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Landlord's or Tenant’s Responsibility to Empty a Septic Tank

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In the UK, we have a mains sewage system that takes our waste and wastewater away from our homes. This mains sewage system reaches the majority of houses around the country, but some homes cannot be served by the mains sewage system. These properties are mainly in rural areas and instead of connecting to the mains sewage system, they will usually use a septic tank system to dispose of waste.

The septic tank system consists of a process whereby the sewage and wastewater come out of the house and into a tank where the waste is broken down by the bacteria in the tank. This cleans the water, allowing it to then be dispersed safely into a drainage area. There is, however, a small amount of sludge left over which, over time, will gradually fill up the tank. This means that the tank needs to be emptied every now and then, ensuring that the system works properly.

If you are renting the property, it is important that you know who is responsible for the emptying and maintenance of the septic tank so that you do not run into any problems.

Septic Tank Responsibility

The responsibility of ensuring that the septic tank is well maintained and emptied ultimately is that of the landlord. However, sometimes it is written into rental agreements that the responsibility is that of the tenant to look after the septic tank.

There are normally three aspects to looking after a septic tank –

  • the day-to-day precautions that should be taken to ensure that it is well looked after
  • paying a company to empty the tank regularly (you should check with your landlord what this is)
  • paying a company to carry out any maintenance that is needed

Day-to-Day Precautions for Septic Tanks

There are several things that you should consider if you have a septic tank. These will help to ensure that it is kept healthy and functioning as effectively as possible. These include:

  • Be careful about what you are flushing through the drains – avoid anything that cannot be easily broken down such as nappies, wet wipes, coffee grounds, or cat litter.
  • Only use environmentally-friendly cleaning products, shampoos, and shower products, and avoid chemicals that kill all bacteria such as bleach (try to use natural products for cleaning).
  • Try to limit your use of water as much as possible.
  • Avoid pouring grease or oil down the drains.
  • Avoid blocking your drain-away area and do not drive over it.

Septic Tank Emptying

The key piece of maintenance that you would be responsible for if you have a septic tank is to ensure that it is regularly emptied. This would vary according to several different factors, including the size of the tank that you have, how many people are in the house (and creating waste), and how much waste you produce in total.

Septic tank sizes can range from around 2,700L to about 38,000L in volume. Of course, the larger the septic tank, the less often it will need to be emptied.

As a general rule, a septic tank should be emptied about once a year, but your landlord should be able to give you a more accurate idea if you are in doubt. Make sure that, if it is your responsibility to empty it, your landlord has told you when the last time that this was done was.

Tell-Tale Signs

It is important that you empty your tank regularly regardless, but there are some signs that you may notice if your septic tank needs to be emptied right away. These include:

  • Gurgling pipes
  • Slower draining of water
  • A nasty smell from the drains
  • Pooling of water in the drainage area – or sudden areas of green growth in this area

If you notice these, it is important that you get onto the case of emptying your septic tank (or calling your landlord depending on your contract) right away.

The Emptying Process

The actual emptying of a septic tank must be carried out by a licenced company. These can be found through the Environment Agency.

During the process, they will come to the property and attach a large hose to the tank, which will then suck the sludge out from the tank, which is then taken away.

Some people can find the idea of having a septic tank quite daunting. It can, however, actually save you money if you look after it properly. When it comes to who’s responsibility its maintenance and emptying is, details should be given in your rental agreement. If this is not mentioned in the rental agreement, it is the responsibility of the landlord, but it is worth asking them to clarify if you are unsure.

Thursday 28th March 2024
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