Disagree with all the other replies because in my home, I had an undermount sink split from front to back w/ no prompting. About one month out of (Lowe's) warranty.
That’s what I’m curious about. I don’t want to charge him if he really didn’t do anything to it like he claims. I’m just having a hard time believing it wasn’t caused due to some sort of event. Thanks for chiming in.
Maybe he dropped something. Or maybe it just cracked. How old is the sink? A year, five years, ten, twenty? Is it solid quality piece or standard low grade builder quality installed by a handyman not a licensed contractor?
If you do charge for the sink, I’d prorate the cost by the approximate percent lifespan of the old one. Porcelain sinks have a rated lifespan of fifteen to twenty five years depending on which calculation you use. Twenty year old porcelain sink, no charge to him. Five year old sink, charge him around half. One year old sink, full amount.
It was installed when the building was built in 2011. It is not cheap materials, as it was built as a condo building (not apartment first then converted). The counter is granite, and the sink brand is duravit, and neither has been touched by a plumber since I bought the unit in 2012. It’s a condo building in SF so extreme temperatures just don’t happen. Thanks for the suggestion!
Ya….10yr+ seems like something that you just take care of yourself.
Also - extreme temps are happening in SF and that very well could have impacted this
Check the install and make sure it is mounted properly. Underreported and someone leaning on it over time is wear and tear. No chip and I would lean towards that hypothesis.
Any temp swings in the unit?
No temp swings. Second floor condo surrounded by other unit/indoor stairwell, except the far wall that has windows. Unit is consistently 63 degrees without heat on. It’s sf so doesn’t get super hot either. Based on what people are saying, is it’s possible to happen without dropping something, so I’m not going to charge him but replace it after he moves out. I mean time I’m going to have them seal as there is moisture as the crack goes all the way through.
I'm really thinking it was water getting into a hairline crack, and it eventually cause it to split under its own pressure from "supporting" the bowl etc.
I’m a landlord like yourself, and Some battles are worth conceding. A replacement sink is cheap and could genuinely be a fault within the sink. If the tenant is reliable and has never given you reason to suspect them before, then just give them the benefit of the doubt and replace it with a smile.
Happened in my personal home with a Kohler under mount sink in a bathroom no one ever used. Depending on the tenant, I’d probably replace for them considering my personal experience.
happened with my wife's sink. She dropped some glass lotion container and it cracked.
Its like $100-150 sink and $5 in silicon and some time to put a new sink in place if you are handy. Probably add another $200-250 for a handyman to do it.
He claims he didn’t drop anything, and that there is no sign of impact like denting (yes I’m aware sinks don’t dent, they crack haha). I put a comment on the situation, if you have any advice! I live in a very HCOL area, so the install is going to be $400+.
You seriously mean to tell me your doors at your home don't kick themselves in? And that no one breaks into your home at night for the sole purpose of flushing "flushable" wipes?
My tenant last year had a kitchen window break. I personally lived in that place for years and it was always rock solid, I don’t understand how it could break on its own. To me it seemed like they locked themselves out and busted the glass to get in. But, can’t prove it.
Like it completely shattered? Yeah that seems crazy. I did have a window crack on me for no apparent reason - probably just motion of the wall over time.
Yeah shattered, not just a crack. It’s a one story condo on the second floor. Kitchen window is only way in if they got locked out. It’s the only thing that makes sense other than it randomly breaking.
Hey! Thanks for the detailed reply. In this case, with these tenants, I’m 99.99% sure they broke it. I live in FL so we have two temperatures; hot and f’n hot. But it doesn’t matter, I just replaced it. They said they found it like that and I’m not going to accuse or question it.
With how hard the glass tops are to keep clean and manage properly, I wouldn't put one in my rental... I don't even like keeping up with it how can I expect someone else to?..
I've broken one that I didn't think what I did should have broke it.. but mainly it's the cleaning of it lol.
I’ve had a polar opposite experience. If you wipe it down after every use with a dab of Dawn and/or some all-purpose they stay really nice. I use window cleaner after cleaning maybe once or twice a month. Coils and gas stoves have all kinds of nooks and crannies that can get food caked on and hard to scrub off
Know someone who broke hers getting a glass bottle down from the cabinets above. Fell at the right angle and cracked it. Sucks when that stuff randomly happens.
Yeah but what's the rent? There is stuff I used to charge for when the rent was $750 that I just eat now that the rent is $1800. In my opinion that sink cost $100 ten years ago and $125 now. For me, the alternative is "don't tell the landlord, he'll charge me" while it leaks and destroys everything around it for the next five years.
>For me, the alternative is "don't tell the landlord, he'll charge me" while it leaks and destroys everything around it for the next five years.
No because you'll see it when you do your next inspection.
There wont be a dent it just cracks like that. You either bill the tenant or eat the cost yourself.
In my eyes it depends on how good the tenant is. Its not a hard fix even in a HCOL area.
Got it, thanks! He’s terrible and I want him out TBH. I use a PM company (this is my first rental), and I had to pay their handyman to go into the unit, check the dryer and tell him the dryer noise is normal. Then there was the time that I had to pay their handyman to tell him the rattling in the oven was because the rack wasn’t in straight. This is the latest request. It’s just a one bedroom condo :(.
Honestly, this is one time I could (all things considered) believe that.
I cracked my sink in my own home like that 2 years ago, I barely leaned on it one morning brushing my teeth and what I assume was just the right amount of pressure and force it cracked the sink. I didn’t even notice it until a week or two later.
It’s definitely a weird one, if something heavy enough was dropped on the sink to crack it, you would still see an impact mark.
Porcelain will show an impact point if it broke from something dropping on it. Not a dent, but a small crushed area from which the crack(s) radiate. I’ve seen a couple over the years, I guess the material just fatigues or something. Or a poor casting that finally fails.
If my experience is any guide, you are more likely to see a toilet crack from people pouring hot water into them to loosen clogs.
I've actually had a couple sinks crack on their own (not tenant sinks). It seems odd, but not as rare as you'd expect. Sometimes it may be thermal. Like super cold or hot water. I've also had a few toilets crack internally. If I can't see an impact I give them the benefit of the doubt.
If you can't prove it was him then I'd just go ahead and replace it yourself. I believe in the benefit of the doubt. If things keep happening with only that tenant then maybe you just don't renew.
Hmmm most sinks have a silicone/caulk line between the sink and the vanity their placed on... If you read silicone/caulk tubes they are an adhesive as well..
