Party Wall Matters

A party wall is the wall between adjoining buildings.

Since the latter part of the 19th century, there have been laws controlling work to party walls. The most recent legislation was the Party Walls etc Act 1996. The Act involves some legal formalities, but the intention is purely practical. It gives building owners rights to carry out works that may affect neighbouring buildings. It gives the owners of neighbouring buildings the right to some control over those works, so as to ensure that the risk of damage to their property is minimised.

When surveyors carry out Party Wall projects, they take certain steps to ensure that any damage to neighbouring buildings can be detected easily, and that there are clear provisions for repairs if necessary. The legislation has existed, in one form or another, for well over a hundred years. It has been extremely successful in limiting the number of incidents where building projects cause damage to neighbouring properties, and in reducing disagreement and litigation, where damage does occur.

If you intend to carry out building works on a Party Wall, or close to neighbourís buildings or structures, you will need to serve formal Notices on your neighbour and all other owners of their land (lessees and freeholders), to comply with the Act. If you have received a ìParty Structureî notice, ìLine of Junctionî notice, a ìThree Metreî or ìSix Metreî notice, your neighbour is planning to build and you will need to respond to the notice appropriately. If you are unsure how to respond, you can call us in confidence for free advice on your options.