Maisonette

A maisonette is a self-contained flat occupying two or more floors of a building, usually with its own external entrance separate from neighbouring units. Maisonettes are common in Hackney, Tottenham and Walthamstow, often forming the upper floors above ground-floor shops on high streets. Drainage characteristics typically include an internal soil stack rising through both floors of the unit, with branches to bathrooms and kitchens on each level. Common issues include leaks affecting commercial premises below, blockages on the shared stack with neighbouring units and difficulty accessing concealed pipework in boxed-in shafts. Lease arrangements often allocate responsibility for the stack to the freeholder while branches remain with the leaseholder. CCTV surveys are useful when persistent leaks are reported, particularly where the unit sits above a restaurant or takeaway.