Types Of Party Walls

The legislation acknowledges two primary categories of party walls.

Party Wall Type A
A wall is considered a “party wall” if it spans across the boundary of land belonging to two or more different owners. Such a wall can satisfy the following conditions:

• It forms part of a single building.
• It separates two or more buildings.
• It constitutes a “party fence wall.” A “party fence wall” is a wall that is not part of a building. It stands astride the boundary line between lands owned by different individuals and serves the purpose of separating those lands. For instance, a masonry garden wall would be classified as a party fence wall. However, wooden fences or hedges do not fall under this definition.

Party Wall Type B
Additionally, a wall can be classified as a “party wall” if it stands entirely on one owner’s land but is utilized by multiple owners to separate their respective buildings. An example would be when one person constructs the wall initially, and another person constructs their building adjacent to it without erecting their own wall. Only the segment of the wall that performs the separation is considered “party.” The sections on either side or above it are not regarded as “party” sections.

The Act also employs the term “party structure,” which encompasses a broader range of structures such as wall or floor partitions that separate buildings or parts of buildings accessible through separate staircases or entrances. This definition may include flats, for instance.

Walls that Do Not Qualify as Party Walls:

These walls may consist of boundary walls, which are fence walls or garden walls constructed entirely on one owner’s land. Additionally, external walls are not considered party walls; they refer to the walls of a building constructed up to but not spanning across the boundary.