What happens if a porta potty is vandalized between service visits?

Question

We have a construction site in a public park with four standard units and one ADA-compliant unit. It's a three-month project on grass, and our truck access is fine, the driver parks on the asphalt path 20 feet away. Last week, someone broke the lock on one unit and scrawled graffiti on the door. Our rental company serviced it on Monday, and we found the damage on Wednesday. Who handles this? Does the rental company come out to fix vandalism between weekly service visits, or is it on us to report it and wait? What if a unit gets tipped over, same process? I'm worried about downtime and extra costs.

Deb K. · Answer

You report the vandalism to the rental company immediately, and they handle the repair or replacement. The process for a broken lock or graffiti is the same as for a tipped-over unit: call the rental company, and they will schedule a service truck to come out, usually within a day or two for non-emergencies. A tipped unit is an emergency if it is leaking waste, and they will respond faster.

Your contract likely includes a damage waiver that covers vandalism and accidental damage, so you probably will not pay extra for the repair. Read your contract to confirm. Downtime is minimal because the rental company keeps spare parts and units on hand.

The rental company expects to handle issues between weekly service visits. They prefer you call right away so they can fix it before the next scheduled pump-out. A blocked or damaged unit that causes a missed service visit may still be billed as a trip, but the repair itself is typically covered.

For your construction site, the four standard units and one ADA-compliant unit meet the OSHA 1926.51 minimum for up to 199 workers. Keep the units accessible for the service truck to avoid extra fees.

What happens if a porta potty is vandalized between service visits?

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