Considerable nuisance due to neighbours’ extension? Discover your rights!

Questioner

I was wondering when you can speak of significant/unlawful nuisance from the neighbours' extension? Now, I think no permit is needed for the extension. The extension consists of one residential floor, is built against the partition wall and is about three meters in length, I estimate. It is the case that the plots of our gardens do not run straight back, but diagonally to the right. For us, this means that the extension of the neighbours on the left is directly in our field of vision from our living room. I am afraid that not only does this damage our view, but that the value of our house has also decreased considerably. And I have not even mentioned the sun that we miss in the garden.

Lawyer

The question of whether a permit is required for this construction cannot be answered without further information. Without photos or drawings it is also impossible to assess when there is unlawful nuisance. That is something that always depends on the exact situation on site. It is settled case law that a right to a view does not exist. The reduction of the amount of sunlight through the extension is also something that you will need to have investigated by an expert, if you want to do something serious about it. An investigation into this point does cost money, but you will then have something with which you can give yourself and/or your neighbours more insight into the effects that the extension has had You will also first have to have the decrease in value of your home determined in a valuation report before you can even approach your neighbours with any claim for damages.