Bath waste water going onto ground - building regs?

[A.Lee]

A chap I know has a problem with his landlord. He asked me to have a look tonight at a 'water leak', and although I'm quite capable of doing the repair, I dont really want to do it, as it could prejudice some of the other faults with the rented house.

Firstly, the bath waste pipe has disappeared from the wall, so the water comes out of the bath, and pours straight from the outlet, at around 8 feet, to the ground. This is in a terraced house, where the back door opens directly into the path of the falling water. After a bath, there is a pool of water for hours outside the back door.

I've advised him to get onto the agent, and tell them that building regulations are being broken, by the waste not going into the sewer. (I was making it up as I went along!)

So, could someone please let me know if any regs. are being broken here, and if so, which?

Thanks a lot. Alan.

[dom]

Public health and statutory nuisances. Councils have powers to enforce repairs. Contact the relevant dept.

[robgraham]

Many thanks for that reply, Dom - my problem isn't nearly so much of a headache as Alan's but I needed the term 'Statutory Nuisance' for an internet search to find out how to address a problem I have.

Rob

[A.Lee]

Yep, I've searched, and Councils can get involved with cases like this. I didnt write of the other faults as well - the bloke is Polish, and speaks reasonable English, though obviously not good enough for the office staff to understand well enough. He has complained a few times about various things wrong with the house, so I got the call to go and have a look. The message was - "water leaking through ceiling, and please advise which other faults need fixing, please go ASAP, as bed was wet."

I expected to find a water cylinder/tank in the loft overflowing, but it was actually the rain water that was leaking in, so nothing I could do there - it looked like a number of slates, and the lead flashing around the chimney was in a very poor state. Another fault was no hose/head for the shower. FFS, these are £10 at Screwfix, yet the Landlord couldnt be bothered to get one. Then he showed me the back yard with the leaking waste pipe from upstairs. Out the back was a large ladder, and a new length of waste pipe. Apparently the landlord had been round 4 weeks previously, said he was going to do it, dropped off the ladder and pipe, then disappeared. And this is in a house at £650 per month.(yes, nothing for you Southerners, but a bloody lot here).

I cannot do these jobs before getting the go-ahead from the Landlord/Management agent, so took a note of the faults, and will be there at 9am, and should get the go-ahead straight away, as it is a pretty serious fault IMO. Alan.