A property litigation lawyer has warned one thing is most likely to lead to a disagreement with your neighbour.
This is one of the main causes of arguments between neighbours(Image: Nils Hendrik Mueller via Getty Images)
You might consider yourself fortunate to have pleasant neighbours — but even with the most agreeable of neighbours, friction can arise between you. From boundary disputes to disagreements over trees, there are numerous issues that can emerge and become a point of tension between households.
According to Laura Albon, a property litigation partner at Helix Law, there is one matter that is most likely to spark a disagreement — and it has nothing whatsoever to do with trees. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of Britons brought their lockdown aspirations of having additional space to fruition.
Loft conversions, kitchen extensions and garden rooms were constructed across the country, and with that has come a sharp rise in neighbourly disputes.
Laura said: “The renovation boom has been brilliant for homeowners wanting more space, but it has also created enormous friction. People invest emotionally and financially in their homes, and when a neighbour’s building works start affecting their light, their privacy, their garden, or their boundary line, it feels very personal very quickly.”
Why do people fall out over new builds?
When properties are situated close together, they frequently share walls, overlook one another’s gardens and offer limited privacy. If these already adjacent homes now feature additional structures, it can impact the household next door.
Throughout the construction phase, there is building noise which can prove exhausting, and once completed, it can reduce the natural light to a neighbouring property or compromise previously private windows. Laura said: “Extensions and renovations affect neighbours in ways that planning permission alone does not resolve. Planning is about whether you are allowed to build. It does not settle whether you are building on the right side of the boundary, whether your works comply with party wall legislation, or whether your new window looks directly into someone’s bedroom.”
What is a party wall dispute?
The Party Wall Act 1996 requires homeowners to notify their neighbours before carrying out certain types of building work near or on a shared wall or boundary. However, many homeowners proceed with construction without serving the requisite paperwork, which can give rise to significant complications.
This is not always deliberate — in many cases, people are simply unaware of their legal obligations.
Laura said: “Party wall disputes frequently occur. The law is actually quite clear, but so many homeowners either do not serve the correct notices before starting work or do not respond properly when they receive a notice from a neighbour. By the time they come to us, the situation is often already inflamed, and the costs are climbing.”
Do I have rights if my neighbour’s house blocks my light?
The straightforward answer is yes — though certain conditions must be satisfied. A right of light claim arises when a new extension or development obstructs natural light that has reached your window for a period of at least 20 years.
A successful rights of light claim can result in a court injunction compelling the partial demolition of a building, placing it amongst the most severe and costly disputes a homeowner can encounter.
Laura said: “Rights of light cases are often underestimated until they become serious.
“Homeowners assume that because they have planning permission, they are protected. They are not. And boundary disputes can drag on for years, consuming legal costs that dwarf the value of the strip of land in question. The emotional toll on families is often just as significant as the financial one.”