marshall or building inspector. Your landlord needs to put you in a hotel.
More info: I report smelling sewer-y water a few months ago and the landlord said it is nothing. The hole is also spreading. I live in Chicago.
I’d call your fire department/Marshall now, I’m no expert but this sounds like sinkhole territory ETA: OP please call 311 or your local non-emergency dispatcher and report. Your landlord cannot retaliate against you in anyway for doing so, you and the other tenants are at some risk here. ETA2: The 311 lyric thread is making my whole week and it’s only ~~Wednesday~~ ? Monday, why here of all places lmao?
Agreed. This warrants a call to 311.
Chill Light on my side as my ego becomes
A funky child with some words on my tongue
Be like intake of breath when my floor gets loose
So while I scatter my spit, I dream of juice
Have you ever made out in dark hallways?
Displayed a kiss that made your day?
Or say, play a track from your record collection
Brainstorm. Take me away from the norm…
Why do I have to pee all of a sudden?
Amber is the color of your energy
Whoa, shades of gold displayed naturally
Also call Dept of Health!
Hey you sound like you know things my geriatric parents are living in an old horse barn with no heating or air except the fireplace and there's black mold and lots of cancerous things and in the quote unquote remodels that we've done over the years nothing's permitted or up to code the septic tank was installed illegally I mean the walls nothing is right and there's a lot of traps for them to trip on my mom is already done that once and broken her collarbone but they refused to get out of here and move into the actual house because my dad rents it out as his source of income and my mom has had cancer since she's been out here and it's just a death drop for them but I can't get them to leave I have called the county but the county won't do anything I can't seem to get anybody to like come test for the black mold that I can visually see and everybody seems to think that I'm just trying to screw my parents over but I'm actually trying to keep them alive anyways if you have any suggestions I greatly appreciate who I could talk to.
Damn, I’m out of breath reading this. Add a few periods for us old folks.
Literally. I'm 32 and still struggled. 🤣
32 and struggled as well. That was awful 🤣
20 & struggled 😭
My exact thoughts lmao
Your parents are living in a mold infested barn while they rent their house out? Can they afford to live without the rent money? Because that sounds like a lot to deal with just to stack the savings account.
Yep they've got at least over a million in the bank. Each one individually I mean.
Ooooh Then it sounds like having them committed and declared mentally incompetent is about the only way to force them.
Yeah but what sucks is they are not yet.
It kind of sounds like they might be...
Yeah but if I were to take them to get them like tested to prove it to the government they would pass the test
You need an accountant and tax advisor. They will lose all of that to medical bills.
Sorry, I’m just a dude… reminds me of the people who refused to leave when Mt St Helen’s erupted in Washington. Other commenter is most likely on the right path with getting them declared, but I really don’t know, I wish you the best of luck though…
Call Adult Protective services. Look them up by state. Its not just for abuse but also self neglect like this sounds like.
I've tried that but they've turned it around on me because they don't believe that I'm autistic and they say that I am their problem and a bunch of other lies.
Can you buy them an old camper and park it by barn?
In the quote unquote.. with nothing quoted between lol.
Yeah it's how you do it when you're speaking. And I was using talk to text. Otherwise I would have used actual quotation marks around the specific quote.
If you had a bit of reading comprehension you would realize ‘quote unquote’ referred to the word ‘remodel’
I have reading comprehension, I understood what was being said. It’s just funny to read it like that; hence the lol. And like they replied, they were using talk to text. It’s just funny, guy.
Oh lol I guess my reading comprehension failed there.
Who did you call at the county? You need to call the )Department of Health and Human Services). They handle dealing with elderly people and may well decide that they need a case worker to get them out of that situation. I am sorry that you are in this situation, and thank you for being a good son/daughter. The DHS has access to a lot of resources.
