Leasehold

The report places the shared landing carpet, a trip lip and a common part this demise survey may only note in one paragraph. Which of those were inspected, and which were merely named?

The shared landing carpet and the trip lip were inspected, because they were there to be seen. The legal status of the common part was named, because a demise survey may only note it. A trip lip is a raised edge that a foot can catch. The landing is outside the flat, in a part the block shares. A survey of the demise can record that hazard. It does not become a full common-parts survey, and it does not decide who must relay the carpet. The paragraph has not allocated the cost.

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?

Common parts often sit outside the demise, so the surveyor's instruction is to note what affects the buyer rather than to condition-rate the whole block. A lip in the carpet is still a real observation: someone can trip on the way to the flat. Noting it does not identify the landlord's contractor, the reserve for decorations, or whether the lease puts the landing on the service charge. Those are legal and management points.

Point the solicitor and the managing agent at the trip lip, and ask who repairs the shared landing. Do not expect the demise survey to instruct that repair or to price it. If you want the stair looked at as a common-parts item, that is a wider instruction than this flat visit. The report has done the limited job: it saw the hazard and labelled the landing as outside the demise. Leave the duty to repair with the people who hold the lease.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Was the trip lip seen on the shared landing, not inside the flat?
Did you only note the common part, rather than survey the whole stair?
Has responsibility for the carpet been left to the lease?

What are the typical next steps?

Treat the trip lip as a seen hazard in a common part.
Ask the solicitor who must repair the shared landing.
Do not read the demise survey as a full stair survey.

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 carpet is inside the front door, is it still common?

The report places it on the shared landing, which is the common part, not a claim that every mat is shared. A demise survey may only note that landing. Whether a particular mat is inside the flat is a lease question if the boundary is unclear. The trip lip that was seen is on the shared landing. The survey has not redrawn the demise.

Does noting a trip lip mean the stair has failed a safety check?

No. Noting a lip is a visual record that a foot could catch. It is not a formal safety audit of the stair, and a demise survey may only note the common part. Who must act is for the solicitor and the agent. The paragraph inspected the carpet edge. It did not certify the staircase.