Who Pays for Repairs to a Shared Roof?

Start with the paperwork

There is no single rule for a roof that more than one household relies on. Ownership and repair duties are fixed by documents: the title register and plan held by the Land Registry, the transfer deed from when the house was bought, and, for flats, the lease. These documents say who owns the roof structure and covering, and who has to maintain it. Some deeds include a covenant to contribute to the cost of repairing shared parts. Others say nothing, and then the general law and good neighbourliness apply. Your solicitor can read the documents and tell you where you stand, and we would suggest asking before you spend money or promise a share of a bill.

This page is general guidance, not legal advice.

Terraced and semi-detached houses

Houses in a row usually have a roof that is divided along the party wall. Each owner generally owns and repairs the section over their own house, including the covering and the timbers. Problems come where the two halves meet: the ridge that runs along the line of both houses, a valley between two slopes, a shared chimney stack, or the flashing against the party wall. Where one structure serves both, the repair may be a joint matter. Our pages on shared chimney stack repairs and who is responsible for shared guttering cover typical cases.

Where a repair is needed on a shared element, talk to the neighbour before work starts. Show them the photographs, explain the cause, agree who will get quotes and how the bill will be divided, and put it in an email. A fair split is usual where both gain from the work. If a neighbour's neglect is causing damage to your side, the law of nuisance and negligence may apply, and that is a matter for legal advice. Where the work touches the party wall, the Act may apply too; see our guide to party walls and roof work.

Flats and maisonettes

In a leasehold block the roof is almost always part of the building that the freeholder, or a management company on its behalf, is responsible for. They arrange the repair and recover the cost from the leaseholders through the service charge, usually in the proportions the lease sets. For larger works, leaseholders generally have rights to be consulted before the bill is raised. Top-floor flats often feel the effects of a roof leak first, but the repair is normally done to the whole roof, not just the section above one flat.

If you own a share of the freehold, you and the other owners may jointly be responsible. Then the management company's accounts and sinking fund become important. Read the lease for the repair clauses, and ask the managing agent to provide the roof history and any planned works. If a leak is damaging your flat and nothing is being done, write to the managing agent and keep a record.

Renting, and commercial buildings

If you rent, the roof is normally the landlord's responsibility, and you report a leak to them. Our page on a leaking roof in a rented home explains what to do. For shops, offices and industrial units, repair duties depend on the lease, and see landlord or tenant roof repairs.

If the neighbour will not engage

Sometimes a neighbour does not reply, cannot be found or refuses to share the cost of a repair that clearly benefits both. Keep a record of every approach, in writing. Where your own part of the roof is leaking because of something on their side, give them a written account, with photographs and a roofer's report, and a reasonable time to respond. You may be able to carry out the repair that protects your home and then seek a contribution afterwards, though the legal position is not always simple, so take advice before you start. A mediation service is often quicker and cheaper than court, and many councils can point you to a local one.

Where the roof is a shared structure, such as a single roof over a pair of cottages or a terrace built as one frame, temporary measures can protect both homes while the question of payment is settled. Tarpaulins, a patch to a failed valley or a refixed ridge tile are all examples, and the cost of an urgent make-safe is usually easier to agree than a full renewal.

Getting a shared job done well

Whoever pays, get a proper survey so that everyone sees the same evidence. We photograph the roof, mark the shared parts on the images and give a written price that can be divided by agreement. That keeps the discussion about facts, not feelings. The homepage shows what else we do, and a call to 01256 213956 books the free survey.