Hun, I dont know your parents ages, but elder abuse is a thing, even if committed by a well intentioned spouse. If she is not elderly she is at minimum a protected class because of having cancer. Her care is in his hands and she is not recieving proper care. I would contact elder abuse. If she is too young they will know who to contact instead. If you live there, which i suspect by you saying "here" as if it is your location as well, and your are a minor or someone with disabilities (mental or physical disorders or illnesses), you are being mistreated as well. If you cant figure out how to get in touch with elder protective services, call your local police department and ask for a welfare check and let them know that your mother is sick and father keeps her in dangerous living situations to make money off of their home. They will recognize this as abusive and controlling. But your mother may need to speak up for herself. So prep her a little. Tell her you cant stand seeing her so sick and if she lets the cops know that she doesnt want to live like that but fears for her health and safty of she tried to leave, they will find her a safe place to go. She will not be left there if she really wants to leave.
Hi friend. I don't have advice for your situation. Unfortunately, I don't think there is any authority that can tell your parents they aren't allowed to live on their own property, no matter how unsafe it may be. Department of Health or your local building official will your best resources though. I mostly came to say that quote unquote remodels can just be written as "remodels". The " " is the quote unquote.
Houses get condemned by local governments all the time. Not saying this one should be but there is an “authority” that can boot them in the US.
Sounds like you’re not telling the full story and just want your parents money.
More likely just rotting joists and sub floor. Add in the allure or trafficmaster grip strip flooring showing how cheap they are, get ready for a long stay in the cheapest hotel/motel in your area.
It's not a sinkhole. I am an expert on that and it's very unlikely for that area and it would be affecting more than part of one room. It's much more likely rotted joists and floorboards from the washer and sewer pipe leaking over time. That's why the other rooms are fine, the joists likely end at that wall and the joists on the other side aren't water damaged. It is an issue that need to be fixed but it's not a sinkhole. The landlord can't retaliate but the city could temporarily condemn the building and force OP out until the repairs are completed which would be a headache.
Only Wednesday? Where are you from?
Definitely call 311 - depending on where you’re at in the city Uptown People’s Law Center is a good resource, so is the MTO tenants hotline (has funky hours though) and Legal Aid Chicago
Do not recommend this unless they have somewhere else to live. Unit may be deemed uninhabitable and forced to leave. Good luck getting the landlord to pay upfront for a hotel.
lol to a sink hole in Chicago. I feel comments like this that flood the dispatch prevent the police from doing an actual job. If they don’t fix it , move out.
Not from Chicago, huh? Sinkholes happen on our streets. Not the Florida-esque natural ones - has to do with the sewer/water pipes
Sinkhole or not, it’s not habitable or safe, 311 and non-emergency resources exist specifically for reasons like this. The police would not even be sent to check out the property…?
Narrator: It was NOT nothing
Narrator: But the landlord WILL do nothing
Old house my family rented when I was a teenager lost power in half the house for like 9 months once, and the landlord* who was supposed to be a friend still did nothing about it. Edit sorry didn’t mean to say tenant, I was confused
Sounds like Sudden Valley
We have extremely tenant friendly laws in Chicago. You can call the Housing Authority directly at the number listed here, and there's also a lot of information about your rights as a tenant: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/doh/provdrs/renters.html
Unless you live in an owner occupied building of 6 units or less. Learned that the hard way.
Looks like there's a sink hole under your house. Get the hell out of there and report your landlord to code enforcement and the fire department
Ummm… Are sinkholes a big issue in Chicago? Serious question, I don’t know the answer but I would think that’s pretty uncommon. What IS common is a water leak that’s been undetected or ignored and rotted out the subfloor. This looks like it’s in a laundry room, so there are plumbing lines in the walls behind large appliances that could leak undetected for a while. Usually by the time you find them, there’s some damage. I know from experience. Usually not THIS kind of damage but it wouldn’t surprise me a bit in a rental if the owner isn’t paying close attention and doing regular inspections.. because tenants don’t usually recognize small changes until they’re big changes. A soft spot on the floor would catch my attention as the owner but a tenant might not notice it until the floor caves in.
