I've been living in this older duplex rental since November. The property looks nice inside after renovations, but the outside hasn't been touched yet. Since the weather warmed up, I've noticed a strong pee smell coming from my bathroom and occasionally through the mini-split air conditioning unit in the kitchen, which shares a wall with the bathroom. The strange thing is that I don't smell it anywhere else in the house. My neighbor's side doesn't have any odor, and it's definitely worse if I open the bathroom door after it's been closed for a while without the AC or bathroom fan on. I've deep cleaned the bathroom with an enzyme cleaner, but I suspect there might be an issue outside. There are some gaps in the bathroom trim and a crawlspace that might allow critters in, and I caught some workers peeing outside along that wall when they were renovating. I told my landlord, but he shrugged it off, saying a little pee wouldn't make such a big smell. The corner outside is overgrown with weeds, bricks, and other junk, making it hard for me to check thoroughly. I even suggested he use an enzyme cleaner outside or hire a local service to investigate, but he hasn't responded. Any ideas on what could be causing this smell? Am I completely off track?
3 Answers
You might want to look into the mini-split's drainage line. If it’s not tied into the building’s drainage properly, that could be a source of the smell. Was it installed correctly?
What exactly is the drainage system for the building?
Is there an attic in your place? Sometimes smells can travel through these spaces if there's a leak or something rotten.
There's actually an upstairs area, but it’s closed off with no windows or access.
Have you checked for any English boxwood bushes nearby? They can sometimes smell like cat pee, which might be what's going on if you have those around.
No, I haven't seen any of those around, just some dry weeds.
Note to self to steer clear of planting English boxwood! Thanks for the tip!
I’m pretty sure it drips out the pipe running down the outside wall, and an HVAC guy installed it, so it should be fine.