Party walls are designed to ensure that the different tenants of a multi-unit structure are able to maintain the privacy and quiet enjoyment of using the property. Therefore, party walls are sometimes built with additional insulation, so that the noise of an adjacent unit does not bother the neighbors. A party wall agreement takes into account these traditional principles and establishes rules for ownership and maintenance obligations for the common party wall. The goal of a party wall agreement is to anticipate and resolve differences between the parties before they happen – which, of course, will never happen, but if they do, presto, there is the party wall agreement. The agreement on the wall of the parties should clearly define which party is required to preserve the wall, as well as the effects if the wall is not maintained. And as a rule, a party-wall agreement requires owners to maintain their part of the wall together and together. The agreement on the wall of the part will also cover how the two owners manage common expenses such as insurance, structural issues, roof maintenance and replacement, foundations and common supply lines. This can also include routine maintenance and the construction of other improvements such as fences and sheds associated with the party wall. Such an agreement also establishes rules for an owner`s rights to change the wall. For example, a party wall agreement may stipulate that both parties can hang frame images on the wall, or that both parties can paint the wall, etc. And then, hopefully, the agreement also provides that for one party to make structural changes to the party wall, the consent of both parties would be required, which of course makes sense since both owners share the wall and any structural change would necessarily affect both owners. Some parts of a party wall agreement should specify what an owner can sue with another owner if an owner fails at the end of the agreement to ensure that this does not happen and that there is a solution if this is the case. Many party wall agreements can also be set up to “run with the land,” meaning that whenever an owner sells their unit, the new owner is subject to the same agreement as the last owner.

Once the owners legally agree to the associated terms, the party wall agreements are recorded in the land registers, whether (usually) at the district clerk or elsewhere. By including the party wall agreement in public records, potential buyers looking at a property with a party wall can better understand the property they want to buy. A party wall agreement between neighboring owners is a useful and effective tool for understanding agreements and restrictions related to the common wall. These agreements determine which party bears the obligation for the cost of maintaining the common wall, as well as the impact if the wall is not maintained. For example, each part can increase the height of the wall, provided that the increase does not reduce its strength. Similarly, each part can support the wall and push the foundation deeper or increase the thickness of the wall by adding it to its own ground. In addition, some building codes require party walls to be built as fire walls, with non-combustible materials extending from the foundation to the roof. When a fire occurs in a unit, a wall of fire helps slow the spread of the fire to neighboring units. Not only is it safer for tenants, but it also helps contain fires and limit property damage. Party wall agreements are usually enforceable as agreements with the land, so future owners or assignees are bound by the agreement. The right of servitude of an adjacent landowner on the wall generally exists as long as the wall is maintained, unless otherwise agreed.

The easements of the party wall are terminated in case of accidental destruction of the wall and, in certain circumstances, in case of significant changes in the conditions in the neighborhood. Each part can replace a party wall that is dangerous to life or property or insufficient to support existing buildings. Neither owner has the right to reinforce a dangerous wall by allowing it to rest or be supported by the woods, walls or parts of the building of the other. .