Dormer loft extension.

moretonsteve

My neighbour, a housing association tenant, has built a dormer loft extension.  This isn't allowed  under the terms of their tenancy agreement.  They also didn't apply for building regs.  They wouldn't have been able to because they don't own the property.  They did it themselves.

Could this affect the value of my property?  Is it likely to be picked up by the buyer's surveyor if I tried to sell, or the conveyancer?

Stubod

..may actually increase it! 

If somebody wants to buy yours then it may appeal to them that they could enlarge it buy doing the same?

moretonsteve

Stubod said:

..may actually increase it! 

If somebody wants to buy yours then it may appeal to them that they could enlarge it buy doing the same?

Thanks mate Stubod but you haven't really read my post.  Their loft extension isn't legal.  It was put up without any consultation with me, no Party Wall Agreement, no Building regs certificate and against the terms of their tenancy agreement.  If the housing association see it they will order them to take it down and restore the roof to its earler condition.  It is a DIY job so no public liability insurance.  If it collapsed and took half my roof with it I would only have a case against the tenants, who I know are on the dole.

So unless someone buying my house wanted to build outside of regs etc, and therefore wouldn't be able to insure it, its presence wouldn't be a selling point.

So the question is, would any of this be picked up by a surveyor or conveyancer and thereby reduce the value of my property?.

user1977

I doubt it will come up.

Stubod

If you sell, then any survey would only be interested in your property, so unless they consider it to have a direct impact on your house I don't they they would be interested...

gwynlas

If you are seriously concerned why have you not notifid the HA of unauthorised work?

user1977

gwynlas said:

If you are seriously concerned why have you not notifid the HA of unauthorised work?

Not that starting a dispute with a neighbour is a good idea if you’re just about to sell…

_Penny_Dreadful

moretonsteve said:

My neighbour, a housing association tenant, has built a dormer loft extension.  This isn't allowed  under the terms of their tenancy agreement.  They also didn't apply for building regs.  They wouldn't have been able to because they don't own the property.  They did it themselves.

Could this affect the value of my property?  Is it likely to be picked up by the buyer's surveyor if I tried to sell, or the conveyancer?

At some stage in the past a previous occupant put dormer extensions into a flat I now own without any planning permission. It doesn’t seem to have impacted the value of my flat or been an issue for the downstairs neighbours selling and purchasing their flats, and we live in a conservation area. The dormers were put in decades ago though and the council has since granted a letter of lawfulness because the work was done so long ago. 

If you’re really concerned you could report the unauthorised work to the freeholder and/or the local authority. 

[Deleted User]

I'd be interested how you know so much about the neighbour's situation.

Have you seen their tenancy agreement, how do you know that they haven't got building regs approval (any number of people can sign off works), how do you know that they haven't got insurance, or that the anyone will make them take it down?

It appears that you 'know' very little. 

The best course of action was to contact Building Control and Housing Association as soon as works commenced.

What will you do if the works have been signed off and fall under permitted development?

Albermarle

Seems a bit odd for a tenant, to spend a lot of money on extending a property they do not own.
A proper loft conversion would cost upwards of £50K.
Even if it was done properly it would still be quite a costly exercise.

sheramber

[Deleted User] said:

I'd be interested how you know so much about the neighbour's situation.

Have you seen their tenancy agreement, how do you know that they haven't got building regs approval (any number of people can sign off works), how do you know that they haven't got insurance, or that the anyone will make them take it down?

It appears that you 'know' very little. 

The best course of action was to contact Building Control and Housing Association as soon as works

commenced.

What will you do if the works have been signed off and fall under permitted development?

Why do you think the OP should tell you how he knows about his  neighbours situation.l?

Do you know that he hasn’t checked the council planning and building regulations register?

It appears you know very little about what the OP knows.