[skylesjk]

I'm renting a condo and have two questions about the safety of the wires. I know almost nothing about wiring, so keep that in mind when reading this post. I'm not trying to fix it myself. I just want to know if it's safe because the landlord is saying they are not going to do anything about it. I tried to look up the code but to me it was 1000 pages of gibberish.

1) I have a ceiling light above a dining room table that is hanging from a cord and the cord has exposed wires in the middle. The landlord just sent someone in to put some electrical tape on it. Is that safe? I don't care how it looks. I just don't want the place to burn down or get shocked. The original covering looks like braided cloth.

2) In my hall closet there is exposed wiring running along the floor to a wall receptacle that is outside the closet. It also has electrical tape on it, but no bare metal wire showing. This wire is different from the lamp. It is flat and covered in white plastic.

Sorry for the basic questions. Any help would be welcome. Just want things to be safe for my wife and 7 month old son.

 

[bob22]

Some pictures of the issues would help; the closet sounds potentially more of an issue.

 

[Jim Port]

Based on the description the lamp cord needs to be replaced. The cable for the receptacle also sounds like it may be subject to damage and would need protection.

 

[brric]

I'm renting a condo and have two questions about the safety of the wires. I know almost nothing about wiring, so keep that in mind when reading this post. I'm not trying to fix it myself. I just want to know if it's safe because the landlord is saying they are not going to do anything about it. I tried to look up the code but to me it was 1000 pages of gibberish.

1) I have a ceiling light above a dining room table that is hanging from a cord and the cord has exposed wires in the middle. The landlord just sent someone in to put some electrical tape on it. Is that safe? I don't care how it looks. I just don't want the place to burn down or get shocked. The original covering looks like braided cloth.

Were the insulated wires showing or was the bare conductor showing?

 

[Leah Frances]

OP - A couple questions:

1. Your location?

2. Are you legitimately renting, ie. do you have a contract?

 

[skylesjk]

I attached some pictures of the issues. I'm in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. We signed a year lease so yes there is a contract.

With the fixture cord the bare wire was showing before they put the black electrical tape on.

The other two pictures are of the closet. What I think they did was run a cord from a receptacle in the living room back into one coat closet. This is the second pic. Notice the black electrical tape. The other cord is a coaxial cable for the TV. The electrical cord then immediately enters a wall that separates two coat closets and enters the other closet and runs along the floor until it reaches the far wall and enters where another receptacle is on the wall outside the closet. The second pic is just showing the cord on the floor of the second closet running into the wall.

 

[oleguy74]

closet is code violation.owner needs to repair correctly immediatly.if owner keeps repairing with tape,send owneror mannager a registered letter with pic's.if same don't respond,send another and a copy to local building dept.those conditions are dangerous.

 

[skylesjk]

Thank you everyone. I assume the fixture cord is safe? I'll go talk to the property manager today about the closet wire.

 

[oleguy74]

Thank you everyone. I assume the fixture cord is safe? I'll go talk to the property manager today about the closet wire.

fixture cord is bad also.needs to be replaced.

 

[mpoulton]

I'd say the light fixture is the bigger problem. It's a serious fire and shock hazard, especially since it's ungrounded. The closet situation certainly isn't code compliant or safe, but it doesn't look like an imminent hazard. Both need to be fixed.

 

[dmxtothemax]

Both of these situations are NOT up to code.
Therefore they would be deemed dangerous,
The electrical tape just makes it a little less so,
You are well within your rights to complain,
How ever I'am not sure how well the landlord will
react to the complaint.
From what you say, probably not very well !
But dangerous it definately is !
The light especially so.