Water Damage From Neighbouring Property

HeavyMetalFan

Hello

I have water damage on my kitchen ceiling - staining and crack which is starting to let very small amounts of water through at certain times of the day. The damage is in the corner (but spreading) next to the partition wall with next door.

My home office is directly above the kitchen. The adjoining neighbour’s bathroom shares a partition wall with my office and my bathroom is on the other side of the office so the water cannot be coming from my bathroom and has to be coming from my neighbour. I have been round and said I have water damage and asked if they had any problems. They said not but did not invite me in to look. While we don’t know each other well they did not seem particularly interested.

I own and they rent.

What are my next steps please? I’m sure can prove the leak is not from my bathroom but would that really help with getting them to take action. Would it be reasonable for me to contact the letting agent?

Thanks for any advice.

jonnydeppiwish!

Damage will be covered by your home insurance but you’ll have a large excess for water damage. You need to contact the owner of the neighbour to let them know that there’s an issue.

eddddy

HeavyMetalFan said

What are my next steps please?

It depends how formal you want to get. One approach would be to say to the tenant next door:

"I believe that water is leaking from your bathroom into my property. So you must tell your landlord to investigate and fix the problem.

If you don't tell your landlord, that's likely to be considered negligent, and you could then be liable for the cost of future damage to my property.

If you tell your landlord, but your landlord doesn't do anything about it, then your landlord is likely to be negligent, and your landlord could then be liable for the cost of future damage to my property."

I guess you could present the above information in the form of a friendly, informal chat. Or you could put it in a formal letter. Or you could bypass the tenant and contact the landlord directly - if you have contact details.

But if you write formal letter(s), then it's likely to be classed as a dispute, which you might have to declare when you eventually sell your property - and neighbour disputes sometimes put buyers off.

HeavyMetalFan

Thanks for the replies.

I have emailed the letting agent to advise them there is an issue so I have written confirmation should things escalate.

The damage is not too bad (atm) so can pay for that myself but there’s no point if they don’t stop the leak.

eddddy

jonnydeppiwish! said

Damage will be covered by your home insurance

Standard home insurance covers damage caused by "escape of water" - e.g. water unexpectedly leaking/escaping from a pipe

But it won't usually cover…

• Water damage caused by failed shower/bath sealant
• Water damage caused by an overflowing sink or bath (although that might be covered if you have accidental damage cover)
• Water damage resulting from poor workmanship or poor materials
• Rainwater leaking in through a roof, window frame, etc

So the OP would need the neighbour's cooperation, to find out the source of the water.

And the insurance company would want the source of the problem fixed, before any repairs are undertaken.

Woodstok2000

Water can follow strange routes, especially when underfloor pipes etc are involved. The actual leak may not be close to where it shows up. You may want to do some further investigations to make certain the issue isn't on your side before you jump in with the neighbours.

grumpy_codger

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6676947/water-damage-from-neighbouring-property

My home office is directly above the kitchen. The adjoining neighbour’s bathroom shares a partition wall with my office and my bathroom is on the other side of the office so the water cannot be coming from my bathroom and has to be coming from my neighbour.

'Home office' doesn't mean that there can be no water pipes under the floor. Pipes can leak.

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82075806#Comment_82075806

• Water damage caused by failed shower/bath sealant
• Water damage caused by an overflowing sink or bath (although that might be covered if you have accidental damage cover)
• Water damage resulting from poor workmanship or poor materials
• Rainwater leaking in through a roof, window frame, etc

This seems to be one area where you really need to read the T's & C's of home insurance before buying it. Very cheap policies tend to have more get out clauses, and I think water damage is one of the areas you are more likely to ever need to claim on.

WIAWSNB

Hi HMF.

What outcome are you after? Just for the source to be fixed, and then you sort your own ceiling? Or for them/your insurance to also make it all good? (Edit - you've said you are happy to sort out your own side, as long as they sort the cause. Very decent of you.)

Will the ceiling need a patch repair, or just redecorating? If the former, then it may be worth cutting the damaged part away now, and that will allow you to have a peek up there to confirm the source. Although chances are it's from the neighbouring bathroom, it could - as Grumpy points out - also be taking a tortuous route from your bathroom, or even from a leaking CH pipe.

Cutting that section out now will also allow the damp to dry more quickly. You may even be able to push a towel up there to soak up new water as it forms. It'll be embarrassing if it turns out that your bathroom is the source. 😶

*after taking plenty photos.

Boohoo

If the OP sorts out the repairs themselves or the letting company does the work will the OP have to declare the escape of water to the insurance company when it comes to renewal or buy from a different insurance company?

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82076635#Comment_82076635

No, as no claim has been made.