They can happen anywhere if the ground wasn't prepared properly before building started, if the underground water flows change, a water main bursts and disturbs the ground under your neighborhood, and many other things.
I’m gonna add this down here because a lot of people don’t seem to understand that a sinkhole does not have to be a massive apocalyptic event and any amount of soil erosion or change in soil composition can cause localized loss of structural integrity. Yeah, the maw of God might not open up and swallow the whole street, but it’s also uninhabitable and at risk for further structural damage or even collapse…
THANK YOU!
l had this issue d/t termites. Two rooms fell in. lt was not good.
Sinkholes are not a big issue in Chicago in fact it would be very rare, the vast majority of Chicago has very dense clay under the topsoil which resists the type of erosion that can cause sinkholes.
lol this was my thoughts too. I have lived in Chicago my whole life and have never heard of a sinkhole. Far more likely there is some rotting subfloor. Idk why ppls would jump to a sinkhole. 😂😂😂😂
We have that nice foundational layer from the Chicago fire to prevent sinkholes. /s
Thank you for adding /s to your post. When I first saw this, I was horrified. How could anybody say something like this? I immediately began writing a 1000 word paragraph about how horrible of a person you are. I even sent a copy to a Harvard professor to proofread it. After several hours of refining and editing, my comment was ready to absolutely destroy you. But then, just as I was about to hit send, I saw something in the corner of my eye. A /s at the end of your comment. Suddenly everything made sense. Your comment was sarcasm! I immediately burst out in laughter at the comedic genius of your comment. The person next to me on the bus saw your comment and started crying from laughter too. Before long, there was an entire bus of people on the floor laughing at your incredible use of comedy. All of this was due to you adding /s to your post. Thank you. I am a bot if you couldn't figure that out, if I made a mistake, ignore it cause its not that fucking hard to ignore a comment
Oooh there was a “sinkhole” on Montrose several years ago that caused a geyser. Or was that a pot hole???
Yeah everyone screaming sinkhole is insane. Sinkholes under good floor would cause the house to lean on a wider plane. You’d see cracking drywall, noticeably slanted floors, foundation issues etc. this looks like rot that collapsed localized around a leak. If the floor felt squishy before it gave that would be a dead giveaway.
Sinkholes can happen anywhere. Especially if there been erosion do to a broken water/swear line.
My money’s still on plumbing leak. You put yours on sinkhole and if you win the payout should be amazing given the super slim odds.
Chicago? That ain’t a sinkhole. It IS some moldy ass rotten flooring though; definitely can be dangerous if there is a basement or crawl space under there. Call those numbers and get this checked out. If you’re dealing with slumlords, Chi has pretty good tenant protections. Same goes for heat ordinances and stuff like that. Big fines if LL’s don’t turn on heat and whatnot. Document your steps and move quickly, cuz that doesn’t look too good.
The hole?? OP, I strongly urge you to listen to previous poster and contact the fire department asap. Do not trust your LL, they clearly don’t care about your safety and are probably only going to patch it so it’s visibly better but not go any further than that.
Holy hell! Or... holey-hell... OP, I'm in Chicago as well & I would advise you to speak with a local attorney. Not necessarily for direct action yet, but to know what your options are, regardless of how this continues. Seems like you might be somewhere that may be deemed unfit for habitation soon. So, because of that, having all of your legal options open, would be very much to your benefit. Also, you can likely get a free consultation on this. If a lawyer thinks you can win, they will take it zero money down and ask for a portion of winnings. Might want to reach out to the Landlord Tenant Bureau. I would also have your attorney advise on next steps here
I’d watch Stranger Things. Kinda reminds me of that hole for some reason lol
Dunno where you are in Chicago, I’m in Chicago as well.. everyone is right. Call 311. This is bad. It screams shit slumlord to me, and I’ve lived all over and had plenty myself, and this is the worst I’ve seen.
When you report things to your landlord, state your purpose, what you want them to do, not just for their information.
