Hampshire · London and the South East
Landlord roof survey in Downton, Hampshire
Roof condition reports for landlords, agents and blocks of flats in Downton. More than 5,000 surveys completed across London and South East England.
- Cracked or lifting flashings
- Cracked or leaning shared chimneys
- Standing water on a flat roof
How a landlord roof survey works in Downton
The lease typically decides who is responsible for the roof and who pays. We do not give legal advice on leases, but our report gives everyone an independent record of condition. That can help when owners, freeholders and agents need to agree what happens next. You get photos and written recommendations, prioritised by urgency where relevant. We survey converted houses, blocks of flats and rented houses, and the problems we’re asked to look at most are damp or stains in top-floor flats and slipped or missing slates and tiles.
Older buildings in small places like Downton may be listed or in a conservation area. That can affect what materials can be used when work is done, so check with the council before planning anything. Knowing the roof’s condition helps you plan ahead with that in mind. Older materials like clay tiles, slate and stone are frequently matched when work is done.
Most points in the report come with a picture, because a photo of a cracked flashing says more than a paragraph. Anything out of sight on the day is listed as such.
- Location
- Downton (SO41)
- Wider area
- Hampshire
- Price
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- When we survey
- Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Cover
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Roof by roof
Flat roofs on blocks and rear additions
Flat roof outlets often clog leaving water standing. We check them as part of the survey.
Pitched roofs on houses and blocks
The edges and top of a pitched roof are exposed, so we look at them closely.
What happens if roof problems are left?
An independent report helps when owners need to agree on roof work. Without one, each party may have a different view of what’s wrong. In a small place like Downton, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
For a price for your roof in Downton, phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form and tell us about the roof. The price is agreed before a date is set.
Why choose Independent Roof Survey in Downton
- Drones and thermal imaging where it applies
- Satisfaction rate of 98%
- Prices that include VAT
- Covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance
DIY checks: what’s safe
If you have a loft with safe access, take a look inside. Use a torch and stay on the joists or boards, and look for staining, damp timber or daylight coming through.
You can learn a lot from ground level. With binoculars, look for slipped or missing slates and tiles, gaps along the ridge and leaning chimneys. Never climb onto the roof to look.
Towns and villages near Downton
Other services in Downton
Downton: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like Downton?
Yes. Downton is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. We survey roofs across London and South East England. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when booking.
Is the coastal weather around Downton hard on roofs?
Often, yes. Downton is within about 1 mile of the sea, and coastal roofs tend to see faster wear on metal parts and more wind lifting loose pieces.
Can you inspect my roof with a drone?
Yes, where it’s applicable. Whether we can fly on the day depends on the weather and the airspace rules, including flight restriction zones near airports. We’re a CAA-registered drone operator.
Will the survey cover the whole building?
No. We survey the roof, not the whole building. It is not a RICS Level 2 or 3 survey or a structural engineer’s report.
Do I need to be at home?
Not always. An outside-only look can be arranged beforehand, but the loft and any rooms with damp need someone to let us in.
Will you need to get into tenants’ homes?
We may do. Where the loft or roof can only be reached through a home, we will need to go in, so residents need notice.
What’s the best way to book?
The quickest way is to phone 07833 053749 or use the contact form. Tell us the address and a little about the roof. Surveys run on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
What a landlord roof survey does not cover
Some things cannot be seen without opening up the roof, and that sets some limits:
- A full structural assessment of the building
- Parts of the roof we cannot safely see or access
- Whether materials contain asbestos (a specialist asbestos surveyor’s job)
If in doubt, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we’ll recommend the right survey before you book. The full list of what we check.
What we check
- Rented houses
- Flat roofs on blocks
- Gutters and downpipes
- Blocks of flats
- Converted houses
- Shared roofs
How the survey works
The visit normally starts outside and finishes in the loft: first the slopes, edges and gutters from every safe viewpoint, then the loft space where it can be reached. All told, expect about 1–2 hours for a single let house, with blocks of flats taking longer. For a village or hamlet like Downton, the journey is planned beforehand: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. The roof is looked at from the ground, from windows, from the loft where there is safe access and from the roof where it’s safe.
- We agree the roofs to be surveyed and what you need the report for.
- You arrange access to the loft and any flats we need.
- Each roof is looked at from safe vantage points and inside where possible.
- Every defect is photographed and its urgency noted where relevant.
- A written condition report follows to help you plan.
Before we arrive
- If it is not your property yet, arrange access through the agent
- Leave side gates unlocked
- Let us know about parking near the property
Getting a price
Getting a price is simple: just phone 07833 053749 or send us an email, tell us about the property and we’ll point you to the right survey. We confirm the price before anything is booked.
Advice
Roofs, chimneys and gutters in Downton
The coast is about 1 mile or less from Downton, where sea air brings more salt and stronger wind than inland. Metal fixings and flashings corrode faster in salt air, while gales work at loose ridges, slates and tiles, and driving rain gets into whatever gap is left. Thatch survives on some older buildings in Hampshire’s villages. Across the South East, older homes tend to have slate or clay tiles, and many later ones concrete tiles. Whichever you have, the details that tend to fail before the covering itself get the closest look.
If you look after a building such as Hordle CofE (VA) Primary School, its roofs, gutters and any chimneys need the same checks as a house’s, just on a bigger scale. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of All Saints, the nails, lead and mortar on the roof may be wearing out even where the slates or tiles look fine.
Downton is about 3 miles west of Lymington, in Hampshire. Downton gets the same service as everywhere else we work: a careful inspection, photos and a written report. We cover towns and villages across Hampshire. Our Southampton page covers surveys nearby.
We survey roofs across the SO41 postcode area for landlord roof surveys. Whether your property is on Hordle Lane and Shorefield Road or anywhere close by, we can survey it. Close by, we survey roofs in Leagreen (1 mile east), Hordle (1 mile north), Ashley (2 miles north-west), Barton on Sea (2 miles west) and New Milton (2 miles north-west). Within a short drive, we also cover Totton (13 miles north), Lymington (3 miles east), Hythe (13 miles north-east), Ringwood (10 miles north-west), Dibden Purlieu (12 miles north-east) and Marchwood (13 miles north-east).
Near you in Downton
We work in homes and buildings around The Arnewood School and the streets around them. Downton’s nearest station is New Milton station, roughly 2 miles north-west. Nearby you will also find Lymington New Forest Hospital (3.7 miles north-east) and Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum (2.9 miles north-west). For a walk, there is Milford on Sea LNR.
When to book a survey in Downton
Agents and freeholders have budgets to set. Planning is difficult without knowing the roof’s condition or when.
Problems we come across frequently include:
- Slipped or missing slates and tiles
- Damaged pots and flaunching
- Flashings that have come away
- Ponding or splits on flat roofs
Highcliffe Castle, about 4.2 miles west, is one of the historic houses in the wider area around Downton. On a period home nearby, the survey separates sound original work from tired later repairs.
Before you book any roof surveyor
- What experience they bring
- Whether you can ask questions once you have the report
- Will they check the loft as well as the outside?
- Do they have a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID for drone work?