Upstairs Condo Neighbor Needs Downstairs Condo Neighbor’s Cooperation

P.K. from outside of Connecticut writes:

Dear Mister Condo,

My neighbor upstairs wants to renovate their bathroom to make it more accessible to their elderly father. She wants to change the plumbing and needs to come through my unit to do so. I am not really comfortable with this as my ceilings have recently been painted and plastered and I do not want a patch up after they drill holes in my unit. Not sure what to do.

Mister Condo replies:

P.K., I feel your pain. You want to be a good neighbor but you also want to protect your home and investment. There is no right or wrong answer here. If the governing documents don’t prohibit the type of modification your upstairs neighbors are seeking, this will largely come down to how cooperative you want to be. I guess my best advice is to ask yourself if the situation were reversed, how would you want your neighbor to respond. Typically, you can stipulate that the ceilings in your home will need to be left in the same condition they are currently in. In other words, if a patch job isn’t going to suffice, you can explain that you just had all of this work done. While you are willing to accommodate the construction, you expect more than just a “patch and paint” at the end of the project. If your neighbors are serious about needing/wanting their modifications, they may be willing to agree to you terms. After all, being a good neighbor works both ways. All the best!