Who's liable for bad drains? Property pongs!

[hrf]

I posted a while ago about bad drains. In a nutshell I moved in 2 months ago and since than there has been a dreadful smell from the drains. The previous occupants apparently mentioned it to my neighbours and the man that did the inventory also mentioned it although didn't write it down.
The drains emit a disgusting smell about 50% of the time. Some of the time it is so bad it makes me retch. Dynarod cannot find a blockage but have said they should clean the stack(?) pipe for the building. This will cost £1500 which the freeholders will not pay.
Environmental health came once when there wasn't a smell - said they would coem back and haven't - and I am trying to get them to come back and sort it out.
In the meantime I am paying 930 for a flat that is pretty uninhabitable. I have taken time off work on several occasions to let the Dynarod people in.
I have told the landlord I want to move out. He says that the other people in the block say the smell is not unbearable and unless environmental health say the flat is uninhabitable I can't.
Additionally whilst I signed the contract - the landlord is in New York and I do not have a copy with both signatures on it.
Please could someone advise!
Thanks so much

[P.Pilcher]

Keep chasing environmental health. I know it sounds stupid, but just in case you haven't done this, the application of a cleaner like thick domestos down all drains and all the overflow points on baths, sinks and wash basins as well as the loo might not be a bad idea. It happened to me once: I was resident in a hotel in the middle east - been living there for about six months - and all of a sudden an awful "drain" smell started. A glug of the middle eastern equivalent of thick domestos down the overflow point of the bath in my private bathroom and the problem went away like magic!

P.P.