Roofing

Top floor flat roof leak

John 07/08/2026 - 8.00 AM

Hoping for some advice as I know very little about roofing. I live in a top floor flat and in November after some very heavy rainfall I noticed a wall in my living room (which is a party wall) had a damp patch. This disappeared after drying out and I never saw it again - nevertheless I reported it to my Residents Association and they had some roofers take a look. They suggested that the section of the roof above my flat will need to be replaced costing £4k. Fast forward to March and the work was finally completed. After one period of rainfall I find that my living room ceiling is dripping water and whatever work they have done on the roof has essentially made the whole thing worse. The contractor came a day later and was "99%" sure that he found the issue which was some kind of fixing that wasn't fitted properly. He was here for around 10 minutes and said I shouldn't have the issue again. Fast forward a couple more days and my living room ceiling is leaking against straight after further rainfall. Again, messaged the contractor and he has (without further inspection) said he's now "99%" sure it's an old chimney that "is on the roof of the next block of flats but the edge meets my roof". Apparently it's covered in old felt and this is where the water will be coming in as my whole roof is apparently air tight. He's now coming round again shortly to cover the chimney stack in tarpaulin and if when it rains I get no leak then that's the answer. He's used a rubber covering which apparently has a 10 year guarentee for this work. My questions are the following: - Is the layer of the material below the rubber now compromised because it's dealt with two lots of rainfall? - At this point is it reasonable for my Residents Association to ask for a full refund? (£4k) I no longer have confidence that whatever work has been completed is able to withstand the test of time if after a few days I'm already experiencing a leak. My living room ceiling is ruined as a result of this and I'm pretty annoyed about it all especially as I've had no say in who completes this work - any comments, recommendations or advice is welcome. Thankyou

ADR Property Maintenance

Rating: 5 out of 5

5/599 reviews

Boston

I think your resident association needs a clear idea of what is actually happening an independent survey of the roof is required to see exactly what has been done then you can make an informed descion on we're you go from here, a survey from an independent surveyor should be your first step Good luck Alex

Answered12 March 2026

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Masters roofing and construction

Rating: 5 out of 5

5/53 reviews

Worthing

I’d be concerned too. If the roof has only just been renewed and it has leaked twice immediately afterwards, I wouldn’t accept repeated “99% sure” diagnoses without a proper investigation. The tarpaulin over the chimney is actually a reasonable way of isolating it as a possible source, but it only helps identify where the water is entering — it doesn’t prove the newly installed roof is sound. Regarding the rubber roof, if water has got beneath the membrane, the condition of the substrate/deck underneath needs checking. Depending on the system used, trapped moisture can cause deterioration over time, particularly if timber/OSB decking is involved. Simply allowing the ceiling to dry doesn’t necessarily mean everything within the roof build-up has dried. I would ask the Residents Association for the full specification of what was installed, photographs taken during the works, details of the membrane/system used and the written 10-year guarantee. I’d also request that the contractor carries out a proper inspection rather than another quick patch. Before discussing a full £4,000 refund, I would strongly recommend getting an independent roofer or roof surveyor to inspect the installation. If the independent inspection finds that the new roof has been incorrectly installed or is allowing water ingress, you then have something substantial to take back to the Residents Association and contractor. Also, don’t assume the position of the internal leak is directly below the defect. Water can travel along decking, joists, insulation and other parts of the roof construction before appearing internally. For a newly completed roof, though, you are absolutely entitled to expect it to be watertight. Two leaks immediately following completion certainly justify a thorough investigation rather than continued guesswork.

Answered7 August 2026

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