When you’re looking for a home, you might have a few requirements on the list ― a decent kitchen, a south-facing garden, and high ceilings might rank highly.
But few of us consider the fence surrounding our property’s boundary as one of those desirable features.
In fact, it can be hard to work out which fence you’re even responsible for, especially if you’re in a row of terraced homes that all have their own panels.
Price comparison site CompareTheMarket shared on their site that an often-cited check isn’t always true either: “There’s a common belief that the fence to the left, as you look at your garden, is your responsibility. However, this won’t always be the case,” they write.
Instead, they say, you should try looking for a letter on your title deeds.
Why?
A “H” (two “T”s back to back) on your title deeds indicates that your fence is a shared responsibility, the site reads.
Meanwhile a “T” shows a fence is all yours.
This should appear on modern title deeds but may not be on older ones.
The Government can help you to set a new boundary agreement with your neighbour.
It’ll cost you £40; you can also contact the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Helpline Scheme to get advice on solving disagreements over boundaries.
This might be useful if you and your neighbour are really butting heads over the topic, because as CompareTheMarket writes: “Unfortunately, there’s no garden fence law in England and Wales that specifies who has ownership of the boundary.”
Any other signs?
The comparison site goes on to say that garden fences usually have a good side (that’s smooth) and a “bad” side (that’s got a lot of extra posts).
They suggest that sometimes, having the “good” side face your garden is a sign it’s yours, though that’s not always true.
A post shared to a Government forum in 2022 asked which side of the fence belonged to a poster, to which a staff member replied that you can access title deeds online.
“If you don’t have a copy of the registered details then you can usually view/download a copy of the register online and apply by post for a copy of any deed referred to as ‘filed’. The title plan will only show you the registered extent/general boundaries. It will not tell you who owns which boundary,” they said.