Neighbours installed scaffolding in my (rented) yard, very unclear as to whether they got permission

deadasdoornails

My neighbours recently began work on a loft conversion. A couple of mornings ago before I headed out for work a guy came to my door asking for permission to get into my patio because they weren't able to set up the scaffolding correctly from the far side of the wall; the manner it was asked didn't imply they were setting up anything in my yard so I figured it was okay. Upon returning home I found scaffolding installed in the patio, seeing how long scaffolding seems to hang around on buildings I could easily imagine it being there until the end of summer (which would still be within my tenancy).

They made no effort to verify who I was or whether I actually had any right to give permission for anything being installed (given the area and the building it would've been more likely than not that I wasn't the owner). I've received no correspondence from the owner of the property that they got any permission from them either.

So the questions I have are:

1. As a tenant, I presumably have no right to grant permission for work like this?

2. My landlord would presumably have had to communicate with me that they had granted permission if they did?

3. Seeing as they'll presumably claim I had granted permission, am I to contact my neighbours (who I have never encountered) or the scaffolding company directly to inform them of this error?

4. Is this some kind of hellish nonsense I'm going to have to get a solicitor for?

I don't mind it being there so long as it's not putting me in some kind of major risk

Bendy_House

Hi DaD.

I think I'd do a couple of things - the first is to notify your LL and let them know what's happened.

Cover yer butt; what happened was that, as you were leaving for work, a workman asked if they could 'access your patio in order to make it easier for them to put up their scaffolding'. They didn't say - and you didn't imagine - that they'd actually place any scaffolding on your side; you just assumed they wanted access to make their lives easier, and you were ok with this. Now you realise what they've done, you are informing the LL in case they have any concerns.

The second thing I think I'd do is, just let it be. If you are not too concerned about it actually being there, then the decent thing would be for you to accept it as it helps out a neighbour. And you shouldn't be at any major risk, unless there's a storm coming.

If you see your neighb, tho', by all means express your disappointment that they went ahead with this in such a presumptuous manner.

Did they obtain permission beforehand? Almost certainly 'no'. If they had, then your LL would surely have been in touch with you to confirm you were happy about it.

TELLIT01

Speak to your landlord and leave any fallout to them.  As you don't know the neighbour I wouldn't say anything to them.  If they are also renting they probably have no more idea about who organised it than you do.

mrschaucer

Your landlord needs to know about the scaffolding in case there's some requirement in his buildings insurance policy to tell the insurer about it.  They might want to be assured there's no compromise to the security of your house.

bris

Title deeds tend to have access rights for work like this, well certainly for repairs and maintenence, Extensions may be different.

Your LL will be able to check his deeds to see what clauses are in it for this type of work. 

MalMonroe

I think it's a shame that you don't even know your next door neighbour. 

But given that you don't, I also think it's a shame that they didn't even have the courtesy to come and ask you if you were okay with the scaffolding being temporarily installed. Why don't people actually speak to each other these days?? 

I'm a council tenant but still have manners enough to tell my neighbours if and when anything that may affect them in some way is occurring to or near my home. 

I'd also hate not to know my neighbours. We aren't in each other's homes or anything like that but we know each other's names and would help each other out if need be. 

I just think it's really rude of your neighbours (or their landlord or whoever) to use your home as they think fit. You DO have rights as a tenant. 

You could have a word with your landlord. 

But why on earth would you have to get a solicitor? Instead, why wouldn't you use this as an excuse to introduce yourself to your neighbours? Not in an aggressive way but you could just say that you weren't expecting the scaffolding to actually be around your home and could they give you an indication of how long it's going be there.

In my experience of people using scaffolding, though, they have to hire it from specialist companies and their time of using it is limited because it's expensive to hire so I doubt it'll be there for months on end. 

It's just one of those situations where lack of communication causes bad feelings. Don't let it - but do speak to the neighbours. You may find that they're not all that bad.