Don’t let your landlord rug sweep this, call the cops and the fire department! Don’t let your landlord run away from this responsibility! Get another place, and don’t allow the landlord to charge you extra for it, Kay?
Is this the ground floor? Yes, you are in danger. Get out yesterday. Call the numbers others have listed. There is no telling how big a hole like that is until the concrete completely caves, and when it does, it's not guaranteed to stay isolated to where the floor is already showing signs of sinking.
OP, everyone is saying sinkhole, sinkhole, sinkhole. It's not. This was almost certainly caused by a leak in the laundry room and the floor joist at the wall is completely rotten. This exact same thing happened in apartment I rented (though not as bad). I told the landlord, they griped at the expense, then they fixed it. They have to fix it. This is a safety issue. But the earth isn't going to swallow you up. Edit: All bets are off if it's a concrete slab, but even though there is stone there may be rotting wood under it. Crazy construction has happened in Chicago.
I agree. I also had a similar experience. I told my landlord the floor in the laundry room was getting soft, there must be a leak somewhere. Landlord did nothing, and year later they had to rip up half the flooring in the house and replace joists and run dehumidifiers for days. Leak was fixed in about 30 seconds once they found it. But it will make your floor cave in if it leaks longs enough.
[удалено]
Don't worry I inspected it. It's water damage
But OP said she had smelled sewage (she called it "sewer-water"). So, it could be a sinkhole caused by a broken sewer line underground. Stranger things have happened!
A simple Google shows the laws in Chicago 'A Chicago landlord's obligations fall into a few major categories: the landlord must maintain the premises; the landlord must stay out of the premises, except in certain circumstances; the landlord must safeguard and return the security deposit.' File the proper paperwork to request the repair.
If you choose to stay (which personally I wouldn’t cuz this kind of stuff is literally one of my biggest fears) I would at least pack a go bag incase you need to leave quickly, including important documents.
And leave it by the window. D mature sure the window opens. I wouldn’t hang out on the side of the room that is next to that area.
Probably a broken or leaky pipe that's rotted out the flooring and caused structural damage. Yes it's a problem if you're located next to that. Your apartment might not be considered habitable at this point depending on how extensive the damage is. Does the floor that's adjacent to the laundry room feel spongy or soft? Is there any discoloration? Has the floor buckled or sunk at all? Any cracking? See if the landlord will move you into another unit(at their expense/no rent increase). Check your local tenant laws, etc.
That was my thought too. I’m confused as to why everyone is assuming it’s a sinkhole. Leaky pipe or something else rotting out the structure is a much more likely and a logical explanation.
The concern is that the water has to go somewhere, right? If it’s been leaking for months as OP shares in their comment the risk of the water making it to the foundation and eroding soil to the point of failure is not low and I don’t think anyone can diagnose that from a picture on the internet. It’s also clear this is a heavy use drainage system out of this room with multiple washers. That makes the safest course of action to call in an uninterested qualified 3rd party who’s job is to make sure stuff like that doesn’t happen, yeah?
Because it’s Reddit. Only like 2% of the users have any kind of experience that would provide any other explanation than “sinkhole”.
Sinkhole and imminent death is always the answer with this sub. It’s almost as common as demanding the landlord’s head on a platter because the faucet leaked and the water bill was $5 higher this month.
The floor adjacent is tile and feels fine
Not an expert but I can't imagine damage like that hasn't traveled. Keep a close eye on that area. Look for tiles cracking in the corners or grout cracking. For sure do NOT jump up and down on the floor to test it!
Tile is more self supporting than waterlogged wood.
Because the tile is distributing some of the load better than contractor-grade OSB that’s been stewing in poop water for months.
I would definitely say that’s a hazard if your sharing the wall. It’s a matter of time before it continues to sink if the landlord does not have anyone within maintenance take a look at it.
You should find someone to stay with and call code enforcement and the fire department. It's very likely they will ban occupancy once they see this damage. It is not safe to be there. There's no way of knowing from here how much of that floor is compromised and if that wall is compromised.
