A Landlord’s Guide to Common Drainage Problems in Older Houses

Older houses can be attractive to renters due to their unique character and charm, but for landlords of old homes, more frequent maintenance might be required due to older construction methods and the ageing of materials.

Are you a landlord of an older property, and have you or your tenants noticed drainage issues, e.g. slow drainage, leaks or pests? In this post, we’re going to talk about how as a landlord, you can stop drainage issues from becoming a bigger problem in your older properties and what you can do to keep your tenants happy and protect your sterling reputation.

Slow water flow? Leaks? The pipes might be cracked!

Have your tenants reported slow drainage or a sewage smell lingering? These might be signs that your drainage pipes have cracked or are damaged. Pipe materials and fixtures have a certain life span, and old house drainage systems can have outdated pipework, increasing the likelihood of problems.

Drain relining is a proven way to repair damaged drains without excavation, giving the benefits of minimal disruption for your tenants combined with the fastest and most cost-effective way to repair a damaged drain. Relining involves installing a new pipe or lining that bonds to the damaged inside. Relining a drain isn’t just sticking a plaster over the problem; a relined drain achieves a permanent structural repair guaranteed to restore the flow of your tenant’s drainage system. Express Drainage Solutions can provide a complete drain relining and drain patching service to restore the flow in your properties’ drain pipes.

Have your tenants reported signs of pests? It might be your drains!

If your tenants have noticed droppings, gnawed through cabling or foul odours, this could be a sign of a pest problem. Pests can enter through damaged drain systems and are not solely down to the hygiene practices of tenants. Drain defects cause 90% of internal rat problems, as they can enter through damaged drains and the bore through the ground. 

Express Drainage Solutions can provide complete rodent control services for your rental properties. By conducting a CCTV drain survey, we can source the pests’ point of entry, solve the problem and install a rat blocker to prevent any future occurrence. Read more about our pest control services here.

A Drain Survey can diagnose your drainage issues.

Drain surveys are an excellent way to understand what is happening with your drainage systems and to ensure you fulfil your landlord’s responsibilities. These are useful before a tenant moves in as a general health check of your older property or if your tenant raises any issues.

If one of your tenants does raise a problem, a drain survey helps diagnose who is responsible for the repair. Older properties are more liable to wear and tear due to the age of the pipework and drainage systems. A drain survey can uncover how to fix the drainage problem and who is at fault.

Here at Express Drainage Solutions, we are drainage experts providing drain surveys, maintenance, and repairs for landlords of old homes. Our drain surveys use state-of-the-art tech to pinpoint the exact location of any issues. Find out more about our drain surveys here.

At Express Drainage Solutions, we can solve drainage issues in older properties.

For landlords of old homes, Express Drainage Solutions can swiftly diagnose common drain problems for properties of any age and provide guaranteed solutions that will protect your property investments and the happiness of your tenants. Call the team today to see how we can help.