Who is responsible for the plumbing bill, tenant or landlord

We recently had a clog in our kitchen drain that caused it to drain very slow. The landlord came and plunged it and attempted to snake it, but neither worked. During this he pulled out some potato peels and grease.
He had a professional come out the next day who cleared the drain. He told the plumber that the peels had caused the clog, so that's what he wrote down, he didn't actually pull anything out himself as the clog was quite a way down.
Who's responsible for the bill? We've never had a problem with disposals/pipes before and we're always careful. How do we prove this wasn't our fault? Or is it going to be on us regardless of the fact these drains have never been cleaned or cleared in the number of years before we moved in because some peels were found by the landlord?
Additional information
Our lease states that we are responsible for repairs if the damage is caused by negligence. They said this fit under negligent behavior, that we improperly used the garbage disposal.
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Answers (1)

Christopher Gerald Angell

Christopher Gerald Angell

Contributor Level 4
It's impossible to answer this question definitively without knowing more facts (for example, the terms of your lease), but my initial thought is that the landlord is responsible based upon the fact that the landlord is the one who contacted the plumber and contracted for the plumber's services.
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