Communal rear access to rented property

[dot.haukes]

My son has taken a tenancy on a 3 bed house, the back door opens onto a tiny space that is just a narrow passageway that has been blocked with a static fence panel with a makeshift brick wall behind it. The house attached is the other sharer ofr this rear space but they have built this blockade to prevent anyone from my son's house gaining access or exit from the house my son has moved into.
The landlord, who i know well, is terrified of the woman who lives in the other house, she is a right harroden apparently and pesters him and complains about problems with the house, the landlord has told my son to not mention the term' communal yard' to the nieghbour, but to wait and see how it goes and possibly ask ME to spoeak to them!!!! I lived in the same street for 19 years, before the neighbour moved there and I know that the council and the fire brigade would definately order her to take the barrier down and I also know, because I helped the previous owner sell the new owners the house, that the deeds show clearly that it is a communal yard and that access on foot is a legal right to the occupiers of the attached house that my son is living in now.
basically, my son has no escape from the rear of his home if there was a fire.
Ok, hope that is explanation enough, now, what should we do?
1) Knock the wall down and remove the nailed on 6 ft fence panel barracading the access? Thereby aggitating the witch next door?
2) Ring the council and the fire servcie and get them to act on it?
3) wait like the landlotd suggests, hope nothing dangerous happens, hope they all get on and become friendly and so it gets removed?

Oh and also, there is no way of getting the wheelie bins out to the rear and so they will have to come through the house, which I''ve already said is absolutely ridiculous.

[Twenty20]

What should you do? Nothing. You're renting the house and, I presume, saw the set up before deciding to sign the tenancy so you signed it on those terms. As a tenant you don't go knocking down walls or fences. Also, many homes only have one exit e.g. any flat, apartment, maisonette, back to back house etc. It's not a fire risk.

[dot.haukes]

I think if my son had agreed with the idea then yes you make a good point, however, having known the property has a communal yard and also the landlord having told us he could get a solicitor to act over it but he doesn't want to cause bother, I am looking at it from theangle of it being a property with rear communal access that has been blocked by one of the adjacent occipiers using a 'boundary' that is not on their deeds.

[bednobs]

tbh i dont think the council or fire brigade will care. If the house is privately owned, what is it to do with the council? As pointed out many dwellings (ie second floor flats) only have 1 exit so what is it to do with the fire brigade?

[caththecrazy]

It's illegal and I'd be getting it taken down as you say who brings their wheelie bin in through the house.

Advise your son to tell the landlord he will be "discussing" this with said neighbour. As your son is living there surely he'll be the one getting the flack from her not the landlord? Get him a copy of the plans and let him show her. She's just a bully, maybe if she's confronted she'll back down. Has she put this up since your son has moved in or was it like it before?

Isn't there some unwritten law that if something is built or taken over, after so many years it does become legal? or is that hearsay? Maybe the landlord will lose the right if he doesn't act.