Page 1 of State of Neighbours house causing damp in mine? Advice

I have a house that I rent out. The back wall on the neighbours house, its terraced, is damaged - bricks missing - no mortor in places. It has caused damp in the adjoining wall. It has also caused damp in the house on the other side of his.

The thing is he is never in when I go. I have sent a couple of letters. All I got was an abusive phone call.

What are my options?
The first time I sent a letter round and was abusive to the tennant. I have a new tenant, a single parent, and I dont want to cause her any hassle. If he is abusive to me on the phone the chances are he would go round again.

The damp is getting to where the tenant is thinking of moving out.

I have landlord insurance. Should I go through them? Would insurance companies cover this sort of thing?

Advice please.

I`d contact your insurers first if only for advice. After all it`s in their interest that it`s sorted.
If the state of an adjoining part of the building is affecting yours you can go legal on him so worth contacting the local planning office as well.
Both those calls should give you a good few pointers though the local CAB would also help. Maybe worth making an appt with their legal bod. Usually the have a solicitor that gives free 10/15 min advice appts once a week.
Good luck.


Snaps

Every Third Car

It could be the damp is rising damp in your house. I would get a damp proof expert to do a `free` test. They will then probably confirm if the damp is from your neighbour`s house or from yours that can be treated. Before you can take any action against your neighbour you have to be sure it is his fault.

Isn`t this the sort of thing you ring the council for?


Editor
DVD REVIEWER
MYREVIEWER.COM

My Flickr Photostream

This item was edited on Sunday, 11th September 2011, 18:18

A connecting wall is a difficult one, and can cause in-fights with your neighbour.

I agree with the above that you have to prove where the damp is coming from and whether it is a communial problem, rather than just your neighbour or yours.

My story....
I had a similar problem with my neighbour a year back where our old houses are semi detached, joined by one wall, but his is stepped back by about 8 feet so the two apex`es of the roof are in different locations giving a `M` shape. This leads to having very unusual flashing and guttering arragements on the slopping roofs.

Anyway, he got that cavity infill insulation done for free off the council being a pensioner, and within two months was at my door demanding that I had damp in my loft which had worked its way through to his bedroom wall by means of this cavity insulation going damp.

I had to get a roofer in to prove that no way was this damp caused by my side of the roof.
The roofer told us the damp had been in the neighbours room for years, and he was just trying it on, and using the cavity insulation as an excuse.

My neighbour who was in the wrong, and did not have a penny extra to do anything about it, re: suing (as a pensioner on low income)  so he backed down on his claim, and said forget it.

My wife has told me to forget it too, but It has put a bit of a rift between the neighbour and me for the last six months, with him trying it on like that.

Now he has to take his cat with him on holiday, we are not looking after it anymore

Quote:
bandicoot says...
Now he has to take his cat with him on holiday, we are not looking after it anymore
It`s not the cat`s fault. The cat may have enjoyed his holiday with you. A nice warm cosy damp free house.