Leasehold
A balcony deck forms the roof of the room below and the covering was not lifted. What leak path into that room is unverified?
The leak path from the balcony deck into the room below is unverified, because the covering was not lifted. That deck is the roof of a habitable room. Water that gets under the surface could reach the ceiling beneath, and the survey could not see the membrane, the falls or the outlets while the covering stayed down. The visit records a deck that was walked. It has not found a leak, and it has not cleared one. The hidden path through the deck remains unchecked.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Where a balcony is the roof of a room, the waterproofing is doing a roof's job under a floor you stand on. Tiles, decking or paving hide the membrane, the upstands and the outlet. Rain can travel under that finish and show on the ceiling below long after the storm. Not lifting the covering means none of that build-up was seen. A dry ceiling on the day is not a test of the membrane. The unverified path is through the deck into that room.
The lease may put the balcony covering with the flat or with the block. The survey does not decide that. Ask the solicitor who repairs the deck, and ask a roofing contractor what opening-up would show if you need the membrane seen. Do not tell a lender the room below is watertight. The survey walked the deck and left the covering down. That is the whole of the evidence.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which room has this balcony deck as its roof?
- What of the covering was left unlifted?
- Did you see staining below, or was the ceiling simply not opened up?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the leak path through the deck as unverified.
- Do not read a walked surface as a cleared membrane.
- Check the lease for who repairs that balcony covering.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the ceiling below is unstained, is the deck cleared?
No. A clean ceiling means no stain was seen that day. Water under a balcony covering can sit or travel without showing yet. The membrane was not lifted, so the path into the room stays unverified whatever the paint looks like.
Does the survey decide if the deck is your repair or the block's?
No. Who repairs a balcony is a lease question. The survey can say the covering was not lifted and the path is unchecked. The solicitor reads the demise and the repairing covenants. The inspection does not assign the bill to either party.