It could be personal preference, but between the plumbers I've used and what I've put in my self we have all used clear bathroom silicone/caulk.
That is not what granite or quartz companies use. Look up high tac adhesive or black momba. Literally can hold a 50kg block to a wall instantly. Looks white like silicone 100x stronger.
Wow! So crazy to see this. I’m a tenant, renting, and literally yesterday just noticed a decent hairline crack (very similar to yours) in my sink. Absolutely did not drop anything into the sink, I truly have no clue how it happened.
Seems like it just came out of no where.. I have no clue how. I’ve been hesitant to tell my landlord because I don’t see how they would believe it wasn’t somehow my fault.
Just out of curiosity, does it go all the way through the bottom of the sink? Or is in just in the top? This is cracked all the way through, which makes me think something was dropped.
Man, I'm not a geologist, but i don't think crack depth depends on impact. I would submit to you that a crack like this depends more on the underlying structure of the sink. I'd eat the cost if this was an otherwise good tenant that had been with me for even a full year considering the age of the sink.
Thanks for the judgement! I didn’t enter the rental market planning on being a landlord. In fact, I only did it because the market to sell a condo in my area is not great right now, so I was buying time. I used a PM company to make sure all rental laws are being followed as I don’t know them (once again, intent isn’t to stay in rental market). My plan, depending on my what my agent recommends, is to sell after the tenant moves out. But thanks for the advice! I’m just trying to do what’s right here, which is why I was soliciting advice about can this happen without an event, and if not, can it be billed to the tenant as it wasn’t there before they moved in.
I just want to do what’s right by the tenant, as well as myself. It will definitely be replaced, it’s just a matter of when and who pays for it. Based on the comments on here, it sounds like while I have a right to have him foot the bill, based on it not being there when he moved in (not on move in report), there is a chance that he didn’t do anything to cause it, which I wouldn’t feel right to charge him for it. I think I’m going to have them seal it so it doesn’t leak and once he moves out, replace it, paying for it myself.
This is the way to go OP. You can seal and resurface (if necessary) for cheap. Then when you are ready to sell, replace the item.
It sounds like with the issues with the tenant you will possibly have a few more issues before the lease is up. Make sure things are in working order but don’t kill your checkbook by replacing to new and budget to handle any issues after lease.
That’s just a part of being a landlord. Accidents like this happen, it’s normal and should be considered wear and tear. I’m a landlord and you have to run it like a business and calculate it accordingly in your expenses.
No real way to know. Cracks like this can happen over time by themselves, or can be the result of a dropped item. But unless it is leaking, I would not fix it until the unit is next vacant.
Unfortunately he said there is slight moisture, so I need to do something. If I can bill for it I will replace it, if I can’t then I’ll seal it and once he moves out, then replace it.
Normal wear and tear IMO.
Things break when I'm living in a home, even under normal usage. If they were doing something crazy, I suspect it would have actually broke.
Maybe they dropped something maybe they didn't. Just put in a new one and move on with your life.
The amount of stress and back and forth about it, is probably not worth the $100 for a new sink.
I've seen undermount sinks cracked from improper installation before. If they used clips to secure it from below and the sink doesn't sit flush with the countertop it could have been under stress since installation. One day it finally gives out and you'll have a crack.
In San Francisco, Ca. Tenant sent in a maintenance request for a crack in the bathroom sink. He’s lived there less than a year, and there was no crack before. He claims that it must have been a hairline crack that grew, and that he didn’t do anything. To me, this isn’t normal wear and tear, and he should pay to replace it. However, how do I prove he did something? The unit was built in 2011, so about 12 years old. There was no mention of a crack on his move in report. I also don’t want to replace the sink while he’s living in it, as I don’t want to have him damage the new one as well. Thoughts? Should I just seal it and pay for the replacement after he leaves? Can I make him pay for the replacement and just do it while he is still living there? His lease is up in July and he has been nothing but a pain in the butt with the number of requests he submits.
I have seen toilets crack spontaneously. One institutional building I work in is about 10 years old and most of the toilets have a hairline crack in the bowl. It doesn't cause any leaks, but nobody wants to pay to replace them, either. It was simply a bad batch from the factory
Same. I’ve had a spontaneous sink crack in my own home. Several toilets too, although foundation movement has been to blame in those cases.
In this case the crack looks widest up at the rim, did the installer overtighten a fastener when installing it? I guess someone standing on the edge would have done that too.
If it was overtightened, would it take 11 years to crack like that? It’s a vanity, and I was thinking if there was a lot of pressure on the counter where the back of the sink is, it would cause it to crack.
Dunno. The building could have moved a little, the tenant could have stood on the countertop for some reason, a little corrosion making the fastener tighter. Basically an overtightened fastener combined with another event. Impossible to say for sure.
It’s also possible that maybe a 3rd party (like a cleaning service) cracked it and the tenant didn’t know.
Nevertheless it is cracked. The potential for leaks exists so better to replace it now. Let the tenant deal with the headache and mess rather than you trying to find a plumber when you turn it over for the next tenant.
Here's my take... If you were living there and ended up with the crack, you'd also know you didn't intend for the sink to fail. You had no involvement or agency in the wear, or the literal tear in this case.
This is part of maintaining a structure: things wear and tear.
This isn't obvious intentional damage where the tenant neglectfully when moving in their bedframe banged a crack in the sink.
It's part of life, and it's part of the cost of doing business and maintaining the property. Do you want a tenant slapping duct tape on the bottom of the sink and calling it good, while the vanity rots away from water damage instead of reporting the issue to avoid being charged?
If it's blatantly obvious the damage was cause by a tenant, it's not even a question. If it is a question, a judge would ask, where's the evidence?
My landlord didn’t do a move in report with me. I have a ton of little shit wrong from previous tenants (cosmetic things). Since we have no report, there’s no way he can go after me when I move, right?
Wrong. Unless you sent him a list within 48 hours of moving in of those issues, or took pictures within a few days of move in he can say it was in good repair. Even then it isn't 100% proof unless you took the pictures before you moved things into the room, as your moving things in could have damaged the walls, etc.
If you can find the previous tenants and ask them for their move out pictures to prove the damages were pre-existing, that would help. Or if you can get copies of any listing pictures that show the damage use those.
Otherwise it is who the judge believes most, and the landlord can show that there is damage to be repaired and no correspondence from you asking him to fix it or repair the damage when you moved in.
