Downstairs Neighbours gas mains enters my attic

[Lyn77]

I live in a 1 up 1 down 4 in a block flat, in the upper flat. About 10 years ago at 9pm at night a gas engineer knocked on my door to tell me my downstairs neighbour has a issue with her gas supply and new pipes needed to be fitted, they said the only way it could be done was to bring the supply right up the front outside wall, into my attic, down through a cupboard in the middle of my house into her property. They said they could not fit it underground and I had no choice as she required her gas connected by law. I tried to refuse, did not want a pipe attached to the front of the house and especially not into my attic through the middle of the house, I asked what if I wanted to convert the attic in the future they said it would not cause any issue. I was left with no choice. They came the following morning and fixed the pipes.

My issue is now I’m looking to do an attic conversation and I’m not yet sure if these pipes will need moved, if they do who is responsible for this as I was left with no choice getting the work done. Do I have any legal stance with either the gas company or the neighbour? I do not fully believe this was the only way she could get a supply, it may have been the easier option for the gas engineers or maybe she did not want her lawn dug up. I asked if they could use a mole ( I was told this was a tool that dug under the ground) but I was told it was not possible.


For the attic conversion the stairs would be going through the cupboard that has the pipe from my attic to my downstairs neighbour. To be honest the part of the pipe coming into the attic to the cupboard would not be floored or used really , so I think it’s just the pipe through the cupboard where I want to put my stairs that’s the issue.


Can anyone advise firstly if the fitting of the gas pipes into my attic sounds the correct way for my neighbour to get a gas supply and is this legal to force a home owner to have these fitted through their home?


What kind of issue might this cause getting an attic conversation?


If the pipes need moved who pays for that, assume that would be me?

thanks for any help!

 

[DP]

I suspect the installer was at it
Where is the neighbours gas meter?

 

[sxturbo]

Surely from a safety point of view that's not legal.

How do you isolate your neighbours gas supply?

 

[Gasguru]

What tenure are the flats? Who has the freehold and is it your attic?
It's normal for replacement mains to run up the outside of flats rather than underneath and then tee off into each flat at floor or ceiling level.

 

[ianmcd]

The gas supplier is talking shoite, they can not force you to have a gas supply passing through your property to supply another property, if you own your property call them and tell them to remove it immediately, if it is a LHA or council property them may have given permission, nothing you can do about that except ask them, you by law must be able to shut off this supply if you smell gas regardless of who owns the property

 

[Lyn77]

Thanks for the replies. The meter is on the front wall, outside her kitchen window. the pipe comes up the wall Into my attic across the floor and down through a cupboard in the middle of my house to her house.
I own my property.

 

[ianmcd]

Thanks for the replies. The meter is on the front wall, outside her kitchen window. the pipe comes up the wall Into my attic across the floor and down through a cupboard in the middle of my house to her house.
I own my property.

Then as it is from the meter it has nothing to do with the gas supplier, afraid you have to tell your neighbour to get it moved at their cost, and stop calling it a gas supply, that is where the confusion came in, it is the meter outlet and the person that told you it had to be done that way was not the gas supplier, simply an installer looking for the easiest route

 

[Lyn77]

She has called the gas company as she had no gas, it was 9 at night and I was told this was an emergency therefore I had no option as she was legally entitled to gas. I was pressured into getting this done and made it clear I did not want it done but looks like I was young and stupid and should have stood my ground. I have a builder coming to give me a quote next week for the attic conversation, hopefully he will have some ideas. With any luck like you say, it will be the neighbour that has to pay to move it if it needs moved.

 

[Gasguru]

But you say it's a block of flats and you own your flat but is that as a pure leaseholder or do your have a share of freehold or are you the sole freeholder?
It makes a difference as to what parts of the building you actually own and your rights.

 

[ianmcd]

But you say it's a block of flats and you own your flat but is that as a pure leaseholder or do your have a share of freehold or are you the sole freeholder?
It makes a difference as to what parts of the building you actually own and your rights.

it is not a block of flats she has a 2 up 2 down and the downstairs has no rights to have the gas supply run through her home

 

[Lyn77]

maisonette or flat I never know the difference sorry lol its a freehold I believe but again I’m not sure how it works I’d need to dig out my paperwork lol I own my flat and garden land etc share the paths, drains, roof costs etc with neighbours. The attic is mine, the water tank that fed downstairs neighbour is no longer in use.

 

[ianmcd]

I was told this was an emergency therefore I had no option as she was legally entitled to gas.

Absolute rubbish, tell them to get it removed

 

[Gasguru]

maisonette or flat I never know the difference sorry lol its a freehold I believe but again I’m not sure how it works I’d need to dig out my paperwork lol I own my flat and garden land etc share the paths, drains, roof costs etc with neighbours. The attic is mine, the water tank that fed downstairs neighbour is no longer in use.

I suggest you check exactly what you own and under what tenure...

 

[Madrab]

You don't indicate where you are but cant say I've every heard of a law in the UK that forces someone to host the gas supply pipe of a neighbour. Leaseholds or freeholds are a ridiculous way to own property with some real strange rules attached to them and thanks goodness are very rare up here in Scotland.

Obviously the fitter found the quickest and easiest way to run the supply and seems to have hoodwinked you into allowing it unless there is a clause written into your ownership.

Was this a recent occurrence and how are relations with your neighbour? I think the long and short of it is it's their pipe therefore they would be responsible for it unless it was located in what could be deemed as communal space.

 

[ianmcd]

but cant say I've every heard of a law in the UK that forces someone to host the gas supply pipe of a neighbour.

It is not the supply @Madrab , mate it is the outlet from the meter from her downstairs neighbour in a 2 up 2 down, the neighbour has a meter box on her front wall and the outlet comes up and over the loft of the ops home then back into the downstairs , because the lazy fecker couldnt be bothered doing it properly, possibly concrete floors with gas in a screed