If you have a blocked drain at your property do not pay for a tradesman until you have read this

NEW LEGISLATION HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING     Private Drains and Sewers Transfer     On the 1st October 2011, a major change in the...

NEW LEGISLATION HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING

Private Drains and Sewers Transfer

On the 1st October 2011, a major change in the way drainage in England is managed took place. Most private sewers and also lateral drains (the part of a drain which goes from the property boundary to the public sewer) which have previously been the property of private individuals, landlords or commercial property owners were adopted by the water and sewage companies, who then became responsible for all maintenance, including clearing blockages. Private drains within property boundaries were not adopted.

The object of the transfer is to ensure that no-one is responsible for drains or sewers which are shared or go beyond their property boundary.

There are some exceptions to the transfer:

• Private sewage treatment works, septic tanks and cess pools did not transfer.
• Shared drains serving flats, including pairs of flats or a block within a single boundary remain the shared responsibility of the owners.
• Surface water sewers which drain directly into a natural water course or soak away into the ground did not transfer.
• Private sewer pumping stations will not transfer until 2016.
• Plumbing fixtures such as soil stacks, rainwater pipes and gullies are not covered by the transfer.

How has this helped one of our landlords?

Gary Ashley rents 3 properties through NGU Homelettings and had a blocked drain in one of his properties in Boyd Crescent, Wallsend. The previous owners had built a fence and the post had pierced the drain. Gary has owned this property for less than a year and the problem has just become apparent.

“NGU Homelettings have saved me a small fortune. To fix the drain and the fence post, a large section of the decking and a shared fence needed removing. The concrete also needed to be broke through down to 1 meter to access the drain and a 2 meter section of pipes had to be renewed. This job would of took 2 days to dig up and rectify and would of cost me around £1,000.00 to fix. Through NGU Homeletttings knowing the changes in drains and sewer legislation they have saved me a small fortune. The water board paid for it all! Carly on re-active maintenance managed this process from start to finish. Thank you Carly and thank you NGU. You really do care about my properties”. GARY ASHLEY-landlord of Boyd Crescent, Wallsend.

To find out more about how NGU Homelettings can save you money through managing your properties please get in contact with myself or a member of the team.

Yours

Chris Fitzakerley

NGU GROUP