Connected lofts

[Dizzywizz]

Forgive me but I don't understand how these are allowed - don't people have trouble with insurance? We used to live in a flat where the loft was connected to the neighbours on either side. Also we had a connecting door in the actual flat to the people next door, shock of my life when we opened it the first day we moved in and we're straight into next doors living room!it worked out ok though, we were young and they were too, and we used to have massive parties across both flats! Thinking about it now though, I wouldn't like it for security reasons!

it's a very long time since open lofts were permitted in terraces or semis. It means that a fire can easily travel from one home to another. AFAIK building regulations in London changed before other places.

I have never heard of a connecting door, unless perhaps the flats were converted from a larger house, or a previous owner had a romantic liaison with the neighbour.

p.s.

When building regulations change, owners of old houses are not compelled to demolish and rebuild them, so if you have an old house, it may still have undivided roofspace. I think people now like to build new walls, which can be done with plasterboard and metal lathing, which will be fire-resistant and light enough to carry through the hatch.

The solution (as it was in my old nan's place) is to not put anything valuable in the loft (though her neighbours were o.k.) and put a lock on the 'landing side' of the hatch.

I am in an area with lots of pre 1900 massive, mainly terraced, houses now divided into flats. I work in rentals and lots of them have these connected lofts and the top flats often have connected doors which can be used as fire escapes, but in lots these are now locked with safety hammers to get access in an emergency, but obv this could be misused

The house we recently sold had connected lofts.
No idea how we managed to sell it with that TBH.
We had a cellar too so no need to store anything in the loft.