neighbours gas pipes run through my house

[dannyboy1]

Hello

I live in a ground floor masionette with a 1st floor flat above me. I've only just bought it and moved in and have discovered that the gas supply for the upstairs flat runs through my property. Their gas meter is outside at the front of the house but then the pipe runs inside and all the way along the ceiling of my basement and up into their flat. Who should I be contacting to have it removed? Do i have any legal position to say I don't want it in my house? It seems like a big risk which I don't want as there is so much pipe exposed at head hight I'm worried that it could be easily knocked, cracked and that would cause a leak inside my property. Is is a legal matter or a National Grid matter?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[big-all]

any work is fully at your expense
you will also need the permission off any one else effected before starting the work
you will probably have to make good at your expense any decorating /filling if you make another hole in property above

 

[leakydave]

If I were you I would learn to live with it. If you boxed it in it is very unlikely to get 'knocked', unless you put a screw or drill through it.

 

[Nige F]

As the pipe is after the meter it can be moved by a Gas Safe engineer. Because of flats leasehold etc. there will be £egal implications

 

[dannyboy1]

I own the freehold to both properties, but the upstairs owner has the leasehold. Does anyone know how that affects the legal implications?

 

[cajar]

What a thing to become fixated with. Flats haven't blown up yet, lol. services often run through flats to serve other flats, it's very typical, I would leave it as it is.

 

[Agile]

So you have only just bought it and you seem to want to start an argument with your neighbour.

From your attitude to it then it sounds as if you are a first time purchaser.

Technically a wayleave for water, gas and electricity should have been included in the lease for upstairs.

Because most solicitors are not practically minded there are many leases which don't include the right to connect to these services. Even if they are included then the routing is rarely laid out in the lease.

But if you want it moved then are you prepared to pay? To run it up the wall externally might cost about £350 if there is an easy route into the flat and the existing pipework.

Or do you imagine that you can snap your fingers and someone else will pay?

Tony

 

[build44]

If you own the freehold I wouldn't worry. It's no real risk and will keep better relations with your neighbour.

 

[ianmcd]

Hi OP

I came accross exactly the same situation as you have and as a professionall I thought it unsafe as if you smelt gas whos supply would you turn off ? I advised the landlord to contact Gas safe and I met the inspector on site and they were useless so we contacted the local building control who also wanted to play coy till the landlord asked them to produce in writing that it was OK, so he could give this to his insurance company and if there was an incident, that occurred from the other supply and not his then he wasnt liable for it, they soon changed their mind and ordered the upstairs property to be piped from outside, on the up side just tee your take off into upstairs supply , its in your property let them pay for your gas , would love to see anyone prove you had done anything wrong

 

[Dextraneous]

Hello

I live in a ground floor masionette with a 1st floor flat above me. I've only just bought it and moved in and have discovered that the gas supply for the upstairs flat runs through my property. Their gas meter is outside at the front of the house but then the pipe runs inside and all the way along the ceiling of my basement and up into their flat. Who should I be contacting to have it removed? Do i have any legal position to say I don't want it in my house? It seems like a big risk which I don't want as there is so much pipe exposed at head hight I'm worried that it could be easily knocked, cracked and that would cause a leak inside my property. Is is a legal matter or a National Grid matter?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Have you actually spoken to your neighbour?

 

[sooey]

I came accross exactly the same situation as you have and as a professionall I thought it unsafe as if you smelt gas whos supply would you turn off ?

The one that failed the tightness test.

 

[ianmcd]

I came accross exactly the same situation as you have and as a professionall I thought it unsafe as if you smelt gas whos supply would you turn off ?

The one that failed the tightness test.

Havent heard of that one before for a gas user , if you smell gas go outside and carry out a tightness test on all supplies thet are routed through your property and whichever one fails then turn off the emergency control to that property and contact the tenent, yep need some of them labels

 

[sooey]

I was only joking with you Ian, but as a gas user in that situation I'd be turning them both off.

 

[ianmcd]

I know you were only joking Sooey but it is a genuine question the situation I had was 4 flats all running through the bottom flat so if the tenent smelt gas whos supply would they turn off ? Gas safe were their usuall useless selves, quite worrying really as these were quite new flats about six years old, the other scenario what if you were called to say fit a hob and teed into the wrong outlet yes you would know as it would be live but if you just went out and turned that one off and connected to it anyway someone else would be paying for the gas you were using and no one would ever know

 

[Agile]

Many flats have the pipes for upper flats passing through the lower ones.

I found a flat six years after conversion where two flats shared two meters!

So the only way to turn off gas was at both meters and thus turning both flats off.

Just shows no one had ever done a tightness test even when they were being converted or any time until I got there!

Tony