Laminate flooring in upstairs leasehold flat ..

another_casualty · 17 January 2019 at 7:09PM

Howdy !
I could be over worrying here , but seek advice if possible
I have been living in my ground floor flat for less than 2 years .
It is a Victorian converted flat, where I have 2 flats above me , and a seperate entrance for one other resident .
The other 2 flats are on the same level .

The story is that , both of the flats above have been let out .
There is a family , there that are not too noisy . They run up the stairs now and again , but it's nothing really . A couple of young children

However, the flat that is above my living room and bedroom has been put up for sale initially by the owner. He changed his mind , and the flat has been empty since November. It was carpeted and the lady and infant child were very quiet .
The owner has been doing it up since December .
I looked at right move and found that it is available to rent .
Then I noticed the wooden flooring !

As the flat is currently empty , is it an idea to inform the managing agents ?
I don't really want to move after recently settling .

Your thoughts ?

another_casualty · 17 January 2019 at 8:56PM

I have just sent the managing agents , the Listing from right move and asked them 'anonymously ' as I put it , for their input .
It's obviously been playing on my mind . Not sure if I've done the right thing , but I'll see what is said .

HampshireH · 17 January 2019 at 10:11PM

Is laminate a breach of the lease then?

PasturesNew · 17 January 2019 at 10:14PM

Check the lease. See if laminate is in breach.

If it's in breach then get in contact with the landlord and invite him over to do some "sound testing" - you'll each need a mate for that - just do some walking etc with one doing it and others in your flat listening....

It's often louder underneath than in the room the noise is created in.

If there's no problem, you don't want to be creating one; if there is a problem you want to flag it up with the berk now.

another_casualty · 17 January 2019 at 10:43PM

Thanks folks .
I thought it best to nip it in the bud , while the flat is empty .
I would think that the managing agents would be the ones to advise me . The owner may have put some damping underneath , but a lot don't .
As I say , I got used to everything in the short time I've been here.
The other neighbours are 1 woman/ 2 kids/ a baby/ and a man that visits now and again and plays with baby . They are fine tbh .
Give and take , mot too bad .

I just don't want another family with kids ..and no carpet .

Fire_Fox · 18 January 2019 at 4:36AM

another_casualty wrote: »

Thanks folks .
I thought it best to nip it in the bud , while the flat is empty .
I would think that the managing agents would be the ones to advise me . The owner may have put some damping underneath , but a lot don't .
As I say , I got used to everything in the short time I've been here.
The other neighbours are 1 woman/ 2 kids/ a baby/ and a man that visits now and again and plays with baby . They are fine tbh .
Give and take , mot too bad .

I just don't want another family with kids ..and no carpet .

As advised in a previous thread you should read your long lease, and try to understand leaseholders rights and responsibilities. This saves you needlessly worrying, and saves me feeling frustrated that my advice has been ignored.

If you have good grounds to suspect a breach, you are right to ask for it to be investigated at this early stage. Refer clearly to the relevant section of the long lease in your letter or e-mail to the managing agents.

The managing agents cannot be expected to know all the covenants in every long lease of every property they manage. Nor can the managing agents be expected to read the long lease every time they get an anonymous query.

Wasting their time means wasting money, which potentially means your service charge increasing in a future year, or the managing agents resigning and new agents having to be found. Properties easily get a reputation for being difficult to manage.

naf123 · 18 January 2019 at 9:16AM

If you are renting you won't have access to the lease ?

another_casualty · 18 January 2019 at 12:00PM

Thanks everyone .
I own my flat . I had a word with my friend , who knows the layout etc . I may have been over worrying . The reason being , is that I have suspended ceiilings which should keep noise to a minimum .

I have replied to the email I sent the freeholders , apologising for the paranoia . Not exact wording, but you get my drift .

There is an upstairs flat opposite ,and the lady there has her flat up for sale with wooden flooring . She was part of the committee of this block I live in .

As the flat is old , circa 1900 the build is pretty good .

In a way , I've made a slight fool of myself

In a way , the freeholders are warned incase I get unlucky .

My brother lives on a ground floor flat , without suspended ceiling and he has issues. My flat is made of better stuff imho .

I'll leave it there for now .
Thanks again

Fire_Fox · 18 January 2019 at 8:40PM

another_casualty wrote: »

Thanks everyone .

In a way , I've made a slight fool of myself
In a way , the freeholders are warned incase I get unlucky

Thanks again

Where there is no breach of the long lease, noise issues should be reported to Environmental Health at your local council. The freeholder or their agent would have no powers to take action.

Where there is a breach of the long lease, noise issues should be reported to the freeholder or their agent, and/ or Environmental Health.

Laminate flooring in upstairs leasehold flat ..

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