OKC Mom Looking For Answers After Flooding At Rental Home

An Oklahoma City mom has sewage flooding up through the floors of her rental home, but she says she's not getting any help from her landlord.

Delia Baig says she told property management about the sewage back-ups months ago, but just got the runaround.

Right when you walk into the home on SW 48^th you can see and smell the problem. The kitchen floor is soggy and the tiles have a lot of water damage caused by sink and sewer back-ups. It's still wet and it's not the safest place for an expecting mom or the four little ones she already has at home.

"It stinks and it's nasty and I have babies that can walk on the floor and pick that up and get sick," Baig said. "I turned on the water and tried to wash dishes and it just started gushing out the walls, and it smell like toilet water."

Baig has big problems at her rental home and just tries to avoid the kitchen altogether.

"I'm scared to just be standing here… it's going to fall in," she said.

Baig says one maintenance man who came to look at the damage told her mold and sewage water has made the floors unsafe. Now the mother of four has called and called property management and even attorneys, but still doesn't know what she can do.

"I don't even turn it on," Baig said about the sink.

When Baig turns on the faucet, water that smells just like sewage seeps from the floors and the walls.

"It's not just water, it's sewage and it stinks," she said.

Baig has kept up with the more than $500 a month rental payments at the home, hoping management will come through with promises to fix it.

"They've been telling me they're going to have someone out for 2 months. That's why I called [News 9]," Baig said.

News 9 then went to Property Management to ask what's the hold up? The manager says thought the problem had been fixed, later Friday night she found a ticket from Monday when one of the property crews did go to the Baig family's rental to fix the back-up.

Friday night the property manager said a crew came here to fix the problem last Monday, but said if the family has another back-up, the company does have an open apartment for the them to stay in. However, property management says the problem with the sewage has been fixed and it's up to the family to fix the floor damage with materials it provides for low-rent housing.

The way Oklahoma law reads, a landlord must make repairs and they typically will have 14 days from the time they get the request in writing to make the repairs. However, if they choose not to after being properly notified, the law does not force them to do so.

Renters with landlord issues can call the Metro Fair Housing Council for help and find out your rights. Their phone number is (405) 232-3247.