Way to stop upstairs neighbours flooding my garden?

[Flipjango]

I own a ground floor flat. The flat upstairs is tenanted and their kitchen waste pipe empties into a drain that is in my garden. Despite being told again and again not to, the tenants put endless food down the drain - rice, sweetcorn, fat and god knows what else. It collects on top of the drain cover which then gets blocked and stinky and gross. I'm not there much so can't keep on top of it, then I come back to find the garden gross and flooded with slimy water. The drain itself isn't blocked and doesn't need rodding, its just the drain cover (which is recessed) that is getting blocked. It's a victorian house and the design of the drain probably isn't ideal, but it is what it is. Its pretty much impossible to get them to do anything about it as they're tenants and I don't know who their landlord is.

I'm trying to think of a way to put some kind of strainer on the end of their waste pipe so that it traps the crud. Then if it becomes blocked again it becomes their problem rather than mine and they'll have to deal with it via their landlord. I've found various leaf guards intended for the top of waste pipes that maybe could be repurposed for the other end. Any other suggestions for how to deal with this please?

 

[jj4091]

Have you heard of the old trick of sticking a potato into the tail pipe of a car exhaust

 

[Nige F]

Take out the drain cover and let the water flush straight into the drain.

 

[Flipjango]

Take out the drain cover and let the water flush straight into the drain.

Its London and unfortunately we get rats if I do that.

 

[ETAF]

can you replace the drain grate for one that you can cutout the pipe hole and extend the pipe below the grate

maybe a photo would help

perhaps something like this - where you can cut the hole for the pipe

FloPlast Gulley Grid Black 150mm x 150mm - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Black polypropylene gully grid with downpipe knock-out section. For connecting downpipe directly to underground drainage section. Compatible with Polypipe, Hepworth, Osma, Hunter, Marley, Brett & Marshall Tufflex. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in...

www.screwfix.com

 

[Flipjango]

can you replace the drain grate for one that you can cutout the pipe hole and extend the pipe below the grate

maybe a photo would help

perhaps something like this - where you can cut the hole for the pipe

FloPlast Gulley Grid Black 150mm x 150mm - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Black polypropylene gully grid with downpipe knock-out section. For connecting downpipe directly to underground drainage section. Compatible with Polypipe, Hepworth, Osma, Hunter, Marley, Brett & Marshall Tufflex. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in...

www.screwfix.com

I'm finding it hard to get a pic that shows what's actually going on as I can only work it out by sticking my hand down there to feel around, but the drain hole is on the side of the drain about 10cm from the bottom and not the bottom of the recess. So whatever is going in there has to then lift back up to go down the drain. Its a bit like a trap ecvept all this heavy sfuff like rice is sitting in the bottom and blocking it even if the drain cover were removed. It just builds up.

 

[ETAF]

oh ok, so its the trap thats blocking,

It collects on top of the drain cover which then gets blocked

i thought it was the grill on top ....

not sure what to suggest - seems like the trap is doing its job

FAT , RICE - is it cooked??? will most likely blocking further up the drain and cause more issues - maybe to more of the flats
and may then need rodding and cause more issues

Any other damage to the property, maybe a formal letter with some form of financial consequence - including the landlord - BUT i dont know where you stand on that ,

 

[Murdochcat]

Do you know the Landlord ?

 

[big-all]

a bit off chicken wire rolled and pushed up will let the water out and give you peace for a few weeks

 

[Mottie]

they're tenants and I don't know who their landlord is.

Search for land and property information

Find a property and get its title plan, title register and see who owns it

www.gov.uk

 

[mcmoby69]

Land registry will tell you who owns the property. Will cost you £13 ish
Or try a Google for rental property, it may give you letting agent details. Contact them and ask the landlord to deal with it
Problem is, tenants may get arsey and act worse. Environmental health might be interested but again could cause you a problem.

 

[JohnD]

Local council, environmental health.