A barrel of human poo in the back garden of sister's rented house.

[AvengingAngel]

My sister has been in a rented house for nearly two years and the last tenants left a barrel of human poo in the back garden. This is not a joke. Despite numerous attempts to get the Estate Agents to move it, it has not happened, even though promises have been made. I know she dearly wants to stay in the house, but come on! Any advice? Please??

If she's been there for 2 years won't it have decomposed? It'll be really good compost by now, surely?

environmental health department at the local council, it is a health hazard.

She's been living with a barrel of human poo for 2 years?

Could she try calling the council's environmental health services?

And how does she know it's human poo?

The council or EH don't want to know as it's on private property.

I'm not sure how well it's composted. It's human shit. It's a hazard.

She's been there 2 years?! Why the urgency now?

Also, I've got to ask....why is there a barrel of human poo in the garden?

Eurgggghhh! Can't she find somewhere else to rent, and move?

Hi Norbert. Because she's just about given up on trying to get the agent to move it, and I'm trying to see if there is anything that can actually be done. Why indeed is there a barrel of human poo in the back garden? The last tenants left it there. Broken toilet maybe?

And yes, Norbert has asked the burning question 'why is there a barrel of human poo in the garden?'

So there's been a barrel of shit in her garden for 2 years?!

Would taking legal action against the landlord have any effect/be any good do you think?

And it's certainly human sewage. It has a smell that is like no other.

Hexagonal - IMO I would be out of there faster than shit off a stick (ho ho ho) but she loves the house, the area etc etc. And she's very young.

Surely it's be easier to get a toilet fixed than to find a barrel and poo in that until it was full?

If your sister were to write to the letting agent and tell them if it's not sorted by a fixed date, she'll leave, would that encourage the letting agents to do something?

How can she love a house that has a barrel of poo in the garden? That would put me off a house even if it was the most beautiful house ever

I would suggest all over protective overalls, gloves, eye protection and a face mask. A wheelbarrow. A stroll to the estate agents office.

A cheery smile and an explanation that as they found it so hard to get this moved she's bought it to them so they can concentrate on the issue.

I would also ensure the barrel is labelled with it's contents and destination. Just so everybody who sees her will know exactly what's going on...........

Environmental health departments have a duty to inspect a property if they are told that it is harmful to health even if it is a private landlord, human faeces is a public health hazard like sewage, dog poo and build up of rubbish. The council can then force landlord to deal with it legally, normally a letter from them will get it sorted without legal action.

There has been a barrel of shit in her back garden for two years, yes. It was there when they moved in and they discovered it a few weeks later. My sister has begged the Agent to get rid of it, and his last excuse was he was waiting for a friend to help him. My sister is terrified of being evicted, so doesn't want to cause a drama with legal action. Unfortunately.

What kind of barrel is it?

And who were the previous tenants?

Ahhhh that's interesting Zhen.... Are you absolutely sure as they didn't want to knwo before. And they were aware it was human poo.

Northern Lurker, I would frickin' LOVE to do that. I really would. Empty outside the Agents door perhaps.

Would the EA help her to find someone who could move it, she can get a quote, forward it to EA and ask them to resolve, if she hasn't heard back within 5 working days she will arrange for its removal and deduct the amount from the rent.

I don't know if that is legal, but its been there 2 years and they haven't done anything about it. They must be pretty crap (sorry!) agents if they haven't fixed this so are probably crap at everything else, why not rent somewhere else in the same area?

Surely the letting agents are in breach of contract in some way -they are letting out a house that has a health hazard in the garden. If your sister was to do something that was deemed similarly hazardous I bet the letting agents would come down on her like a ton of bricks for breach of contract!

Environmental Health are involved when people report neighbours for their houses/gardens being a health hazard (eg. thinking of the programmes you see where hoarders have cluttered up gardens and attracted rats etc) so surely they should respond to this? I would pursue that route and tell the agents that thats what you are doing as it might make them respond.

The barrel is a big plastic bin. 2ft wide by 3ft high.