What to do if my neighbor built a shed in his backyard that overlooks and blocks my view in my garden? If you are such a homeowner then I know how frustrating and disturbing it is to deal with such a situation.
But as a property owner, you have some rights and you can take some necessary steps to maintain the following rights:
- To protect your property from damage due to the shed of your neighbor.
- If the height of your neighbor’s shed is blocking the light to the extent that you are not getting enough natural light.
- If the rain drains from your neighbor’s shed roof onto your property.
- If the recently built shed on your neighbor’s property affects your privacy and accessibility.
Yes, you can take necessary steps against your neighbor if any one of the above-mentioned rights has been violated by your neighbor or if he did not take planning permission or followed regulations of your local zonal code or building code for making a shed.
Many people buy a house because it has a nice garden. After some time, they found a giant shed next to their garden built by their neighbor.
Table of Contents
Necessary Steps You Could Take Against Your Neighbor
First, ensure that neighbors violate any panning rule or not. To check it follow these steps:
Step 1: Check how far or close from your property or fence the shed was built by your neighbor.
Step 2: What is the height of the shed?
Step 3: It must be one story building.
How Close Should The Neighbor Shed Be To My Fence
According to the planning rules of different states, if someone building a shed with a dual-pitched roof then its height should not be more than 4 meters and it should be 3 meters for other types of roofs.
If your neighbor built a shed 2 meters away from the boundary of his property then he could not build a shed with a height of more than 2.5 meters.
You can call the council of advice of your city to clear the planning and building rules of your local region.
How To Settle The Dispute Peacefully?
Some people don’t want to fall out with their neighbors because of their good behavior. Whatever your relationship with your neighbor, you should first try to solve the matter through negotiation otherwise it would become a bitter sour for both of you.
What To Do If Your Neighbor Is Not Ready To Talk To You On This Matter?
If the matter would not solve through the negotiation and the shed seems too close to the fence then you could make a nuisance claim against this activity.
Negligible problems can be avoided but what when your neighbor’s shed is blocking your view, obstructing the natural light, and infringing on your privacy?
Also Read: What To Do With Space Between Shed And Fence [4 Best Ideas]
Most neighbors neglect the building codes of their area and build their sheds close to neighbors’ fences, which causes property damage.
In such scenarios you could take the following legal actions against your neighbor:
1. Loss of light planning objection (If you are not getting natural light on your property due to the neighbor’s shed).
2. Water draining planning objection when neighbors shed roof drains onto your property.
3. Property damage due to the shed being built too close to your fence.
4. If it’s infringing your privacy and accessibility.
if you were compliant about this unlawful activity to your city’s local authority, they would give you 21 days to prove that the neighbor’s shed is violating your rights.
After submitting your concern, the local authority would take another 21 days to validate your claim, and if they found your neighbor wrong then he must have to adjust the structure of his shed or remove it.
Suppose you want to avoid visiting court and paying huge money to settle this dispute. In that case, you can convenience your neighbor to take advice and consultancy from a chartered surveyor of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. They also offer 30 minutes of free advice on boundary disputes, ownership of land, and relocating boundary markings like sensitive issues.
Conclusion
In the end, I want to say that you have to avoid complaining about your neighbor to the council without concerning this matter with your neighbor.
Nobody wants to visit court and invest huge money and time in small matters that would solve with negotiation. You can directly tell him/her that your shed overlooks my garden and blocks your view.
FAQ
Q.1 Can neighbors complain about a shed?
Ans: I would like to advise you not to complain against your neighbor before negotiating the matter and you can complain against a rude neighbor, who doesn’t want to listen to you.
Q.2 Can my neighbor build a shed against my fence?
Ans: Yes he can build a shed against your fence at a specific distance that is defined according to your city building planning rules. It must not be too close to your fence as it could damage your property.
Q.3 Can my neighbor block my sunlight?
Ans: No, nobody has the right to block sunlight by building a shed or other structure on their property. If your neighbor builds a shed that obstructs the sunlight then you could complain to your city court.