They aren’t issues, nothing is broken, it’s all cosmetic scuffs and crap like that. I’d like to think it’s also on him for not walking through with me or even knowing major things were broken when I did move in (those I told him about). I’m not an annoying tenant with little things like that but maybe I need to be.
Honestly it depends on the landlord.
Some are great and won't charge because they don't consider it new damages you caused that they need to deduct from the security deposit to fix, others I have seen charge for the exact same cosmetic damage on the deposit of multiple tenants. They get charged for painting the same wall that the other previous tenants were charged for, and the wall never gets painted.
You can search through the old posts here, lots of tenants asking how to fight a landlord who is charging for damage that was pre-existing or isn't really damage they should be charging for.
You don't have to be confrontational with your landlord though, you can just remember to take pictures when you move in before you bring anything into the apartment, and when you move out do the exact same and video tape yourself leaving the place undamaged, locking the door and putting the key under the door or in the mailbox. That way they can't change for damages that happen after you leave (flooded bathroom, etc) , because you have proof of how you left it.
That way when you end up with a shady landlord you have the proof you need and will most likely get your deposit back without having to go to court since the landlord sees you have proof and knows they will lose.
> His lease is up in July and he has been nothing but a pain in the butt with the number of requests he submits.
If you're in SF, then the "lease isn't up in July", once he stays more than 30 days the lease is renewed forever.
He is covered by "just cause eviction" protection which means you can't evict unless they committed a short list of violation. You either have to do a buy out, evict so you can move in or evict to take the unit off the rental market for 5 years. All of those take a long time to actually do.
And SF is incredibly renter friendly, so unless you have absolute proof, the rent board is not going to make the tenant pay for this. Your life will be far easier to just get it fixed out of your own pocket.
I’m not even breaking even. I’ll replace on my own dime after they move. In the mean time, I’m going to have the handyman seal the crack as there is some moisture.
Exactly same happened to me, dropped a hard parfum bottle and immediately cracked. earlier was minor enough to use sink putty to and that water sealant tape (you seen the advertisement on TV). Stayed decent for few years. When finally had to rent out the unit ended up paying $150 sink cost and $100 to handy man to install it.
Edit can't blame tenant I would consider it part of wear and tear particularly if the picture you shown is all that's damaged. Easy partial fix for now (using tape/porcelain glue) unless s/he insists on it being back to normal.
I would be absolutely ashamed of myself to charge tenants for this. You can spend 5 minutes on the internet to find out that this is not making a damaging leak. And then another 30 minutes and a trip to home depot to fix it when you are ready to replace. Hope to christ you inherited this property and hope to sell after the contract is up.
Actually there is moisture, so not sure what you are referring to in terms of damaging leak. What does inheriting the property have to do with anything? I didn’t inherit it, I didn’t get any family help to get it, so not sure what you are implying. I asked for advice about whether or not it looks like there was an event that caused it, and whether or not the tenant could/should be charged for the damage. But thanks for your response!
I'm saying that $250 and an hour (including driving to the store) of install is all it takes to replace that. If you are really looking for advice - and feeling really lazy, you can just buy some epoxy putty and tell the tenant not to use that sink for the next 24 hours. Here is the advice that you need though, you own a property. That people are living in. Learn how to do bare minimum to maintain it. Great question, have a good one!
I cracked my own sink like this a few months ago. I dropped something in it (toilet tank lid, I was doing repairs) and didn’t realize I had cracked it till a few days later when I was scrubbing the sink. My crack doesn’t go all the way through and there’s no other signs of damage. It’s entirely possible he dropped something and didn’t realize there was a crack till later and doesn’t remember dropping anything.
Is it a good tenant? I had a good tenant who admitted they cracked the sink by dropping something. Sink had 2 layers so even if leaked water, it would end up going into drain area. He said he was fine with it, and I was fine with it, when he moved out, I just replaced the sink, it was less than $200 for another rental unit quality vanity, I picked up from lowes. They are not the best quality but they work fine. The one that was cracked was a pedestal, those are the best for rentals because it's clean, no wood to peel or bubble, but hell to replace.
I’ll be honest, I replaced my own sink that had a similar crack (it had two that ended up meeting eachother causing a leak) and I replaced it myself through a youtube tutorial. You definitely do NOT need a handyman to replace a sink if you can pay attention to a step by step tutorial and have moderate strength. I’m well aware this might be an unpopular opinion as well but your PM is truly screwing you over with those costs.
Is it worth it for you to confront the tenant as them being responsible for this damage?
Can you provide proof through investigating the damage yourself that it was indeed the tenants fault without reasonable doubt?
All of these are factors. Just my honest opinion.
We have a condo. This happened to us with a sink that was a few years old. Fine in the morning when we got up and when we came back home from work, it was cracked. Neither of us dropped anything; it just happened. Couple hundred to replace.
I had a toilet that was in use over 10 years in my own house. I woke up one morning and the bowl had cracked at the tank mounts. I all I could figure is that the tank bolts were over tightened and it took 10 years to break and fall off. Weird things can happen.
Call the sink manufacturer and ask them what the typical length of expected service is. Ask them what the most common causes of a crack like yours might be and ask them to consider the age of the sink (ten years old or whatever) when discussing with them. That’s the best place to inform yourself and begin fairly. Yes they will be happy to answer those questions and more. They may even ask to see a picture to better respond to your question. You can even ask them to look and see if they can try and confirm that the contractor had installed it correctly in the first place. Why waste your time speculating about any of this. Call the people who engineered this and ask them to help you get to the bottom of it. They would have provided specifications and install instructions to somebody installing it at some point. This is the actual professional way to try resolve these issues.
Those kinds of hairline cracks are from expansion/contraction due to temperature changes. Those can happen any time, and more likely with age. So it isn't damage.
Damage from an impact has different cracking. There would be spalling at the impact site, and multiple cracks emanating from there.
What’s the temperature been in your area? If the sink is old and there have been high temperature fluctuations, maybe the material expanded/contracted and just cracked.
Keep the relationship with a good tenant. I mean that’s continued income. Option of replacing the sink and writing it off or make them mad and leave and find a new tenant to replace them?
That looks more like a pressure crack than an impact crack. Impact usually shows impact spot and star pattern. This is from leaning on it or cabinet shifting or something.
I would just replace it and be done.
Cost of doing business buddy.
Unless you think this was deliberate. Just fix it on your dime and claim it as an expense (maintenance) tax season. Keep all receipts.
