For chimney repairs in Kensington, L6 and L7, we work for both owner-occupiers and landlords on the area’s brick terraces. Typical jobs include stopping leaks at the flashing, repointing worn stacks, rebedding pots and capping disused flues. We inspect, send a written quote with photos, and can deal with an agent or landlord while arranging access through the tenant.
Chimney problems in let houses
Kensington has a lot of rented homes, and chimney problems in a let house have a habit of being reported late. A tenant notices a stain on the ceiling, mentions it weeks later, and by then the plaster is soft and the paper is coming away. The earlier a leak is looked at, the more likely it is to need only a modest repair rather than a bigger job.
If you manage several properties, it is worth knowing the warning signs and asking tenants to report them quickly:
- A brown or yellow mark on the ceiling beside the chimney breast.
- Damp or mould on the breast in an upstairs bedroom.
- Pieces of mortar or brick falling into the yard.
- Water dripping from a blocked-up fireplace after rain.
Working through an agent or landlord
- Whoever spots the problem calls us and describes what they can see.
- We agree with the landlord or agent how access will work and who we will meet on site.
- We inspect and send the quote, cause and photos to the person responsible for paying.
- Once approved, scaffold or a platform is arranged and the tenant is told when work will happen.
- After the repair, everyone gets photos of the finished stack.
Typical Kensington repairs
On terraced stacks the biggest culprits tend to be the lead and the mortar. Cement fillets were often used in past repairs because they were quick, but they crack and let water behind them. Replacing them with properly dressed lead through our flashing repair service gives a far longer-lasting seal. Worn joints are dealt with by chimney repointing, and damaged brick is cut out and replaced where needed.
Many let houses no longer use their fireplaces at all. Those flues should be capped with a vented cap and ventilated in the room, otherwise condensation causes damp that looks like a leak. If a whole stack is redundant and causing trouble, removing the stack below the roofline is sometimes the better long-term choice.
Shared stacks and party walls
Most Kensington stacks are shared. If you own one house and the neighbour is a different landlord or an owner-occupier, it helps to contact them before scaffold goes up so the whole stack can be repaired at once. We do not carry out work that affects a neighbour’s flue without agreement.
If a stack looks unstable or is dropping masonry, keep tenants and passers-by clear of the area below and ring us straight away.
Nearby districts
We regularly work in Everton and Wavertree, where the housing is very similar. If you have properties further afield, our chimney repairs across Merseyside cover the whole region, and the chimney repair cost guide explains what drives the price of a job. You can find our full list of services on the chimney repair Liverpool homepage.
Landlord or owner in Kensington?
Call 07777 659786 with the address and a description of the problem, and we will call back to arrange an inspection.
Frequently asked questions
Can a tenant contact you directly about a leaking chimney?
A tenant is welcome to call and describe the problem, but any work has to be agreed and paid for by the landlord or their agent. We can send the quote and photos to whoever is responsible, and arrange access with the tenant once the work is approved.
What details should a landlord send before we visit?
The address, which room shows damp and when it started, whether any fireplace or gas fire uses the flue, and whether the stack is shared with next door. A couple of photos taken from the street are useful too. That lets us plan the inspection properly.
Is it worth repairing a stack on a property we might sell?
Leaking chimneys and loose masonry tend to be flagged on surveys, so a repair with photos and a written description of the work can help. We give you the options and the reasons, and you decide what suits your plans for the property.
Do you remove chimney breasts in rented houses?
We can, but it is structural work that needs building control approval and proper support for the masonry above, and the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply on a shared wall. See our chimney breast removal page for the full process before planning it around a tenancy.