Leak downstair = open waste pipe in our flat?!

*Kat*

a couple of months ago downstair came up and informed us they had a leak (very rude guy but that doesnt matter I guess). Apparently the leak has NO effect on them at all (as he says).

Council came out + Landlord to check that it wasn't our flat which was "leaking" down to his.

Seems there's a waste pipe which only the upstair flat uses which has a leak somewhere. Upstair's landlord claimed he had a plumber come over and check their pipes etc, but didnt find anything.

ANYWAY about a month ago they came and removed the panelling from our window to get to the pipe, so now there's a huge waste pipe going through our living room. It's starting to stink from the damp (there's water all over our carpet), there's flies starting to produce from somewhere I guess cause it's getting a little warmer.

The leak isn't coming from any sections of the pipe we have access to. So it must be upstairs section of the pipe, the council have been onto the guy upstair to get it sorted, but nothing yet.

Anyway, how long realistically should we have it like this before we can ask to cover it up?

We've been co-operative up till now, I mean if upstair are going to stall and take their sweet time to do anything, why should we have to put up with this until then? IDK. It's making me upset, my living room's a dump cause we've had to move everything around for them to get to the !!!!!!! pipe.

</rant>

G_M

Sounds like a health hazzard as well as very unpleasant.

Put pressure on your landlord and on Environmental Health. Do it in writing as well as by phone.

Get EH to force repairs on upstairs. Get them to assess your flat as to whether it is 'uninhabitable' - if it is (for health reasons) then YOUR landlord has to re-house you till it's fixed. So it's in his interests to put pressure on upstaires.

Does the property have a management company? If so you and /or your LL can get them to fix it or get upstairs to fix it. If no Mgmt Co., who is the Freeholder for the building?

*Kat*

I dont think it's got a management company, just the council? I think they said they're going to send people out to repair it (he came out a few days after the pipe was revealed) and I think the council will repair it and send the bill to all 3 flats? I'm not 100% sure about that though *sigh* I'll call him on monday and ask what's going on with it just now, and how long we can expect to wait, I think another month is the max I am willing to cooperate for. 2mths is enough time for upstair to get things organised?

I'm trying to be a good tenant and not get too worked up about it, but its becoming more diffiuclt lol

G_M

So these are council properties?

Or Right-to-Buy ex-council? and the council is the freeholder?

Is the council your landlord?

You need to know who is who in the relationship in order to understand who can apply presure where to get the work done.

tyllwyd

How is the soil pipe making your carpet damp? Is the water leaking from above and travelling down the pipe? If that's the case, I don't think you should consider covering it up until it has been fixed, or else the pasterboard will get wet and damaged.

But I would be more concerned about the health and safety aspects - if this is a soil pipe that is leaking, is the water leaking into your living room dirty? In which case I would stop using your living room and ask for the carpet to be replaced!

I remember in an old house we had a leaking pipe which caused a little trail of water to run across the kitchen floor. We didn't get too concerned about it - until the boxing in around the pipe was removed, someone flushed the toilet upstairs and we saw water squirting out from the leak in the pipe! Yeugh.

*Kat*

Our flat and upstair flat is rented by a private landlord, but I think the building is owned by the council...does that even make sense? Downstair bought their flat, and they called the council...

The leak is on the top section of the pipe...so what's happening is its dribbling down the rest of the pipe...if that makes sense, so because the panel's gone the water is just splashing down onto the carpet. I'm not 100% sure what kinda pipe it is, I'm gonna call my landlord today and discuss it with him boo

Just hate it so much, its disgusting, and we can't even do anything about it