Squirrels
One Roof Over Several Flats
Converted Victorian and Edwardian houses near Finchley Central, West Finchley and East Finchley were built with a single roof space, and the conversion rarely divided it. Squirrels get in at the eaves, a gap by a chimney or a loose ridge, and once inside they have the run of the whole loft. The flat directly below hears the scampering at dawn and dusk, but the damage to insulation, timbers and cables is in a space that belongs, in most leases, to the building as a whole. How squirrels get into a roof explains the usual entry points.
Who pays
Because the roof is normally the freeholder's responsibility in a leasehold conversion, squirrel work there is commonly arranged by the freeholder or managing agent, and the cost may go through the service charge. Where the flats own the freehold together, they decide between them. A tenant should report it to the landlord. None of that stops one household from booking, but it is worth agreeing who is paying before the work starts, so the roof repair that follows does not stall.
Access through one flat's loft hatch
The hatch is usually on the top-floor landing or in a cupboard of the top flat, so whoever lives there has to give access, sometimes more than once. If you are that household, you are doing the building a favour; if you are not, ask them early and tell us who to contact. In some houses the hatch has been boarded over during a refurbishment and needs opening up before anything can happen.
How a Squirrel Job Runs in a Shared Loft
Checking it is squirrels
Noise in the loft of a converted house can also be rats or mice using the pipe runs between flats, and they need a different service. Tell us when the noise happens and what anyone has found; what squirrels sound like helps. Night-time scratching is more often mice in Finchley flats or rats.
Trapping
The £280 service is for trapping the grey squirrels using the roof space. You will be told what it involves and what is needed from the household with the hatch, such as keeping the hatch shut and leaving the loft undisturbed.
Only then the roof repair
The entry point has to stay open until the loft is empty; a squirrel shut in will chew a way out, possibly into a flat. After that the freeholder's roofer can repair the eaves or roof edge. It helps to have the roofer lined up so the repair follows straight on. Stopping squirrels getting back in describes what a lasting repair looks like, and the damage squirrels cause lists what to have checked.
Trees, Gardens and the Next Roof Along
Mature trees in the rear gardens of Finchley's period streets, and near Victoria Park, Cherry Tree Wood and the Dollis Valley Greenwalk, give squirrels a way onto the roof. A terrace of converted houses is one long roofline, and a squirrel removed from one loft may have come across from the next. Trimming branches back from the roof after the repair helps; if the garden is shared, agree it with the other flats and check whether the tree is protected before any work.
Grey Squirrels and the Law
Grey squirrels are an invasive non-native species, and once one is caught it is an offence to release it or allow it to escape. Taking one to Victoria Park and letting it go is not permitted. The legal position on release is set out in the guide, and Squirrel Control Barnet covers the borough-wide picture.
