Your Right to Light
Has a new development blocked the light to your property?
Your right of light is protected by law, even when planning permission has been granted. Learn how rights to light claims work in England and Wales, understand your rights of light, and find out whether you may be owed compensation.
Your Right of Light Exists — Whether You Know It or Not
Most property owners assume there is nothing they can do when a nearby development blocks their light. They believe that if planning permission has been granted, their rights are gone. That is not the case. Your right to light is a private legal right that exists independently of the planning system.
Rights of light are private legal rights that exist entirely independently of the planning system. A developer can obtain planning approval for a scheme and still face a valid legal claim from a neighbouring property owner.
Many people are also put off by the perceived complexity, legal cost, and risk of pursuing a claim. This site is here to explain how these claims actually work — clearly and without jargon.
- Planning consent does not remove rights of light
- Houses, flats and commercial properties may qualify
- A specialist assessment is the essential first step
Understand Your Rights
What is a rights of light claim?
Learn the legal basis for rights of light claims under English and Welsh law.
Read the guide →Do I qualify?
Understand the common scenarios and factors that determine whether a claim may exist.
Check the criteria →How much compensation?
Explore what drives the value of a rights of light claim and what to expect.
Explore compensation →What if a developer ignores my rights?
Find out what remedies — including injunctions — are available to claimants.
Learn about remedies →Your Rights Explained
A detailed guide to your legal rights when a development threatens to block your light.
Read your rights →Legal Guidance
Deeper guidance on the law, procedures, and professional standards around rights of light.
Read the guidance →Key Insights
Practical explanations of the principles, valuations, and developer tactics that shape every rights of light claim.
Read the insights →How a Rights of Light Claim Works
A new building, extension, or structure reduces the natural daylight to one or more windows in your property.
A rights of light surveyor reviews your property, windows, and the development to determine whether a qualifying right may exist.
Detailed daylight modelling and legal review establishes the extent of interference and the strength of any potential claim.
Matters can be resolved by negotiation, compensation, scheme redesign, or — in some cases — litigation or injunction.
Why Cost and Risk Stop So Many Claims
Rights of light claims can involve specialist surveyors, solicitors, barristers, court costs, and potential exposure to the other side's legal costs. This puts many property owners off pursuing a claim even when they may have a genuine right.
Some specialist firms offer funded or insurance-backed claim structures, which can reduce the upfront financial risk for qualifying claimants.
As with any legal claim, it's important to follow professional advice to ensure you remain fully protected throughout the process.
Could a Loss of Light Claim Be Worth Compensation?
The value of a rights of light claim varies significantly from case to case. Key factors include the severity of the light loss, the type and value of the property, the scale of the development, and the strength of the legal position.
- — Severity of the loss of light
- — Type and value of the affected property
- — Scale and nature of the development
- — Legal strength of the claim
- — Negotiation and litigation context
Compensation is typically assessed by reference to what a reasonable buyer would have paid to acquire a release of the right — not simply the diminution in property value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a rights of light claim?
Show ▼Can I claim if a neighbour's extension blocks light?
Show ▼How long do rights of light take to arise?
Show ▼Is this the same as a planning objection?
Show ▼Do I have to pay upfront?
Show ▼Could You Have a Claim?
Answer a few quick questions to request a free pre-assessment from a specialist.
Your details are used only to arrange your free pre-assessment. There is no cost and no commitment required.
Where a claim may exist, we connect you with specialist firms who can provide formal assessment and representation.
Find Out Where You Stand
If you think a nearby development may have affected the light to your property, the next step is to get a specialist view on whether you may have a claim.