How far from a house should a Horse Chesnut tree be?

Question:My neighbor is fed up of the tree in her garden it is in close to the house and as the branches are very low it takes up half the garden. The housing association we rent from have refused to do anything about it as they say it is her responsibility, is there a law as to how close houses can be built to large trees?

Any help appreciated.

Answers:
I'm a little confused as to what came first the tree or the house? Are you trying to save the tree, remove it, or just get it pruned? Homeowners associations are tough on owners and I would think renters have even fewer rights. That said, lets think about this. A common horse chestnut has a mature size of about 60 ft. high by 40 ft. wide, therefore it should be 15-20 ft. from a building to grow unencumbered. Any closer and roots can damage the foundation or visa-versa and if the tree is closer, the branches will damage the building. If the owners think there precious property is in danger they might be more apt to listen. Another angle to this would be to explain how much better the neighborhood would look if the tree had a haircut to show off the lovely garden beneath. RScott