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Help! Leaseholder responsibilities

7 replies

dinosaurmommy · 21/11/2021 08:37

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!

OP posts:
SvartePetter · 21/11/2021 08:43

Hmm, I own a downstairs flat where the ceiling fell in due to a leak from the upstairs flat. It was all paid and managed by the management company with the leasehold insurance. I'd call the property management company and find out for myself. Just a warning, it took ages to sort out, even though it was all pretty clear from the start.

dinosaurmommy · 21/11/2021 08:45

I'm just so worried about being able to use the shower or not. I have 2 small children so we need to.

I'll give them a call tomorrow, and have advised my neighbour to do so as well.

OP posts:
mumwon · 21/11/2021 19:04

check the central heating pipes & (believe it or not!) next door if you are a terrace. DS downstairs neighbour complained about this & it was from his next door neighbours flats central heating pipes... flooding into his neighbour below - go figure
Actually in one of our past houses decades ago they moved in just before us & they were flooded out (no heating etc etc) & it oozed through to our semi bottom floor & made our carpet damp

MrsSquirrel · 21/11/2021 19:09

I would expect this to be covered by buildings insurance. Have you got a copy of the policy documents?

HundredMilesAnHour · 21/11/2021 20:50

Speak to the property management company yourself rather than taking his word for it. It should be covered by your building insurance, which will your property management company will have details of and should deal with.

Don't be bullied by your neighbour.

I live in a first floor flat. There was a massive leak across my ceiling years ago. The flat above me (so second floor) had to be broken into by the fire brigade because the police considered my leak so dangerous (it had reached all my electrics) and no-one was able to reach the owner-occupier of the second floor flat. The fire brigade and police found no evidence of a leak in the above me. Turns out it was all due to the ground floor flat! They'd unknowingly blocked the soil stack and the waste water had risen and that's what was leaking across my ceilings. It caused a lot of bad feelings between flat owners (lots of finger pointing) but it was all covered by building insurance for the leak, and my own contents insurance for inside my flat. Took quite a few months for the claim to be resolved though.

During the wait, the second floor flat owner demanded I pay her £500 to replace her front door (that the firemen broke down) because the insurance claim had been denied. I checked with the management company and it was a total lie. The building insurance claim hadn't been denied at all. My neighbour just though she could pull a fast one and double her money. So be careful....some neighbours lie, especially when there's money involved.

dinosaurmommy · 21/11/2021 22:11

Thank you for your comforting replies. It's definitely the pipe that goes into the concrete and there's definitely a leak.

I'm happy to take responsibility if it's OUR pipe. The neighbour is a pretty intimidating bloke who initially approached me and asked so speak to a man because 'women don't understand'. I don't like his demeanour at all and that adds to the anxiety.

I will call the property management company, although they are usually useless, and see what I can do and what they say.

Thank you again

OP posts:
LBOCS2 · 24/11/2021 23:07

Speak to the management company and get the insurer's details. You should be covered for trace and access works; get them to authorise a specialist leak tracing service - they can use infrared or dye testing to find the source.

The insurance should cover the cost of the damage to below and anything you have to rip out to find a leak (even though it won't cover the leak).

If the leak is from your flat, you should cover the excess of the claim, if it's communal it should come from the service charge.

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