Smoke testing and odour detection The Hague upstairs flat, stairwell or townhouse
Sewer smell in the house in The Hague and no idea where it's coming from? Call 070 783 0224 or send a message.
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In The Hague we see sewer odour most often in older upstairs and downstairs flats and in walk-up blocks, where multiple homes share one soil stack and pipes have been in place for decades. With a smoke test we locate the source, so you know whether it's in your home, in the communal section or in the sewer under the floor.
Short answer
A smoke inspection in The Hague works the same as anywhere: harmless smoke goes into the drain under light pressure and comes out where it leaks or is open. The difference lies in the properties: in The Hague's shared entrances and upstairs-downstairs flats, multiple households often share one soil stack, and then it's important to establish whether the leak is in your part or in the communal section.
- Often found: open connection after renovation, leaking joint in the soil stack, sewer under the floor.
- Are you renting? Report it to your landlord first; you can pass on our report.
- Price: € 185.95 – € 268.60 excl. VAT (€ 225 – € 325.01 incl.), including report.
Call me back
Leave your name and number and we'll call you. Prefer immediate contact? Call 070 783 0224 or message us.
Why sewer odour in The Hague is often difficult to locate
A large proportion of The Hague's homes were built before 1940: townhouses, upstairs and downstairs flats and tenement blocks in neighbourhoods such as Zeeheldenkwartier, Duinoord, Regentessekwartier, Schilderswijk and Transvaal. In those homes, drains often run through multiple floors, behind alcoves and through cupboards. Much has been altered over the years: bathrooms relocated, kitchens renewed, lofts converted. It's precisely there that an old connection sometimes remains open or a joint comes half loose.
In post-war stairwell flats in, for example, Escamp, Moerwijk or Bouwlust, the shared soil stack is often in a shaft next to the bathroom or kitchen. If that pipe leaks on one floor, the smell can turn up at your neighbours above or below you. A smoke test shows on which floor the smoke escapes.
What Is Yours and What Belongs to the Municipality?
What the municipality of The Hague says
If you have a blockage or broken drain on your own property, you call in a plumber yourself, or the landlord if you rent. If the problem is in the public sewer, a plumber may not solve it themselves: you report it to the municipality via the online form or 14070, and the municipality arranges the repair.
Source: denhaag.nl: sewer blocked, what you can do (accessed October 2026). Rules may change; check the official source if in doubt.
Sewer smell coming from inside your home almost always has a cause in the pipes in or under the house. These are the responsibility of the owner, landlord or owners' association (VvE). If you smell it mainly outside on the street or near a manhole in the pavement, you can report this to the municipality.
According to the municipality, rainwater and wastewater in the newer neighbourhoods run through separate pipes (a separated system), and in the older city often still together through one pipe. With a separated system it is especially important that each drain is connected to the correct pipe. A smoke test also helps with that.
Source: denhaag.nl: hoe werkt het riool (accessed October 2026). Rules may change; check the official source if in doubt.
How we conduct a smoke test in your home in The Hague
- Call or WhatsApp. You tell us where and when you smell the odour. For a stairwell or flat, we ask whether there is an owners' association (VvE) or property manager.
- Preparation. We fill all traps, seal the vent and other openings and choose where to introduce the smoke, for example via a manhole or access point.
- Smoke and search. We go through all rooms, including the meter cupboard, alcoves, cupboards and loft. Where smoke escapes, we record it with photographs.
- Result. You hear what the cause is, who is likely responsible and what repair will cost. We fix small issues directly in consultation.
Working in the city centre often means paid parking and sometimes narrow stairs. We plan this in advance; any parking costs are listed as a separate item on our price list and agreed beforehand.
What does a smoke test cost in The Hague?
We work throughout The Hague with the same price list as in the rest of the region.
| Item | Excl. VAT | Incl. 21% VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Smoke inspection of sewerage, including report | € 185,95 – € 268,60 | € 225 – € 325,01 |
| Camera inspection sewer drain (if the smoke comes from the ground or floor) | € 225 | € 272,25 |
| Unblock soil stack (if it's also draining slowly) | € 185 | € 223,85 |
| Fit drain or properly finish off an open connection | € 75 | € 90,75 |
Guide prices from the PandFix price list (October 2026). Call-out charge is additional: €35 excl. VAT (€42.35 incl.), emergency €65 excl. VAT (€78.65 incl.). Evening or weekend: surcharge €80 excl. VAT (€96.80 incl.). Materials and extra hours only by agreement. You will always hear the price before we start.
Where in The Hague we carry out smoke inspections
In all districts: Centrum, Segbroek, Scheveningen, Loosduinen, Escamp, Laak, Haagse Hout, Leidschenveen-Ypenburg. You can also contact us for sewer smells in a commercial building or shop in the city.
Is the drain also blocked? Then see drain unblocking The Hague or unblock toilet The Hague. Suspect a broken sewer? Read sewer break The Hague.
Questions about sewer odour and smoke tests in The Hague
Who pays for a smoke inspection in a rented home in The Hague?
Sewer odour in the home is usually a matter for the landlord. Report it there first. If the landlord gives permission or leaves it to you, you can engage us; the report is then also usable for the landlord.
I smell sewer odour on the street in The Hague. What should I do?
If the smell is coming from a manhole in the pavement or street, report it to the municipality via the online form or 14070. If the smell is coming from your own home or garden, the cause is usually in your own pipes.
The smell is coming into my home, but I think it's from the flat below or above me. Can a smoke test prove that?
Often yes. With a smoke test we can see where the smoke escapes. If the leak is in the shared soil stack, then the owners' association (VvE) or landlord is responsible and you have something in hand with the report.
What does a smoke test cost in The Hague?
According to our price list € 185.95 – € 268.60 excl. VAT (€ 225 – € 325.01 incl.), including report, plus call-out charge. In the city centre, parking costs may apply; we agree these in advance.
How quickly can you come?
We usually schedule a smoke inspection within a few working days. If there's also a blockage or water draining away, we try to come sooner. Call 070 783 0224.