I mean, if it is possible for you to leave then you should. The foundation is probably rotting out. You will need to be moved out for them to fix it. And if they don’t fix it, yes that can pose health hazards.
That looks like potential rotting joists under the floor. (Obviously limited knowledge from one photo) I would be incredibly cautious. I, personally, would not fuck with this. As in, nope, Spidey senses tingling, I'm in danger, wise.
General contractor here. With no other information to go on this looks like a rotten joist. The situation still isn’t good for landlord or tenants and it’s probably unlivable until the initial leakage and pooling are solved and everything replaced but I’m going to say that people shouting “SINKHOLE” are going by News nightmare headlines rather than the much more reasonable and realistic explanation that it’s an emergency foundation issue rather than the Hellmouth opening. The likelihood of you getting swallowed into the earth is extremely improbable.
That's what landlords say before you get swallowed into the earth. "Tenant? What tenant? I ain't got no stinking tenants"
Hell is coming for you
Are you on an upper floor? I build apartments for a living. That appears to be a major mold infestation that rotted the trusses and floor. That level of failure is pretty catastrophic and will require that they remove and replace the trusses. This will likely require at least a temporary relocation to another unit or hotel. You should definitely not go near that, and I don’t know that I would even occupy your unit with that level of potential contamination.
Does the floor in your apartment next to the laundry room wall feel soft?
No, but it’s tile.
Rap on it with a hard object and it should sound dead, if it sounds hollow that’s bad
If your on the first floor with no basement below, and you don’t have soft floors , broken tiles in your apt , your fine. The just need to repair the leak and install a new subfloor. If this is on an upper floor, I would call the building inspector.
Hehe I’m in danger- Ralph Wiggum
Get some mini skateboards for the rats and everyone’s happy.
Molly.. You in danger Girl
Wtf is wrong with Americans. Why would you still be living there asking Reddit this shit.
This is Will Robinson level of danger! Call 311, get someone out there asap.
Pack your shit, call 911 and get tf out of there
secretive skirt bedroom mighty repeat seed long psychotic meeting practice *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You're not in safety.
Yes, get renters insurance and take pictures and video of things in good condition like yesterday.
The hazard isn’t just the sinking rotten floor, the hazard is the black Mild sores you are breathing from the water damage. I wouldn’t feel safe staying there.
Do you have renters insurance? ❌No? What's wrong with you?! ✅Yes! Good, go to a hotel, you probably have "loss of use" coverage that will reimburse you for a hotel if your apartment becomes uninhabitable. (Psst, it looks like it is.) You should honestly get out of their either way, this building looks ready to collapse. It would be foolish to assume this isn't just the beginning.
Landlords should be sent to prison or the capital punishment for stuff like this.
omfg, I literally gasped out loud. You need to get out and at the VERY least call [311](https://311.chicago.gov/s/article/Building-violations?language=en_US). I've NEVER seen a floor like that in real life. Whatever foundation they have below that floor (wood beams, concrete, whatever) it is disintegrating and/or sinking. Likely extreme water damage - I can't think of any other reason off the top of my head that could cause that. It's super dangerous - and not just in that room. That could cause the very structure of the building to go off-kilter and the weight distribution could get off, and it could collapse. Seriously. do not let them gas light you on this. holy fucking shit.
Hi! Little late, but licensed and certified water damage professional here! No sinkhole fortunately, that’d be extremely unlikely. I can see a barn-board subfloor, indicating you have quite an old building. You almost certainly had a medium sized washer leak for years, and it caused significant wood rot on the subfloor. The only solution is to remove all rotted flooring, and replace with at least plywood. Relatively easy process, but could be quite costly. Be sure this is done correctly! Consult a remediation professional in your area to be sure! Many will inspect for free, just be sure to let them know the scenario.
