Canopy directly against our property boundary

Questioner

My neighbor behind me is putting up a canopy of 3 meters high, 7 meters wide and 4 to 5 meters deep. He is placing it directly against the property line. I spoke to him and said that I am not happy with it and that it takes away light and sun from my garden. I wonder if this is allowed? He has not applied for a permit for this.

Lawyer

Your neighbour is allowed to build against the property line. Building on the back yard is usually without a permit. A permit may be required due to the surface area; you can check this in the zoning plan. Apart from that, your neighbour is not allowed to unlawfully take away daylight and sunlight. Whether this is the case depends on the situation and all the factors on site. The municipality does not assess this if a permit is required.