There’s a small river at the back of my house and those of four neighbours. The river is eroding the bank. We have contacted the council and the river authority but to no avail, and are told it’s a case of “riparian rights”. As leaseholders, are we responsible for carrying out repairs and maintenance on the riverbank, or would the landowner be responsible?
People whose houses are adjacent to rivers (riparian landowners) are responsible for repairing the banks on their land. You will have to check your lease documents (or ask a solicitor to check them for you). It’s more than likely that there’s a provision in the lease making you as leaseholder responsible for such repairs and general maintenance to the riverbank.