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??

Well I'm the 'little sister'. Thought I'd just defend myself a little bit!
Firstly, a friend attempted to move the barrel when we first moved in. Only when the 'crust' moved was when we smelt it. I'm 99% sure it's human sewage and it may well have no smell now, but I'm not going to risk poking around with it to find out! The huge majority was green water that seemed to bubble through the crust. Don't know if that helps define what poo it is!
The poo barrel is at the bottom of my large garden behind the shed so isn't at the forefront of my mind, especially after so long trying, although it is mentioned every month when I take the rent to the agent. There has been a lot of promises or excuses for the delay. I've even tried making up a story and telling them my nephew had been over and now has an infection after playing in the garden, thinking that would be the end, but still had the same excuses. I want it sorted but I don't particularly want to stop paying rent..

Who keeps a barrel of poo in the garden? How did the poo get into the barrel in the first place? Was the house not hooked up the sewer main or something?

I'm not sure you need to defend yourself to us.

But I am one of the people who recommended putting your complaint in writing and sending an official letter, recorded delivery.

Is there any reason for not doing that?

Is there a company like this near to you ?.

www.envirogreen.co.uk/service_liquid_cesspit.shtml

Not sure how much it would cost.

Go to the local press - that will get action.

I'm interested in who at Environmental Health you've spoken to. There are two potential departments who might be able to assist. One is the public health/environmental protection team (may be named differently at your council) who deal with nuisance and risk to health and the environment.
The other is the housing team, since it's privately rented you could ask for an assessment using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) which is part of the Housing Act 2004.
Even if it's not poo it's unwise for a landlord to keep a barrel of unidentified stuff on his rented property.

If it was at the back of the shed, my guess is that it was once a compost bin.Some composts eg comfrey smell quite putrid.
If it was uncovered, the rain would have caused spillage over two years.
I would be tempted to push the barrel over and the contents will seep away.The smell will soon go.

my DH suggests getting the neighbours to complain as that is more likely to get something done?

I was think the same as laudinam It really probably is just anaerobic decomposition. Tip it onto soil or grass

with icecold and laudinam here, really unlikely to be poo, but anything decomposing in a plastic barrel, with added rainwater stinks. Roll onto side, allow excess liquid to drain away. Smell will go quite rapidly. Even if it was poo, same applies as no new poo for 2 years - should be fully degraded by now, but it needs some oxygen to complete the process.

rotton composty rainwater, with whatever's crawled in there and drowned/died (rats, frogs, snails etc etc) absolutely fricking stinks, like poo. I know this because I had similar in my garden when I moved in. I tipped it out, and it did drain away after a few days.

I can't understand why Environmental Health told you its nowt to do with them- I lived in a private rent where the staircase was unsafe, and I contacted them. They were brilliant, and took my landlady to court.

I know what you mean about being scared to withhold rent, but there is nothing they can do if you can prove they didn't keep their end of the bargain by keeping the house and grounds in a good state of repair- including hazardous waste or possible chemicals/poo in the garden.
If not wanting to withhold the rent, then certainly threaten to do so under your rights as a Tenant (the tenants association can help with this) in this recorded delivery letter. You can probably find out the address and name of your landlord by searching for your address, there must be some sort of land owners register?

i cant belive I have read this whole thread. It is not shit in that bucket, it is compost. drill a tiny hole in very bottom and let it all drain out and stay away from the end of the garden for a few days/weeks untill it has all soaked into the earth.

i think you are making a massive massive deal over this and scaremongering.

If I had a barrel of an unknown substance that smelt that bad, the last thing I would do is tip it out!!! or attempt to move it.

what makes you think it's poo?

can you see logs?

claudedebussy ewwwwww

Oh hilarious! Why would anyone poo in a barrel???!!!!

Oh so it's compost. What a huge waste of a thread.

Is this the poo troll

Agree. Unless you have some reason to believe it's human then it seems far more likely to be an old compost bin. If so, I agree with the others - drill a hole then leave it to drain. We had to do this with a barrel of grass cutting that had been left in the rain by DP It smelt very very strongly. Very pungent.

You can buy dog toilets, they look like barrels that you put in the garden. Still V offensive though.

Do think that more likely that rancid waterbutt or compost. I lost my lunch when I had to tip out the contents of a large pot I had left festering at the end of the garden which had been used three years ago to grow strawberries in. It was a waterlogged slimy Dr Who mess.

Likey not a poo dalek. Nothing can, though, no matter how timid or what it was, excuse the landlord/agent. I am a landlord and this has filled me with horror. Shame on them

Sorry to bump this thread but I am so curious to find out whether this was ever resolved