Leasehold

A maisonette sits over a void that was not entered. What of the floor structure is not inspected?

The floor structure that can only be seen from the void is not inspected. The maisonette sits over a space the surveyor did not enter, so the underside of that floor, the joist ends, the bearings and any hangers or cuts in that void were not seen. Finishes in the rooms above hide the same timbers from the other direction. The survey can describe the floor only as far as those finishes allowed. It has not inspected the structure over the void.

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?

A void under a maisonette may be an open entrance, a shared passage or a gap above another demise. The floor that spans it is doing structural work, and the useful evidence of decay, alteration, notching or poor bearings is often on the soffit. Staying out of that space is a limit of inspection, not a finding that the joists are sound. The report should keep that floor in the unseen column rather than borrowing confidence from the rooms above.

Tell the solicitor the void was not entered and ask who controls access, and whether the lease describes that floor as yours to repair. A lender may ask how the unseen structure will be dealt with. If a later visit is agreed, it has to be into the void itself, not another walk across the carpet. This report has not certified the floor and has not allocated the repairing duty.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Which parts of the floor could be seen from the rooms above?
What exactly stopped entry to the void?
Does the report keep the soffit and bearings as not inspected?

What are the typical next steps?

Read the floor note as limited to the rooms above.
Ask who can authorise entry to the void.
Keep any later void inspection separate from this report.

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

Does a firm feel underfoot clear the joists?

No. A floor that feels firm underfoot only tells you how the finish behaved on the day. It does not show joist ends, bearings or cuts in the void that was not entered. The survey did not open the soffit from above. Soundness of the structure over that void stays undecided.

Who repairs a shared soffit if the lease is unclear?

The lease, not this survey, decides whether you or the landlord repairs the floor over a shared void. The visit did not read that clause and did not redraw the demise. Ask the solicitor to trace the repairing obligation. The report only records that the void, and therefore the soffit, was not inspected.