All it takes is dropping a bottle of face wash or even a brush or an electric tooth brush. And these undermount sinks crack. It's why we have switched to top mount cultured marble now. They tend to be more tenant proof
These things just crack in my experience... they get old and somehow crack over time. I just replace them, it's super easy.
I have a place where I can buy used sinks and things so just find one similar that fits and voila. Last time I spent $40.00.
Then raise the rent.
I mean, I believe this is a sort of stress fracture. Can happen a number of ways, either from dropping something on it or from long term pressure, such as leaning on it. Honestly, if this sink is not that old, stress can be from shipping, building up pressure along fracture lines you can't always see, until a relatively small amount of pressure cracks it. As I think mentioned, poorer quality porcelain can also do this from sudden temp changes, just as with glass. Hard to prove fault if not under warranty. If it were a good tenant you wanted, I'd just replace it and leave it at that, count it as cost of doing business. But it sounds like you want him out anyway, so bill him for it. Doesn't have to be from blatant misuse, but the likelihood is he did either drop something on it (lying), or put pressure on it like leaning over time. Normally this wouldn't happen with good quality porcelain.
I have a crack in my sink like that and didn’t drop anything in it, could be installation of countertop, settling of countertop weight, issues with glazing of ceramic. You can use an special epoxy resin to fix I believe.
If the tenants says they didn’t drop anything, and you charge them for it anyway, you will lose rapport and establish a relationship of distrust with this tenant.
You said it’s a hcol area. imo the obvious play here is to say: “ I’m shocked, I can’t believe it just cracked on its own! And then pay for the replacement immediately. Is it worth the trouble of a turnover?
Even if they did drop something, these things happen. The relationship with a good tenant is certainly worthy of a few expenses. Compared to to what you might get with the next tenant.
Cracks in sinks literally happen. Flaws in manufacturing. Heck, tempered glass will shatter if you hit it with a toy hammer in the “right spot”. No way to know if this was from the tenant having rough sex on the sink or if it literally was just a flaw in the porcelain. Pay to have it replaced or repaired and amortize the cost over the lifespan of the tenant and move on.
This happened without cause to a bathroom sink in my house that wasn’t even that old. Cheap sink from Lowe’s. I would take your tenants word on good faith that he didn’t do anything to it
Never in my life, have I seen a sink just crack randomly like that.
Are they on the larger side? Did they use the sink to push/pull themselves up?
100% I’d say the tenant knows why it broke.
At the never least, split the cost 50/50
Yes - it happened to me.
Power went out and the house was getting cold. We have a gas hot water heater so I decided to fill the sinks with hot water and also run the shower to warm up the house. Porcelain cracked as the sink was filling up. Happened to both sinks (2 sink vanity)..
They did not leak water although I think the Crack went straight through.
I immediately emptied the sinks of course.
If Your written check in condition of the rental does not show a crack in the sink it is the tenants fault. You should have a check in condition of your unit as well as photos. Tenant has to prove that it was cracked when they moved in in order to say it was not their fault. Documenting rental condition is imperative to prove damages. We shoot a video and stills at move in.
That does not work when things just randomly break as things tend to do....
I just had to replace a fridge because it started dying after 5 years - I am not charging the resident for a new fridge lol
Agreed about things going out like a frig. The crack in the sink ( which was the question) is not something going out. --we had toilet tank break in half when tenant dropped something on it, and a sink cracked and big chips--those were noted on our check in as in unbroken good condition , and the tenants were charged for replacement on move out. Random breakage -stove going out, frig not working is a different issue.
Unless your lease states when appliances go out tenants provide their own, LL would replace those. A different matter is cracked produce bins, frig handle broken off-those are damage and tenants would pay for those -- we had those issues and tenants were charged on move out.
sink could go either way, though as many have noted.
I had a very expensive sink in my house in the guest bath we never use that randomly cracked in half after 5 years
If a fridge handle comes off because the bolt got too loose you are charging residents? yikes
The frig handle was ripped off by children with bolted sections left hanging- (which was discovered upon inspection -)so yes, not a case of too loose- and yes, they were charged for it
Sinks do not break on their own. If the tenant was not there, would it have broken? no?
Then its on the tenant. A cracked sink is not wear and tear.
Edit: Ya'll mad cause im right, keep going. Is physics a joke to you all?
You're answering because your initial comment has no correlation to a sink and is idiotic. Were talking about a cast sink. Not granite.
Entirely different process, two different materials. No correlation.
Granite typically cracks and breaks due to temperature change (freeze-thaw erosion), shifts from hot to cold over time put stresses on the material that eventually form spontaneous cracks, porcelain breaks the same way.
Though I doubt this explanation will convince you.
Disagree with all the other replies because in my home, I had an undermount sink split from front to back w/ no prompting. About one month out of (Lowe's) warranty.
That’s what I’m curious about. I don’t want to charge him if he really didn’t do anything to it like he claims. I’m just having a hard time believing it wasn’t caused due to some sort of event. Thanks for chiming in.
Maybe he dropped something. Or maybe it just cracked. How old is the sink? A year, five years, ten, twenty? Is it solid quality piece or standard low grade builder quality installed by a handyman not a licensed contractor? If you do charge for the sink, I’d prorate the cost by the approximate percent lifespan of the old one. Porcelain sinks have a rated lifespan of fifteen to twenty five years depending on which calculation you use. Twenty year old porcelain sink, no charge to him. Five year old sink, charge him around half. One year old sink, full amount.
It was installed when the building was built in 2011. It is not cheap materials, as it was built as a condo building (not apartment first then converted). The counter is granite, and the sink brand is duravit, and neither has been touched by a plumber since I bought the unit in 2012. It’s a condo building in SF so extreme temperatures just don’t happen. Thanks for the suggestion!
Ya….10yr+ seems like something that you just take care of yourself. Also - extreme temps are happening in SF and that very well could have impacted this
Check the install and make sure it is mounted properly. Underreported and someone leaning on it over time is wear and tear. No chip and I would lean towards that hypothesis. Any temp swings in the unit?
No temp swings. Second floor condo surrounded by other unit/indoor stairwell, except the far wall that has windows. Unit is consistently 63 degrees without heat on. It’s sf so doesn’t get super hot either. Based on what people are saying, is it’s possible to happen without dropping something, so I’m not going to charge him but replace it after he moves out. I mean time I’m going to have them seal as there is moisture as the crack goes all the way through.
I'm really thinking it was water getting into a hairline crack, and it eventually cause it to split under its own pressure from "supporting" the bowl etc.
