Invoicing leaseholder for building repairs

hubris

Friends,

I'm hoping some of you will be able to give me guidance.

I own the upstairs flat of a two storey house. The leasehold for the downstairs flat is owned by somebody else, though I own the freehold for the whole building. I have read the leasehold agreement for the downstairs flat, and it does state that the costs of joint building work is to be shared between them and me.

So as I got some urgent roof repairs (causing leaks into the building) done recently, I have no qualms invoicing them for half of the cost. But to determine the work required, I paid a chartered building surveyor for a report. Is it justified/ethical/right for me to also ask for half of the cost of this report? This report was a specific defects report, concerning only the state of the roof hole, and recommended steps to fix the problem.

Many thanks,

H.

pickles110564

I think you have acted in a very fair way because through the report you can prove what remedial work was required.
I would ask for half of the cost of the report as well.

cattie

Yes this should be perfectly acceptable. I once owned a ground floor purpose built victorian maisonette, the building consisting of just an upper & lower maisonette. There was a seperate freeholder & both leaseholders paid a 50% share of any costs of works needing doing to building & professional reports on neccesary works would have come from us as it was instructed for our own benefit & interests.