What is a Party Wall Agreement?
The Party Wall Act is a law in the United Kingdom that helps people who are planning building work near shared walls. It aims to avoid disputes between neighbours by setting out rules for how building work should be done.If you want to do certain types of building work, like building a new wall or digging close to a neighbour's property, you might need to follow the rules of the Party Wall Act. This law applies to both homeowners and businesses.
Here are some key things to know about the Party Wall Act:
- What it covers: The Act covers different types of building work, such as building new walls on your property, making changes to existing walls (like cutting into them), and digging near a neighbour's property.
- Notice: If your building work is covered by the Act, you need to let your neighbours know in advance. This is called giving them notice. You usually need to give them notice in writing, and it's a good idea to talk to them about your plans too.
- Agreement: Your neighbours have the right to agree to your building work or disagree. If they disagree, you might need to follow certain procedures, like appointing a surveyor to help sort out the issues.
- Surveyor: Sometimes, if there's a disagreement, both you and your neighbour might need to appoint a surveyor. The surveyor's job is to help resolve the dispute fairly and make sure everyone's rights are protected.
- Costs: Usually, the person doing the building work is responsible for paying the costs of any surveyors or other expenses related to the Party Wall Act.
- Timeframe: The Party Wall Act has specific timeframes for giving notice and responding to it. It's important to follow these timeframes to avoid delays in your building work.
Overall, the Party Wall Act is there to help neighbours resolve disputes about building work in a fair and transparent way. By following the rules set out in the Act, you can avoid conflicts and ensure that your building work goes smoothly.
