Yes, bleach could be used as a temporary stopgap. Your next step is to
communicate in writing with the owner to report the problem. Ask the
owner whether they already have a plumbing contractor of choice. Also,
who can authorize the plumber to perform the work and payment of the
bill.
If there is on-site management, get them to sign a document that
recognizes the matter as a pre-existing problem (as with anything else
you find unserviceable). You don't want to have to pay for something
that was already broken.
Now since there is a potential mold issue which could contaminate YOUR
belongings, I would ask for another unit while this one is repaired.
What you can SEE on the floor is not the whole problem. If it gets
into your clothing, you might have to discard the clothing as well.
Not a good result.

On 21 Aug 2006 04:47:26 -0700, "MQ"
wrote:

Hi all

I am about to move into a unit which seems to have a plumbing problem
in the bathroom. It seems that waste water from the bathtub is leaking
into the cavity below the tub (which is sealed) and is seeping through
the walls into the adjacent room (the kitchen). The result is a damp,
black track along the base of the kitchen wall and a very unpleasant
smell (in the kitchen, that is). The bathroom does not suffer this
problem and has no smell. How can this be fixed? Does it mean that
the bathtub has to be ripped out and sealed properly? Im guessing it
is a big job, but it may take some time for the owner (a government
department to fix it.

In the meantime, what can I do to at least reduce the smell, which is
very off-putting. The only thing I can think of is to use bleach to
kill any mould/germs. Any other suggestions?

Thanks
MQ