Replacing toilet broken by tenant, can a plumber be mandated?
During my tenancy, a glass light cover that we did not secure properly after cleaning fell into the toilet bowl and created a small cosmetic yet noticeable defect. There was no water leakage. We agreed as tenants to replace the toilet. The landlord is demanding that we hire a professional to do the job, but replacing a toilet is something simple that I have done before. Is there case law, precedent, or other law that states that he can demand a professional or plumber to do the job? This is in New Jersey, US. Landlord is concerned about water damage if the toilet leaks and believes that a plumber may liability insurance to cover this in such an event.
Edit: I am the tenant. I would like to do the repair myself.
The defect is a hole and cannot be patched. The damage was noted during a move-out walk through. I was under the impression that if a repair needs to be made under these circumstances, then the landlord is obligated to allow the tenant to make those repairs within a certain time frame. Such was the law in St. Louis where I had lived previously.
All of these responses sound reasonable. I was looking at it from the point of view that the job is an easy thing to DIY, and I could save a lot of money in doing this. However, considering liability, I could stand to lose a lot of money should he pursue a suit in the event of a leak. The added cost of the professional is essentially liability insurance on top of the labor.