How to serve a party wall notice

Preparing a letter is only one part of giving a party wall notice. The building owner is responsible for serving the correct notice on the appropriate adjoining owners, with enough time before the proposed work begins.

Who should receive the notice?

Adjoining owners can include freeholders and certain leaseholders. A rented neighbouring property may have more than one person entitled to notice. The notice may have to be addressed and served separately to multiple owners, even for the same building project.

How far in advance should you give notice?

• Existing party-wall or party-structure work (section 3): generally at least two months before work begins.
• New wall on or at the boundary (section 1): generally at least one month before work begins.
• Qualifying excavation (section 6): generally at least one month, and additional technical plans are required.

These are ordinary statutory minimums. Do not treat the date entered in a PDF as proof of when it was actually served. A notice generally ceases to have effect if the work it covers has not begun within 12 months of service.

Can you serve it by email?

Only if the recipient has stated willingness to receive notices electronically and has provided the address for service. Do not simply assume an email address found online is enough. Delivery in person or by post may be appropriate alternatives, subject to the Act's rules.

What should you keep?

• A copy of the signed and dated notice and any accompanying plans.
• Evidence of when and how each owner was served.
• Written responses and any agreement to an earlier start date.
• Any subsequent correspondence about a dispute or surveyor appointment.

What if you do not know the owner's name?

The government explanatory booklet explains special approaches for notices addressed to "The Owner" where the owner cannot be identified, as well as the method of service. Follow that guidance carefully rather than guessing the correct recipient.

If you know what work you're proposing, our notice builder can organise the information into a prepared document and optional neighbour response sheet.