Leasehold flat

[dinosaurmommy]

Posting for traffic!

Hoping someone can help. I'm so stressed with worry.

I live in a block of 3 apartments. I live i. the top one. They are all owned by each resident and leasehold.

My downstairs neighbour, who is very intimidating, complained of a leak last year in his bathroom, I duly checked mine to find no leaks and although he isn't a particularly nice person, offered to purchase sealant paint for his ceiling. He accepted this.

He didn't get back into contact regarding the paint, and when I saw him again a few weeks later.. he said he was getting someone to look at it. We double checked our apartment again, ripped up bathroom panels, kitchen kickboards.. nothing, all bone dry.

Months later, I heard nothing. Yesterday, he knocked on our door again, and said part of his ceiling had come through. It most certainly had and there is most certainly a leak. Our apartment has been checked again, and again it is dry. The plumber believes it is the waste pipe which connects all the apartments underneath the concrete that could be the issue.

I asked him if he called the property management company and he said they did, and they told him to sort it out between us. He told me that this will cost me 'an arm and a leg' and he 'doesn't want no trouble'.

I don't know where I stand with this, any advice welcome!

Also, to add - he has never allowed us into his property to have a look due to Covid. The first time we have seen it was yesterday

The terms of the leasehold should state clearly how costs of maintenance and repair to common fabric should be managed, and should make it clear what is defined as common fabric and what is the responsibility of individual leaseholders. If a drainage pipe running between your floor and is ceiling is leaking then that could well be your problem rather than common fabric - I imagine it only becomes part of the common fabric at the point where the outflow from your pipes joins with the outflow from the pipes of other flats. Whoever sealed those pipes into concrete was an idiot.

Have you called the management company yourself? You should have a block buildings insurance policy. There may be a high excess (ours is £500 per unit) but that could well be cheaper than trying to sort it informally.

From the outside of the property, you could see the damp around my neighbours window. Nothing anywhere else. Just his window.

I'm not an expert but the plumber believes it's the pipes connecting all the apartments. I'll call the property management company myself tomorrow as we cannot find a leak inside the property. I don't know what else to do!

Big sympathies . Agree about checking for buildings insurance ,or ? your contents /his contents .

Sorry ,not much help .

Maybe try asking here ?
forums.landlordzone.co.uk/forum/long-leasehold-questions