Neighbour wants access to prove damage

[Fresharmpits]

Hopefully this will be short!

My neighbour thinks my bath leaked downstairs to her. I've checked, i really don't think I have. She is requesting I allow a plumber to come in and look. I don't get on with her at all, she's a nosey Parker!

Legally, do I have to let her in? I've already sent photos, I think this should be enough!

I had to pay chartered surveyor £500 (and that was 10 years ago) to prove to man in flat above me that he had a leak. The leak lasted for 18 months. He kept saying he didn't have a leak . He had a plumber with a camera who could not find a leak. He called me stupid. You may need to take any item in your leaking room ''out'' completely e.g. the shower or bath - in order to find the leak. Even pipes in the wall or under floor boards may be leaking etc.

Jeezo - assuming she’s had a leak through her ceiling it most likely is coming from your house! Why on earth would you not be investigating this yourself?

I don’t think your neighbour is being unreasonable to want a plumber to check, and surely you’d rather she paid one than fork out yourself?

We had a leak from a shower and it ran along a pipe/ceiling joist into a ceiling not directly below. Water finds the easiest route not necessarily straight down. And harder to locate from an intermittent source, like a shower/sink than a leaking supply pipe.

Just because you don't get on with your neighbour doesn't mean she is making up a leak! As others have said (and I've experienced this myself) you can get a leak under the bath that doesn't show in the bathroom but will come through the ceiling below.

My in-laws had a leak in their flat from the upstairs neighbour 30 years ago she refused to look into it. Subsequently my in-laws bought her flat and discovered a huge leak. Please let the plumber in and prove/disprove the leak.

If you're on a water meter you are trickling money away!

Just arrange with her plumber when he can come and have a look or get your own plumber.

You don't have to allow her in nor do you have to permit the plumber taking photos of the room as a whole, just the leak area.

Let the plumber in.

It's the decent thing to do and you probably are leaking.

My neighbour swore a leak in my kitchen ceiling didn’t come from her but it did, it was from her washing machine. Let the plumber in but you don’t have to let her in.

I did not know my shower was leaking until I noticed a huge bubble in the paper on the hall ceiling downstairs. Once I pulled up the carpet and took of the panel to the bath I could see it clearly. It must have been there for years, before I owned the property but not visible unless you went under where the shower is. So no, I dont think she is unreasonable.

Water doesn’t flow upwards, does it? Take some responsibility!

Water doesn’t travel up hill

the more damage the bigger the bill irrespective if you like her or not there’s potential to cause damage to your own flat

just get it dealt with

Is it a flying freehold? If so, you need to check your deeds as to whether there are any positive or restrictive covenants over the title.

logically, I’d say the balance of probability is that your property is in some capacity leaking into hers. In the first instance I’d want to see what damage she actually has but then I would be instructing a plumber asap.

There will be pipes/ gubbins that aren't visible to you. Are you happy for them to possibly leaking and continue to leak? Do you want her ceiling to fall in?

If my downstairs neighbour had water coming through their ceiling I'd be getting someone in to look pretty sharpish because where else could it be coming from?

I really don't understand this attitude. Your shower/bath toilet or sink is most likely to be the culprit. Just why wouldn't you want to help? The damage caused to the fabric of the building will need to be paid for. As a leaseholder the cost will be down to you if your actions are negligent.

Thank you.

I checked thoroughly. No damp. Thetr are other explanations and she hasn't shown that she's investigated these. It might very well be pipes that run below my floor and above her ceiling. She can take her ceiling down to look.

It's no longer leaking. So I'm stepping away from it.

I just wanted to know whether, with no current leak, she could still demand it.

Wow you’d sooner make her rip her ceiling down than let someone look

The pipes that run in your floor surely belong to you

For those saying I need to do more. I took up the flooring and the bath. I sent photos. Her pipes run above her ceiling.

It is highly unlikely that pipes ABOVE her ceiling are her water pipes. Much more likely that they are yours! Leaks can be a nightmare to find. If you are leasehold flats there is probably something in the contract that allows access in these situations. Otherwise she could go to court and obtain a mandatory injunction. If she is paying, it is completely unreasonable not to permit access.

I would allow HIM access, but not her.