We’re looking at a house tomorrow which is a large mews terrace. Three houses. First end house has no side access to the garden, then the middle house (potentially ours) and then the third house with gated access to the rear of all three properties via a ginnel (third house has a fourth bedroom above the ginnel).
The gate has a shiny new but very large padlock on it.
Nobody currently lives in the first house, the vendor (I love that word and the agent gets it in every sentence) of the house we’re looking at tomorrow is useless beyond belief as is the agent as neither of them can tell us
i)if the residents of house one and house two have a legal right to
unhindered access to the rear of their properties via the ginnel
ii) if the owner of house three owns the ginnel
iii) if the owner of house three owns the gate and ginnel and refuses access/egress to/from the rear of properties, would this constitute a fire risk?
Is anybody clued up on this kind of thing? I’ve knocked on the door of house three and it was clear somebody was in but they didn’t answer the door so the direct but polite approach didn;t yeild a result.
As my wife, daughter and I cycle near daily, this ginnel issue could be a deal breaker for the move that may or may not be about to take place.
edit: Must learn to be more concise and less didactic.

What is a ginnel?

What is a ginnel?

a wider version can also be known as a ‘backs’ ie

What is a ginnel?

EDIT: apparently it’s Northernish for passage between buildings

It will be in the deeds. Usual would be house 3 owns the ginnel but 1 and 2 have the right of access thru it. However its by no means certain.

Oh. an alley! why didn’t you say.

The right of access might be limited. My sister can access the rear of her property through her neighbours back garden and thought they were being unlawful in putting a lock on their side of the gate. Reading the deeds shows the access is for maintenance so usually permission would be needed unless, I guess the it was an emergency.

Our neighbours have a right of way across our back garden to access the rear of their property with no restriction.

So definitely different in each case and down to what the deeds say.

ginnel is between houses, not a back alley (IMO)

Shared access can be the cause of many problems. If the vendor and agent were able to give you a straight answer to your questions, and if the owner of the third house had answered your knock and seemed reasonable, then I wouldn’t be worried.

However, as this isn’t the case I think you’re right to be cautious

Of potentially more importance, is that you are purchasing a house adjacent to a flying freehold over a passage thats you have some possible rights of access to. Their bedroom floor is one which maintance is in your interest – Can you enforce it?I mean, if they let it go, and crap falls fromt he roof into the ginnell, can you enforce clearance?

Thanks for the replies.
I didn’t say it was an alley because it isn’t.
We really like this house. Bugger.
Any reasonable solution as to how we can continue to use our bikes daily but cart them through the front door, hall, lounge, dining room, kitchen ans out into the garden without chucking mud, grime, grease and if tempers flare, swear words and stay married?
I’ve suggested a couple of Ground Effect Bodybags left by the front door but they need the front wheel taking off to get the bike(s) in.
ps. Scaredypants has it. That’s a ginnel.

Monksie it may not be a problem. You may have access rights, and be entitled to a key etc. Find out before you go any further, as buying a property then finding yourself arguing over access will give you a massive headache.
TJ is right, it’ll be in the deeds, if you have access rights or not. but house 3 might be a right pita and could be restricting access and that would me off straight away

Never mind the ginnel, sounds like one of your potential neighbours is going to be less than sociable.