Woman Avoids Paying 330,000 SEK for Water Damage Due to Sleepwalking Incident

It cost 330,000 SEK to clean up a water-damaged property after a woman blocked the shower drain in her sleep. However, she won't have to cover the cost.

The reason? She was asleep.

The magazine Hem & Hyra reports on a woman in her 20s who woke up sitting on the bathroom floor of her apartment in Kungälv. The two-room apartment was flooded. Her two older sisters, who had stayed over, were also present.

One sister awoke to the sound of splashing. Together, they tried to clean up.

Below the apartment is a care facility that reported the leak as water dripped from their ceiling.

The moisture damage in the apartment and the facility below was estimated to cost nearly 330,000 SEK to remediate. The landlord wanted the woman to pay, but the Gothenburg District Court has now, four years later, absolved her of the cost.

The reason is that the woman was sleepwalking.

Not Awake When She Sat on the Drain

The woman, her insurance company, and the landlord all agree that she was asleep in the shower, blocking the drain, preventing water from draining.

The landlord claims it was due to negligence.

The woman, supported by her family, argues she was sleepwalking. How did she end up in the shower? Why was the shower on? The landlord, who did not convince the court, claims she did it herself. The woman testified she had previous sleepwalking issues and sought treatment after the incident.

The court sided with her.

Landlord Lacked Counter-Evidence

According to Hem & Hyra, the woman did not present medical certificates to prove her sleep issues. However, the court noted the landlord also failed to provide evidence that the incident occurred differently.

Thus, it is not clear that the woman intentionally started the shower, fell asleep on the drain, and blocked the water flow.

The burden of proof lies with the landlord.

The verdict may be appealed.