Hmmm, don't know of any requirement that the deck be attached to the structure. I have seen a number of decks that everyone would have been better served if they had not been attached to the structure. There is nothing wrong with a freestanding deck that is built correctly. That being said, this deck does have some issues, and I'm sure that if we could see more of the structure, we could find a lot more wrong. Just what is the spacing between those doubled up beams? How are the posts secured and what size are they? What size are the joists?