Plastic strip on neighbours loft conversion tapping my roof

martyp

Hi all,
I just want to get advice please on what best to do in this situation.
Basically about 10 years ago the neighbours had a loft conversion (including an iron girder which sticks through the wall in the attic!). The house was sold about 7 years ago but the residents moved out a couple of years ago and someone is now renting there.
About 3 months or so ago a storm seems to have ripped off a plastic strip from the side of the loft conversion near the roof which is mostly now hanging off. When there's any gust of wind the end of that strip bounces up and down tapping my roof so windy nights I get a banging noise on the roof all night.
I initially e-mailed the owners a couple of months ago suggesting water may be leaking in and subtly said it makes a bit of noise and they just said they'd check with the person renting. Nothing was done to fix it though. I e-mailed again a few weeks back and had no response.
Now, I'm thinking that my options are below:
1) I get hold of a ladder long enough (two storey house) to get up to the roof and pull the thing off (I've not climbed onto a house roof before so might be risky!)
2) Contact them again asking them to do something about it
3) Try and find out the agency renting the property and contact them.
4) Get someone in myself to remove it at my expense (not favoured) - who would I call?
5) Inform my housing association (shared ownership so unsure if any kind of maintenance might be possible).
6) Contact the local council

Any other thoughts at all?

sevenhills

martyp wrote: »

1) I get hold of a ladder long enough (two storey house) to get up to the roof and pull the thing off (I've not climbed onto a house roof before so might be risky!)

You dont sound keen on this option, and doing something to a property that you do not own is risky.
Try to find out the exact problem, someone needs to inspect the problem. My window cleaner is quite helpful, would your window cleaner take a look for £5

martyp

Thanks sevenhills, I can imagine getting a ladder that would get up to the gutter but not sure how to get a bit up onto the roof to be able to reach it anyway. I don't think any expense was spared with the conversion as the owners sold the house quickly for a big profit after the 'improvements' were made. I could try a window cleaning service, I don't actually have a window cleaner at the moment (not much point as many windows are fogged up sealed panes anyway).

Aylesbury_Duck

Don’t go on the roof if you don’t have the right access kit and don’t know what you’re doing, it’s not worth risking your safety, perhaps even your life. One slip and it’s curtains.

I would contact the owner and the agency asking them to put it right as a matter of urgency because you believe it may be causing damage to your property. You have the implied threat that if it does damage your property, you will be billing them for the remedial work.

martyp

Excellent, thanks Aylesbury Duck. I hope it doesn't have to go too far for them to get it sorted. I might call/text them to harass more if no reply to my e-mail. I tried to find out who the agency was and googled that but could just ask them as I wondered who would be the key contact for repairs, the landlord or if the agency might deal with it.

giraffe69

Whatever you do its better to put it in writing so you've some evidence later. Perhaps a letter with a free certificate of posting?

macman

In the same manner as a tree overhanging your boundary, you can legitimately 'cut it back' to the boundary line. But be sure to offer the owner the trimmings back.
Looks as though it will soon detach without any further assistance though.

martyp

Thanks for all the advice, good point about it being like a tree I can cut back. It's very windy tonight so hoping it might come off of it's own accord, I can heard it bashing the roof now.
I can now advise that I had a reply today, due to unfortunate personal circumstances the neighbour has now sold the house (no signs or anything so must have been a quick sale) and I have got the name of the new owner and estate agents so have gone to them about it (the estate agents). Hope the purchase doesn't delay things even more, it's been bought as a project/letting investment.