Inside the house
Screwing shelves, kitchen units, radiators or a TV bracket to the party wall from their own side is normal domestic use and does not usually need notice. Deep chasing for cables, removing a chimney breast or inserting a beam is work to the party wall and does.
Outside
- Their side of a garden wall: trellis, lights or planters fixed to their face are generally their business, provided the wall is not damaged.
- Your side: they have no right to fix anything to your face of the wall, or to anything on your land, without your agreement.
- On top of a party fence wall: raising it, or building on it, is work the Act controls.
Extensions built against your wall
If a neighbour builds an extension that encloses or bears on your wall, that is a party wall matter. See can my neighbour build against my wall?
If something goes wrong
Damage from careless fixings, such as cracks or water getting in, is an ordinary matter between neighbours when it is not work under the Act. Start by talking to them.
Common questions
My neighbour has fixed a satellite dish to our shared chimney stack. Is that allowed?
Raise it with them. Fixings that damage a shared stack, or rely on your part of it, need your agreement.
Where this comes from in the Act
Links go to the official text of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 on legislation.gov.uk.