A woman is considering legal action after her neighbour's DIY extension left her home almost entirely cut off from natural light. Katie, who shared her ordeal on TikTok, discovered that the new brick wall, part of an extension, was positioned so close to her home that it sealed off six of her windows.
Viral video shows wall just centimetres from window
Her short clip quickly captured attention, racking up close to three million views, as viewers watched her film the view from one of the affected windows. Rather than an open outlook, the camera revealed nothing but a solid brick wall just centimetres away from the glass.
To make matters worse, the top of the window was already poking above the wall in the footage. Katie warned that if the structure were built any higher, she would lose the ability to open the window entirely, let alone allow any daylight inside.
'Goodbye light' caption sums up frustration
She captioned her video with a simple but telling message, writing on screen: "Goodbye light." Her caption drove the point home further: "Neighbours blocked up six of our windows ... DIY hell."
The video triggered a wave of responses from viewers, many of whom pointed out that the build could be unlawful. In England and Wales, it is generally not permitted to construct an extension that cuts off light to a neighbouring property.
Understanding 'right to light'
This protection falls under what is known as the "right to light" - a legal easement giving property owners the entitlement to receive natural daylight through their windows. The right is not automatic, however. It must be earned through continuous, uninterrupted use over a period of at least 20 years. Once it is established, a neighbour has no right to obstruct that light, regardless of whether they hold planning permission for their build.
Katie returned to TikTok to seek further guidance after watching the comments flood in. In a follow-up post, she revealed: "We actually asked for this [right to light] for months, and they kept saying 'We're looking into it'. Now they've actually finished their build, so I don't know what we can do. I would love any advice."
Viewers suggest council action
Viewers urged her to escalate the matter by taking her complaint to the local council. Depending on the outcome of any investigation, she could potentially receive financial compensation, force her neighbours to demolish the extension, or secure both outcomes.
One commenter explained: "Right to light is common law, you have to go through court and see if you can win compensation or removal or both. nothing to do with permission they got to build." A second viewer added: "Lodge an application with the council, they can investigate if there is any fault, and then they will either fine them or make them take it down."
A third noted: "There's conflicting advice online, and without seeing the two properties from the outside, it's hard to tell, but it feels like you should have at least been consulted so you had the right to object to the build."