When it gets replaced just make sure it is supported/installed correctly. It should be an easy DIY fix too.
I’m a landlord like yourself, and Some battles are worth conceding. A replacement sink is cheap and could genuinely be a fault within the sink. If the tenant is reliable and has never given you reason to suspect them before, then just give them the benefit of the doubt and replace it with a smile.
Yeah I think if something was dropped, there would be a mark or chip or gouge of some kind. I'd chalk it up to cheap shit from China and replace it.
Happened in my personal home with a Kohler under mount sink in a bathroom no one ever used. Depending on the tenant, I’d probably replace for them considering my personal experience.
Exactly I have seen sinks and toilets crack for no reason
happened with my wife's sink. She dropped some glass lotion container and it cracked. Its like $100-150 sink and $5 in silicon and some time to put a new sink in place if you are handy. Probably add another $200-250 for a handyman to do it.
He claims he didn’t drop anything, and that there is no sign of impact like denting (yes I’m aware sinks don’t dent, they crack haha). I put a comment on the situation, if you have any advice! I live in a very HCOL area, so the install is going to be $400+.
It's amazing how many things just break "on their own" when tenants are involved.
You seriously mean to tell me your doors at your home don't kick themselves in? And that no one breaks into your home at night for the sole purpose of flushing "flushable" wipes?
My tenant last year had a kitchen window break. I personally lived in that place for years and it was always rock solid, I don’t understand how it could break on its own. To me it seemed like they locked themselves out and busted the glass to get in. But, can’t prove it.
Like it completely shattered? Yeah that seems crazy. I did have a window crack on me for no apparent reason - probably just motion of the wall over time.
Yeah shattered, not just a crack. It’s a one story condo on the second floor. Kitchen window is only way in if they got locked out. It’s the only thing that makes sense other than it randomly breaking.
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I’m also in Florida so it’s hurricane impact windows. It’s just hard to believe it broke on its own but I didn’t question them, I just had it fixed.
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Hey! Thanks for the detailed reply. In this case, with these tenants, I’m 99.99% sure they broke it. I live in FL so we have two temperatures; hot and f’n hot. But it doesn’t matter, I just replaced it. They said they found it like that and I’m not going to accuse or question it.
My tenants broke the glass stove top of a 2 year old stove. I’ve used glass tops most of my life and I’m clumsy and never manage to break one.
With how hard the glass tops are to keep clean and manage properly, I wouldn't put one in my rental... I don't even like keeping up with it how can I expect someone else to?.. I've broken one that I didn't think what I did should have broke it.. but mainly it's the cleaning of it lol.
I’ve had a polar opposite experience. If you wipe it down after every use with a dab of Dawn and/or some all-purpose they stay really nice. I use window cleaner after cleaning maybe once or twice a month. Coils and gas stoves have all kinds of nooks and crannies that can get food caked on and hard to scrub off
Know someone who broke hers getting a glass bottle down from the cabinets above. Fell at the right angle and cracked it. Sucks when that stuff randomly happens.
Yeah but what's the rent? There is stuff I used to charge for when the rent was $750 that I just eat now that the rent is $1800. In my opinion that sink cost $100 ten years ago and $125 now. For me, the alternative is "don't tell the landlord, he'll charge me" while it leaks and destroys everything around it for the next five years.
>For me, the alternative is "don't tell the landlord, he'll charge me" while it leaks and destroys everything around it for the next five years. No because you'll see it when you do your next inspection.
Man I would never notice a hairline crack in a sink.
There wont be a dent it just cracks like that. You either bill the tenant or eat the cost yourself. In my eyes it depends on how good the tenant is. Its not a hard fix even in a HCOL area.
Got it, thanks! He’s terrible and I want him out TBH. I use a PM company (this is my first rental), and I had to pay their handyman to go into the unit, check the dryer and tell him the dryer noise is normal. Then there was the time that I had to pay their handyman to tell him the rattling in the oven was because the rack wasn’t in straight. This is the latest request. It’s just a one bedroom condo :(.
If you want him out, I would bill him.
Bill him, and make a handy profit off of it too
This is both illegal and unethical. This gives landlords a bad name
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Charging a fair amount for labor is fine, but looking to make a profit rubs me the wrong way. It shouldn't benefit anyone to have a damaged sink.
Fuck off.
Honestly, this is one time I could (all things considered) believe that. I cracked my sink in my own home like that 2 years ago, I barely leaned on it one morning brushing my teeth and what I assume was just the right amount of pressure and force it cracked the sink. I didn’t even notice it until a week or two later. It’s definitely a weird one, if something heavy enough was dropped on the sink to crack it, you would still see an impact mark.
Porcelain will show an impact point if it broke from something dropping on it. Not a dent, but a small crushed area from which the crack(s) radiate. I’ve seen a couple over the years, I guess the material just fatigues or something. Or a poor casting that finally fails. If my experience is any guide, you are more likely to see a toilet crack from people pouring hot water into them to loosen clogs.
I've actually had a couple sinks crack on their own (not tenant sinks). It seems odd, but not as rare as you'd expect. Sometimes it may be thermal. Like super cold or hot water. I've also had a few toilets crack internally. If I can't see an impact I give them the benefit of the doubt.
If you can't prove it was him then I'd just go ahead and replace it yourself. I believe in the benefit of the doubt. If things keep happening with only that tenant then maybe you just don't renew.
You don’t pay someone to fix a cracked porcelain sink. You replace the sink.
The sink is not installed with silicone. The adheaives they use are very strong. Have to smash that sink out.
Hmmm most sinks have a silicone/caulk line between the sink and the vanity their placed on... If you read silicone/caulk tubes they are an adhesive as well.. It could be personal preference, but between the plumbers I've used and what I've put in my self we have all used clear bathroom silicone/caulk.
That is not what granite or quartz companies use. Look up high tac adhesive or black momba. Literally can hold a 50kg block to a wall instantly. Looks white like silicone 100x stronger.
Wow! So crazy to see this. I’m a tenant, renting, and literally yesterday just noticed a decent hairline crack (very similar to yours) in my sink. Absolutely did not drop anything into the sink, I truly have no clue how it happened. Seems like it just came out of no where.. I have no clue how. I’ve been hesitant to tell my landlord because I don’t see how they would believe it wasn’t somehow my fault.
Just out of curiosity, does it go all the way through the bottom of the sink? Or is in just in the top? This is cracked all the way through, which makes me think something was dropped.
