Drains - who should pay?

abaxas

Hi,

I live (rented) in the middle of a terrace of 3.

The problem is that the drains are 'communal' at the back. IE they flow from no3 through our back (no2) to no1 and then out into the street. However an extension has been build to our property that is directly over the drains.

The problem is that there is a blockage under this extension which doesn't effect us, but effects no 3.

Since we rent, it's not our responsibility however to make it easier to fix. Who is responsible here? Should the LL fix something on his property that others are using.

Does anyone have any ideas?

pinkshoes

Well the blockage seems to be caused by No. 3 if it's not affecting you or No. 1.

How do they know that the blockage is under your extension, and not on their part? Have they tried to unblock it using drain rods? Those things can reach for a long way, so usually work!

There might be something written into the deeds of the terrace houses explaining about the drains, which the owner should have.

Have you notified the owner?

clutton_2

why not ask the LL or ask the local water board - if its a joint drain there may well be joint responsibility for its upkeep and the cost would be spread between all threee properties - but it is the LLs cost - not the tenants

tbs624

So there may be a No2 blockage under No2?;)

A drain serves one house: when connecting with the drain from another house it becomes a sewer.
All sewers are private sewers unless adopted by the local water authority and then they are public sewers. Was the property built before or after 1937?(key date in terms of sewer adoption)

The owners of the properties that have use of the drains and private sewers are responsible for their maintenance & repair: that responsibility doesn’t stop at the property boundary until it connects with a public sewer.

All *you* need to do is pass on all info on the problem in writing to your LL - it is absolutely not your responsibility, even though you may want to help your neighbours out.

If your LL had appropriate consents/BRegs approval for the extension there shouldn’t be a problem, other than getting some quotes and agreeing the cost neither of which are anything you need to be involved in. ( See - an upside to renting , folks )

abaxas

tbs624 wrote: »

So there may be a No2 blockage under No2?;)

A drain serves one house: when connecting with the drain from another house it becomes a sewer.
All sewers are private sewers unless adopted by the local water authority and then they are public sewers. Was the property built before or after 1937?(key date in terms of sewer adoption)

The owners of the properties that have use of the drains and private sewers are responsible for their maintenance & repair: that responsibility doesn’t stop at the property boundary until it connects with a public sewer.

All *you* need to do is pass on all info on the problem in writing to your LL - it is absolutely not your responsibility, even though you may want to help your neighbours out.

If your LL had appropriate consents/BRegs approval for the extension there shouldn’t be a problem, other than getting some quotes and agreeing the cost neither of which are anything you need to be involved in. ( See - an upside to renting , folks )

I understand it's the LL problem and it's been partially sorted now.

However the sewer(!) is old so I guess it might/will come back.

The property was build >200 years ago so definitly is pre 1937... what does this mean for us?

silvercar

The property was build >200 years ago so definitly is pre 1937... what does this mean for us?

The water board automatically has responsiblity for shared drains (sewers) built before 1937. After that date the shared drains could be the joint responsiblilty of the owners, there would then usually be appropriate easements in the deeds.