Help with bad intermittent smell in downstairs room

Rene18 · 30 July 2018 at 5:01PM

hello,
moving isn't currently an option so I am stuck trying to do my landlords job for now.

I have had on and off sewer-y smells in my room for quite a while and can't find out where they're from. the landlord doesn't like spending money and never visits, but right now there are several reasons a move isn't an option. if I can find the issue they will approve a plumber, sooner or later...

my bedroom is downstairs in a house share, with a small bathroom next to it. the toilet has been leaking onto the floor for the past 6 months and was repaired recently, although the plumber left us with a new leak (cistern to bowl so less important). some of the water from the original leak clearly went into the wall between bathroom and my room, probably a lot more than is visibly obvious. the plumber didn't look into this and the landlord isn't concerned with it. the flooring is sealed tiles I btje bathroom and sealed hardwoods elsewhere, I can't take a floorboards up to look for damage.

also very close to my window is the vent pipe for the drain, surriunded by thick vegetation (which dies not obstruct the vent). the road has two manholes in it, also not that far from my window.

the area in general has a few places within 5 mins walk with unpleaseant sewer smells outside, all on the same estate. I realise these may just be blowing into my room but my feeling is that they are too far away to be the issue. also, those are constant smells which you kind of walk through and out the other side of.

we have a bathroom directly above me in an ensuite bedroom, and the main bathroom the other side of the house upstairs. all toilets flush okay and maintain water in them. the kitchen sink sometimes smells but isn't blocked and the smell doesn't spread.

also, rain tends to make the smell last longer.

I know there are a few options here but my landlord won't approve or pay for a plumber without something solid to go on, especailly as it only affects me. what can I do to actually figure out what is causing the smell?

I have no handyman skills by the way, half the reason I rent a room was to avoid having to figure this stuff out myself

thanks so much for any help.