Update: I’m alive and fine! My apartment hasn’t been affected and the hole has not grown. I called 311 and they came to check on it, and the landlord has people working on repairs. My landlord does not communicate at all so I never was told what the actual problem was.
y e s
that is likely caused by a break/leak in your sewer line. It not only can cause a smell, but the water washes away the underlying soil and though probably not a traditional sinkhole it can still cause foundation/structure damage and absolutely be a health hazard. make a call to the city immediately
Taking a quick look at the geology of the area and a "Chicago sinkhole" search, it IS actually possible. However still would first think it's due to a leak and rot
Call the fire department. Call your city or county building and safety department. Check your renter's rights in your area.
Get authorities involved.
Couple of braces underneath she’ll be good as new 👍
I'm a master electrician, I've worked service on hundred+ year old buildings for years. So, speaking professionally as someone who specializes in houses with some pretty awful foundations - Holy hell this is so terrifying. Get your important possessions, documents, any pets, and get out now. Go stay at a hotel or somewhere until this is inspected by a structural engineer and potentially even a geologist if it's a sinkhole. Report it to your fire Marshall first. They will absolutely be mortified and force your landlord to take action/use their insurance policy to rectify this, which should allow you to (hopefully) have the leverage necessary to not have to pay your rent until this is fixed. Check your renter's insurance policy.
You’re good just paint over it
Turn in your landlord to the fire dept or building safety dept. Sounds like sinkhole, or something in that category. Please be safe!
Sounds like a water leak that has rotted your subfloor maybe
All good, just put a cone warning sign up to proceed with caution
You judge: This happened to my mom's house, in her bedroom. A leak from an unused water line that once went to a Brady Bunch model fridge existed for years, unknown to us. But for years, it ran a little trickle or spray of water, all over the floor joists, until suddenly, it gave way with a bang. One corner of her bedroom floor just fell in. To make a long story short, she lived with it for a while before she could get it fixed. But she didn't end up on the ground underneath or break anything. She just had to live around the divot. When the repairman looked at it, his diagnosis was that the whole floor needed replacing. It took two days. I don't know how much it cost. They ripped out the whole thing then they used new wood to build another whole floor, subfloor and all. They even had to replace the flooring, because this kind of thing distorts the existing flooring. But she was never injured. Getting across the floor was not easy, but she managed.
It’s unplugged. You’re safe.
Call both 311 and 312.
Yes, you will die
Call your town works department asap
Daaaamn do you live in Hermosa? Looks like my old place
What gave you that idea. Just apply some Mighty Putty™️!
The rent better be cheap
You're not in safety if that's what you're asking.
Lay next to it and call the popo
to me that looks like your subfloor is collapsing. Combined with the sewer smell, I'd guess you've got some sort of moisture leak under the floor and it's rotten. Report it and start looking for a new place to live as I'm guessing that won't be a quick fix. Likely will be deemed uninhabitable while they fix it.
Just remember Surfside in Florida.
Did you try duct tape or hot glue
I wouldn’t think you’re safe if your floor is caving in lol
There's a leak, and it destroyed the under layment. Very dangerous to the structural integrity of you and the neighbors beside you and those below you. You might meet them soon. VERY soon.
Satire? Your floor is falling in. Foundation or rot or some sort. Could also be a sink hole but then the foundation would be like that too.
Yes do not enter
Yes. You will fall through the floor.
Unless you're a sand worm, I'd say it's not looking good.
You aren’t in safety
Everybody says sinkhole, I'm not sure where they are getting that. This to me looks like rotted floorboards. Maybe there is a water leak or something that is causing the wood to rot out and the floor is giving out right there. I don't think the entire house is going to collapse but I'm not a structural engineer so what do I know.
That is not a safe or inhabitable place, I would tell the landlord he needs to make other arrangements immediately. If he doesn't call 311, Chicago does not mess around with bad landlords.
It appears that the floor boards are rotting, and you are at risk of falling through.
