Downstairs flat removed supporting wall

scouselad1974

Hi,
I live in a first floor studio apartment rented from a private landlord, the Landlord who owns the flat below has knocked a supporting wall down in his own property and it has affected my property, ie my floor has dropped and I have a large crack between my wall and the ceiling,my landlord came around with his own builders today and they have told me that the floors in my flat will probably have to be removed and made safe, can you tell me if it is my landlords responsibilty to give me alternative accomadation while my flat is made safe ? or is it down to the downstairs landlord who caused the problem?

david29dpo

My guess would be its your LL who would have to rehouse you and claim the cost from the downstairs LL.

Gorgeous_George

I think that if the property is uninhabitable, the tenancy will be terminated without further notice in the same way as it would if it had caught fire.

Best speak to shelter/CAB to confirm.

Good luck.

GG

Lorian

There is personal safety to be considered here as well as the financials and legals.

nelly_2

Phone the planning office at the town hall.

I just had to do this on a job I was on we pulled down a ceiling and it showed a wall was badly supported.

Anyway some geezer from planning came and had a look for free too.

Anything structural needs building regs at best and planning permission at worst although all councills are slightly different though

scouselad1974

Thanks everybody for your quick replys, as of today Monday, the landlord of the downstairs property is refusing to meet myself or my landlord to discuss this matter, My landlord gained access to the downstairs flat today as two builders where there fitting a wooden beam and 3 ackros, my landlord now says that my flat is safe for the time being, apparantley the builders downstairs will be fitting a steel rsj as soon as it arrives although my landlord does think that they are cowboys and that the downstairs landlord is trying to do things on the cheap, I have today contacted my planning office who have taken up my case, he said he will contact the downstairs landlord and then get back to me, although I feel a bit better knowing that the floor is supported I am still uneasy at the moment but unfortunatley I don't have anywhere else to go.

lynzpower

I dont think that your landlord ( IMO) is in a position to make the decision that the property is safe. I would recommend the council come and look at it- call them and ask them to come a bit quicker

It sounds as if your LL doesnt have the cash and- quite rightly- wants the downstairs LL to pay it, so while this isnt happening you have to stay put. Doesnt work like that. Imagine if the floor fell through while you are in bed? Going careering through a ceiling?

As GG and Nelly said, get it check ed out if its not fit for hab, then you can dissolve the tenancy and/or your LL can put you up elsewhere for the duration of tenancy or until the property is fixed.