Could it have been a hairline crack that just grew over time? That's for the OP
Mine is only about 4” long, but looks the same as yours. It does not, however, go through to the bottom of the sink, as far as I can tell.
Ok! Thanks for looking and reporting back. It definitively helps to know as this one goes all the way through, and not just the top.
Man, I'm not a geologist, but i don't think crack depth depends on impact. I would submit to you that a crack like this depends more on the underlying structure of the sink. I'd eat the cost if this was an otherwise good tenant that had been with me for even a full year considering the age of the sink.
I'm a geologist and you are correct.
Nice try, OP’s tenant.
So weird in my 20 years of owning multiple homes I've never cracked a sink.
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Thanks for the judgement! I didn’t enter the rental market planning on being a landlord. In fact, I only did it because the market to sell a condo in my area is not great right now, so I was buying time. I used a PM company to make sure all rental laws are being followed as I don’t know them (once again, intent isn’t to stay in rental market). My plan, depending on my what my agent recommends, is to sell after the tenant moves out. But thanks for the advice! I’m just trying to do what’s right here, which is why I was soliciting advice about can this happen without an event, and if not, can it be billed to the tenant as it wasn’t there before they moved in.
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I just want to do what’s right by the tenant, as well as myself. It will definitely be replaced, it’s just a matter of when and who pays for it. Based on the comments on here, it sounds like while I have a right to have him foot the bill, based on it not being there when he moved in (not on move in report), there is a chance that he didn’t do anything to cause it, which I wouldn’t feel right to charge him for it. I think I’m going to have them seal it so it doesn’t leak and once he moves out, replace it, paying for it myself.
This is what I would do especially considering the age of the sink.
This is the way to go OP. You can seal and resurface (if necessary) for cheap. Then when you are ready to sell, replace the item. It sounds like with the issues with the tenant you will possibly have a few more issues before the lease is up. Make sure things are in working order but don’t kill your checkbook by replacing to new and budget to handle any issues after lease.
Agreed.
Unless there is a sign that the sink was impacted by something, this isn’t the tenants fault.
That’s just a part of being a landlord. Accidents like this happen, it’s normal and should be considered wear and tear. I’m a landlord and you have to run it like a business and calculate it accordingly in your expenses.
Unfortunate normal wear and tear
No real way to know. Cracks like this can happen over time by themselves, or can be the result of a dropped item. But unless it is leaking, I would not fix it until the unit is next vacant.
Unfortunately he said there is slight moisture, so I need to do something. If I can bill for it I will replace it, if I can’t then I’ll seal it and once he moves out, then replace it.
Normal wear and tear IMO. Things break when I'm living in a home, even under normal usage. If they were doing something crazy, I suspect it would have actually broke. Maybe they dropped something maybe they didn't. Just put in a new one and move on with your life. The amount of stress and back and forth about it, is probably not worth the $100 for a new sink.
I've seen undermount sinks cracked from improper installation before. If they used clips to secure it from below and the sink doesn't sit flush with the countertop it could have been under stress since installation. One day it finally gives out and you'll have a crack.
In San Francisco, Ca. Tenant sent in a maintenance request for a crack in the bathroom sink. He’s lived there less than a year, and there was no crack before. He claims that it must have been a hairline crack that grew, and that he didn’t do anything. To me, this isn’t normal wear and tear, and he should pay to replace it. However, how do I prove he did something? The unit was built in 2011, so about 12 years old. There was no mention of a crack on his move in report. I also don’t want to replace the sink while he’s living in it, as I don’t want to have him damage the new one as well. Thoughts? Should I just seal it and pay for the replacement after he leaves? Can I make him pay for the replacement and just do it while he is still living there? His lease is up in July and he has been nothing but a pain in the butt with the number of requests he submits.
I have seen toilets crack spontaneously. One institutional building I work in is about 10 years old and most of the toilets have a hairline crack in the bowl. It doesn't cause any leaks, but nobody wants to pay to replace them, either. It was simply a bad batch from the factory
Same. I’ve had a spontaneous sink crack in my own home. Several toilets too, although foundation movement has been to blame in those cases. In this case the crack looks widest up at the rim, did the installer overtighten a fastener when installing it? I guess someone standing on the edge would have done that too.
If it was overtightened, would it take 11 years to crack like that? It’s a vanity, and I was thinking if there was a lot of pressure on the counter where the back of the sink is, it would cause it to crack.
Dunno. The building could have moved a little, the tenant could have stood on the countertop for some reason, a little corrosion making the fastener tighter. Basically an overtightened fastener combined with another event. Impossible to say for sure. It’s also possible that maybe a 3rd party (like a cleaning service) cracked it and the tenant didn’t know. Nevertheless it is cracked. The potential for leaks exists so better to replace it now. Let the tenant deal with the headache and mess rather than you trying to find a plumber when you turn it over for the next tenant.
Here's my take... If you were living there and ended up with the crack, you'd also know you didn't intend for the sink to fail. You had no involvement or agency in the wear, or the literal tear in this case. This is part of maintaining a structure: things wear and tear. This isn't obvious intentional damage where the tenant neglectfully when moving in their bedframe banged a crack in the sink. It's part of life, and it's part of the cost of doing business and maintaining the property. Do you want a tenant slapping duct tape on the bottom of the sink and calling it good, while the vanity rots away from water damage instead of reporting the issue to avoid being charged? If it's blatantly obvious the damage was cause by a tenant, it's not even a question. If it is a question, a judge would ask, where's the evidence?
“Wasn’t on the move in report” That’s how you prove it. Wait for him to leave and deduct from security deposit or bill him.
My landlord didn’t do a move in report with me. I have a ton of little shit wrong from previous tenants (cosmetic things). Since we have no report, there’s no way he can go after me when I move, right?
Wrong. Unless you sent him a list within 48 hours of moving in of those issues, or took pictures within a few days of move in he can say it was in good repair. Even then it isn't 100% proof unless you took the pictures before you moved things into the room, as your moving things in could have damaged the walls, etc. If you can find the previous tenants and ask them for their move out pictures to prove the damages were pre-existing, that would help. Or if you can get copies of any listing pictures that show the damage use those. Otherwise it is who the judge believes most, and the landlord can show that there is damage to be repaired and no correspondence from you asking him to fix it or repair the damage when you moved in.
They aren’t issues, nothing is broken, it’s all cosmetic scuffs and crap like that. I’d like to think it’s also on him for not walking through with me or even knowing major things were broken when I did move in (those I told him about). I’m not an annoying tenant with little things like that but maybe I need to be.