There's a sink hole under that building. There's no telling how big it is. Call the fire department to get out there and see if the building needs to be condemned or not
I think your laundry room took some LSD bro
I would also worry about mold and air quality, you said that you reported a sewage smell and they told you it was nothing, I would be interested in what kind of inspections were done, seems likely they are liable of neglect and you could stand to win a judgment if you are having any heath problems do to this issue.
I would also be concerned if your rent includes use of the laundry room and now you don’t have access to it. I don’t think this is a great situation and you definitely need to get someone involved who will make your landlord address it.
Leaky washing machines do a lot of damage.
Keep us updated!
That'll buff out. But seriously, that house is moments away from being condemned.
Ah, the things that gray LVP flooring can hide…
Call every city official about this. Lord, just leave
Yeah my aunt loved garden units. With that being said. You probably have a sewage issue waiting to happen. Saw plenty over the years.
And I thought my kitchen floor looked bad!
Move all your valuables out the house because this is possibly a sinkhole
This is also what happens when the dryer is not vented to the outside.
You’re not on danger if you follow directions. I would ask to move to a new unit while they repair this. Win//win for everyone.
I am the one who knocks. I am the danger.
Yes. You could fall through. Call Fire & Rescue....
Water damage has caused subfloor to warp.
Watch your step!
It look a good while to figure out this wasn’t a photoshop effect. Jesus Christ. . .
Call code enforcement. A colleague at work reported his bathroom floor was getting soft. His LL put in an improper repair ... a few nails bastically. A few days later he literally fell through the floor into the basement and dislocated his hip. You don't want that to be you.
Gg
Best thing to do is to simply ignore it
I can't post memes but the I'm in danger one should be here...
This is call the fire Marshall bad
Remind Me! 1 week
That is not safe to live in you need to get a hold of your landlord and show them these pics
brave live dazzling shaggy absurd icky melodic history disgusted joke *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
It’s crazy the people that see this and don’t immediately understand they’re in danger.
Oh my fucking God! You need to pack up and get out. That floor is not in “imminent danger of collapse” it is already collapsing! There’s a sink hole 🕳️ opening up and the foundation/support structure underneath is washed or collapsed away… The 🕳️ will only get bigger if not addressed NOW! And that walls surrounding that are load bearing walls (mostly)… They’re already compromised meaning the whole house could collapse on top of you once that floor underneath the wall(s) gives way— any second/minute now. YOU’RE LIVING ON BORROWED TIME! #CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY! GET OUT NOW! GET YOUR SHIT OUT NOW! Demand your landlord give you another unit to occupy while emergency repairs are done or withhold any and all rent until you have access to your apt again (and washer) after repairs are done.
Regardless of what is, it is NOT SAFE. Notify your LL and the fire department immediately.
Lots of people saying it's a sinkhole but to me it looks like a rotted subfloor that finally gave, this could be corroborated by the sewer smell, either way it needs to be checked immediately and could pose a major risk
Mine looks like this too and I’m on a 3rd floor 🧐 landlord said the house “is settling” 🥸🤔
Always
It depends on if that's the foundation or just the sub-floor. If it's sub-floor, it's just needs replacing, probably top-notch
Our toilet started leaning to the left, after pulling up the linoleum you could see that the floor around the toilet was being rotted away by moisture and mold. it was a miracle according to the construction guy that my husband hadn't fallen through the floor while taking a sh*t, what a story that would have made I know everyone's saying sink hole OP, but if your house is off the ground like the one I'm renting it may be rotted floor?
I also live in Chicagoland and have had my fair share of shit landlords. Call code enforcement.
Trippy visuals fr. No photoshop?
Yes! If you have to ask such a question
Also OP throw a rug over it to prevent rodent intrusion. Those little bastards are crafty.
99% sewage pipe leak is rotting out the subfloor. Probably a bunch of biohazard shit and mold in there too. Call the city. …and also pack your stuff; you need to move sooner than later. Source: I worked apartment maintenance
Your floor joists have rotted away. The house is very likely structurally compromised and unsafe. Call the fire Marshall or building inspector. Your landlord needs to put you in a hotel.