A Netherfield couple say they have been left with damp coming through their walls and cracks in the ceiling from work to convert the house next door into an HMO.
Marilyn and Heinz Haverkamp, aged 79 and 82, have lived in Chandos Street for around 51 years, raising four children there.
Netherfield and the road in particular have become hotspots for HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation).
Earlier in June, Gedling Borough Council backed plans to increase the size of five HMOs either on the street or nearby from six beds to seven.
January 2026 figures from the council state that out of the 3,120 properties in Netherfield, the authority says it is ‘aware of’ 36 of them being HMOs – about 1.15 per cent of the total housing in the ward.
But the council may not be aware of smaller HMOs – six or fewer bedrooms – which usually do not require planning permission and fall under ‘permitted development’, unless developers plan on extending or altering the structure.
For around a month, Mr and Mrs Haverkamp say construction work at the HMO next to their home has been “shaking” their house and damaging it.
Part of their kitchen wall and the bottom of their stairs has damp, and the paint on their ceilings has cracked since work began around a month ago.
Mrs Haverkamp said: “One day, I thought somebody had dropped a bomb on us. The bed shook us out… we’ve got scaffolding over the back bedroom window.”
Mr Haverkamp said: “You don’t mind a certain amount of work, but it’s been horrendous. Drills going, hammers going.
“[Damage] is just appearing everywhere every day, you look, and there’s something new.”
Mrs Haverkamp said: “Having this is breaking my heart… [the house] is just being destroyed.
“I’ve been in hospital, I’ve got COPD and asthma, the dust. My husband’s just come out of hospital with pneumonia.”
When confronting a worker next door about their ceiling damage, the couple claimed they were told ‘you’ll get more damage before we’re finished’.
When construction work is carried out on a property that shares a wall with another property, a party wall agreement must be signed by both parties before work can commence.
These agreements are legally binding and outline what work is to be done, how it will be done, and offer protection to the party whose property may be damaged by the works, including provisions for compensation.
Mr Haverkamp says they signed the letter and posted it back to the development company, meaning they no longer have a copy, but claimed they “hadn’t got a clue what they were on about”, saying they did not understand the letter or the plans within it.
The couple said they had not been able to contact the property developer directly and had directed their concerns to the construction workers.
A Gedling Borough Council spokesperson said in a statement: “The council do not have a record of a complaint from the occupiers, but any damage that may have been caused by development taking place in the neighbouring property is a civil matter between the respective landowners.
“The council has received notice that the works are being overseen by a private building control company, who will ensure that the development is compliant with the building regulations.”
Sherwood Properties Nottingham, which is developing the HMO, was contacted for comment but did not provide a statement by the time of publication.