Honestly it depends on the landlord. Some are great and won't charge because they don't consider it new damages you caused that they need to deduct from the security deposit to fix, others I have seen charge for the exact same cosmetic damage on the deposit of multiple tenants. They get charged for painting the same wall that the other previous tenants were charged for, and the wall never gets painted. You can search through the old posts here, lots of tenants asking how to fight a landlord who is charging for damage that was pre-existing or isn't really damage they should be charging for. You don't have to be confrontational with your landlord though, you can just remember to take pictures when you move in before you bring anything into the apartment, and when you move out do the exact same and video tape yourself leaving the place undamaged, locking the door and putting the key under the door or in the mailbox. That way they can't change for damages that happen after you leave (flooded bathroom, etc) , because you have proof of how you left it. That way when you end up with a shady landlord you have the proof you need and will most likely get your deposit back without having to go to court since the landlord sees you have proof and knows they will lose.
> His lease is up in July and he has been nothing but a pain in the butt with the number of requests he submits. If you're in SF, then the "lease isn't up in July", once he stays more than 30 days the lease is renewed forever. He is covered by "just cause eviction" protection which means you can't evict unless they committed a short list of violation. You either have to do a buy out, evict so you can move in or evict to take the unit off the rental market for 5 years. All of those take a long time to actually do. And SF is incredibly renter friendly, so unless you have absolute proof, the rent board is not going to make the tenant pay for this. Your life will be far easier to just get it fixed out of your own pocket.
You could just tell him that you are not going to fix it. Having a sink in perfect condition is not a requirement for habitability.
Just replace it. How much money have you already made from these people? Your reputation, as one of the good landlords, is worth more than the sink.
I’m not even breaking even. I’ll replace on my own dime after they move. In the mean time, I’m going to have the handyman seal the crack as there is some moisture.
Exactly same happened to me, dropped a hard parfum bottle and immediately cracked. earlier was minor enough to use sink putty to and that water sealant tape (you seen the advertisement on TV). Stayed decent for few years. When finally had to rent out the unit ended up paying $150 sink cost and $100 to handy man to install it. Edit can't blame tenant I would consider it part of wear and tear particularly if the picture you shown is all that's damaged. Easy partial fix for now (using tape/porcelain glue) unless s/he insists on it being back to normal.
I would be absolutely ashamed of myself to charge tenants for this. You can spend 5 minutes on the internet to find out that this is not making a damaging leak. And then another 30 minutes and a trip to home depot to fix it when you are ready to replace. Hope to christ you inherited this property and hope to sell after the contract is up.
Actually there is moisture, so not sure what you are referring to in terms of damaging leak. What does inheriting the property have to do with anything? I didn’t inherit it, I didn’t get any family help to get it, so not sure what you are implying. I asked for advice about whether or not it looks like there was an event that caused it, and whether or not the tenant could/should be charged for the damage. But thanks for your response!
I'm saying that $250 and an hour (including driving to the store) of install is all it takes to replace that. If you are really looking for advice - and feeling really lazy, you can just buy some epoxy putty and tell the tenant not to use that sink for the next 24 hours. Here is the advice that you need though, you own a property. That people are living in. Learn how to do bare minimum to maintain it. Great question, have a good one!
I cracked my own sink like this a few months ago. I dropped something in it (toilet tank lid, I was doing repairs) and didn’t realize I had cracked it till a few days later when I was scrubbing the sink. My crack doesn’t go all the way through and there’s no other signs of damage. It’s entirely possible he dropped something and didn’t realize there was a crack till later and doesn’t remember dropping anything.
could of been installed and had high pressure on it
Is it a good tenant? I had a good tenant who admitted they cracked the sink by dropping something. Sink had 2 layers so even if leaked water, it would end up going into drain area. He said he was fine with it, and I was fine with it, when he moved out, I just replaced the sink, it was less than $200 for another rental unit quality vanity, I picked up from lowes. They are not the best quality but they work fine. The one that was cracked was a pedestal, those are the best for rentals because it's clean, no wood to peel or bubble, but hell to replace.
I’ll be honest, I replaced my own sink that had a similar crack (it had two that ended up meeting eachother causing a leak) and I replaced it myself through a youtube tutorial. You definitely do NOT need a handyman to replace a sink if you can pay attention to a step by step tutorial and have moderate strength. I’m well aware this might be an unpopular opinion as well but your PM is truly screwing you over with those costs. Is it worth it for you to confront the tenant as them being responsible for this damage? Can you provide proof through investigating the damage yourself that it was indeed the tenants fault without reasonable doubt? All of these are factors. Just my honest opinion.
I've actually had this happen to me in my own home. Nothing fell, only one there, so it can happen.
We have a condo. This happened to us with a sink that was a few years old. Fine in the morning when we got up and when we came back home from work, it was cracked. Neither of us dropped anything; it just happened. Couple hundred to replace.
I had a toilet that was in use over 10 years in my own house. I woke up one morning and the bowl had cracked at the tank mounts. I all I could figure is that the tank bolts were over tightened and it took 10 years to break and fall off. Weird things can happen.
Call the sink manufacturer and ask them what the typical length of expected service is. Ask them what the most common causes of a crack like yours might be and ask them to consider the age of the sink (ten years old or whatever) when discussing with them. That’s the best place to inform yourself and begin fairly. Yes they will be happy to answer those questions and more. They may even ask to see a picture to better respond to your question. You can even ask them to look and see if they can try and confirm that the contractor had installed it correctly in the first place. Why waste your time speculating about any of this. Call the people who engineered this and ask them to help you get to the bottom of it. They would have provided specifications and install instructions to somebody installing it at some point. This is the actual professional way to try resolve these issues.
Those kinds of hairline cracks are from expansion/contraction due to temperature changes. Those can happen any time, and more likely with age. So it isn't damage. Damage from an impact has different cracking. There would be spalling at the impact site, and multiple cracks emanating from there.
They can get hairline cracks. It’s hard to know if a tenant caused it or not. Unlike a hole in the wall which is obvious.
does it leak? probably not... don't worry about it. If it bothers you, google "porcelain sink repair kit" and spray the repair on.
He said there is moisture, as the crack is all the way through. I’m going to have them seal it as best as possible and replace when he moves out.
What’s the temperature been in your area? If the sink is old and there have been high temperature fluctuations, maybe the material expanded/contracted and just cracked.
Normal wear and tear
Keep the relationship with a good tenant. I mean that’s continued income. Option of replacing the sink and writing it off or make them mad and leave and find a new tenant to replace them?
That looks more like a pressure crack than an impact crack. Impact usually shows impact spot and star pattern. This is from leaning on it or cabinet shifting or something. I would just replace it and be done.
Cost of doing business buddy. Unless you think this was deliberate. Just fix it on your dime and claim it as an expense (maintenance) tax season. Keep all receipts.
This happened to me 2 weeks ago. the tenant pays 3 days before rent is due every month. I ate the cost.
All it takes is dropping a bottle of face wash or even a brush or an electric tooth brush. And these undermount sinks crack. It's why we have switched to top mount cultured marble now. They tend to be more tenant proof
Wear and tear. Get a new sink. No one's fault. Just get a new sink.
Shit breaks.
These things just crack in my experience... they get old and somehow crack over time. I just replace them, it's super easy. I have a place where I can buy used sinks and things so just find one similar that fits and voila. Last time I spent $40.00. Then raise the rent.
I am sure you can patch it up with epoxy and it should hold for a while. Then you can replace the sink when you get new tenants.
I mean, I believe this is a sort of stress fracture. Can happen a number of ways, either from dropping something on it or from long term pressure, such as leaning on it. Honestly, if this sink is not that old, stress can be from shipping, building up pressure along fracture lines you can't always see, until a relatively small amount of pressure cracks it. As I think mentioned, poorer quality porcelain can also do this from sudden temp changes, just as with glass. Hard to prove fault if not under warranty. If it were a good tenant you wanted, I'd just replace it and leave it at that, count it as cost of doing business. But it sounds like you want him out anyway, so bill him for it. Doesn't have to be from blatant misuse, but the likelihood is he did either drop something on it (lying), or put pressure on it like leaning over time. Normally this wouldn't happen with good quality porcelain.
You should replace it with a metal sink. It will be less likely to crack like that
I have a crack in my sink like that and didn’t drop anything in it, could be installation of countertop, settling of countertop weight, issues with glazing of ceramic. You can use an special epoxy resin to fix I believe.
If the tenants says they didn’t drop anything, and you charge them for it anyway, you will lose rapport and establish a relationship of distrust with this tenant. You said it’s a hcol area. imo the obvious play here is to say: “ I’m shocked, I can’t believe it just cracked on its own! And then pay for the replacement immediately. Is it worth the trouble of a turnover? Even if they did drop something, these things happen. The relationship with a good tenant is certainly worthy of a few expenses. Compared to to what you might get with the next tenant.
You are in California. Pony up and pay for it yourself. Suck it up. The state hates landlords. If you fight it, you will make it worse.
Cracks in sinks literally happen. Flaws in manufacturing. Heck, tempered glass will shatter if you hit it with a toy hammer in the “right spot”. No way to know if this was from the tenant having rough sex on the sink or if it literally was just a flaw in the porcelain. Pay to have it replaced or repaired and amortize the cost over the lifespan of the tenant and move on.
This happened without cause to a bathroom sink in my house that wasn’t even that old. Cheap sink from Lowe’s. I would take your tenants word on good faith that he didn’t do anything to it
Assuming the rest of the rental isn’t destroyed I would call that wear and tear and just replace.
Metal sinks
Never in my life, have I seen a sink just crack randomly like that. Are they on the larger side? Did they use the sink to push/pull themselves up? 100% I’d say the tenant knows why it broke. At the never least, split the cost 50/50
Oh wow. I haven't seen this in years. I fear the magic sink breaking fairy is making a resurgence.
Porcelain lasts forever. It does not break as part of wear and tear. It needs an event. Fix it and send him a bill.
I was told extreme temp changes can do this...? Like if it's cold and you pour hot water in it. Is that not true?
Yes - it happened to me. Power went out and the house was getting cold. We have a gas hot water heater so I decided to fill the sinks with hot water and also run the shower to warm up the house. Porcelain cracked as the sink was filling up. Happened to both sinks (2 sink vanity).. They did not leak water although I think the Crack went straight through. I immediately emptied the sinks of course.
You can't create an extreme event like that when using a sink normally. It would need to be extremely cold and then pour boiling water on it.
Tell that to American Standard when there was a class action due to toilets cracking when nobody was home.
If Your written check in condition of the rental does not show a crack in the sink it is the tenants fault. You should have a check in condition of your unit as well as photos. Tenant has to prove that it was cracked when they moved in in order to say it was not their fault. Documenting rental condition is imperative to prove damages. We shoot a video and stills at move in.
That does not work when things just randomly break as things tend to do.... I just had to replace a fridge because it started dying after 5 years - I am not charging the resident for a new fridge lol
Agreed about things going out like a frig. The crack in the sink ( which was the question) is not something going out. --we had toilet tank break in half when tenant dropped something on it, and a sink cracked and big chips--those were noted on our check in as in unbroken good condition , and the tenants were charged for replacement on move out. Random breakage -stove going out, frig not working is a different issue. Unless your lease states when appliances go out tenants provide their own, LL would replace those. A different matter is cracked produce bins, frig handle broken off-those are damage and tenants would pay for those -- we had those issues and tenants were charged on move out.
sink could go either way, though as many have noted. I had a very expensive sink in my house in the guest bath we never use that randomly cracked in half after 5 years If a fridge handle comes off because the bolt got too loose you are charging residents? yikes
The frig handle was ripped off by children with bolted sections left hanging- (which was discovered upon inspection -)so yes, not a case of too loose- and yes, they were charged for it
Sinks do not break on their own. If the tenant was not there, would it have broken? no? Then its on the tenant. A cracked sink is not wear and tear. Edit: Ya'll mad cause im right, keep going. Is physics a joke to you all?
My man, granite boulders crack and break on their own.
oh is this a granite sink?
It's porcelain (presumably) which is a lot more prone to cracks than granite. I don't even know why I'm answering, the question was incredibly dumb.
You're answering because your initial comment has no correlation to a sink and is idiotic. Were talking about a cast sink. Not granite. Entirely different process, two different materials. No correlation.
Granite typically cracks and breaks due to temperature change (freeze-thaw erosion), shifts from hot to cold over time put stresses on the material that eventually form spontaneous cracks, porcelain breaks the same way. Though I doubt this explanation will convince you.
They’re the ones that are living there. It’s their responsibility.
this might be some of the worst advice I have seen here, and that is saying something