Ringley estate management
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Help if you want to alter your property...

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As Ringley act for the Management Company and DO NOT ACT for the Freeholder we are unable to help you with your alterations application. The Freeholder is the person who bills you for ground rent and their name should be on any ground rent demand and perhaps if you phone the Agent who sends you the ground rent demand they can help you further. The information they probably require to advise you further will include a plan of the BEFORE and AFTER so we can understand what you would like to do, and also perhaps a few paragraphs explaining the proposed works.

It is the Freeholder/Freehold Company's job to protect the structural integrity of the building and the communal services from overload. This duty is usually delegated to the Freeholder's agent who is appointed to process and get a decision on proposed alterations.

Typical alterations are listed below.

For new build properties leases often prohibit all alterations.

And, if you live in a timber framed building you need to take extra care.

Granville

in the block above, an unsuspecting 'do-it-yourself' enthusiast removed the timber wall between her kitchen and living room causing the flat above to sink 2.5cm in just 24 hours.

Do I need a licence to alter?

If you can answer yes to any of the following questions, then getting a Licence to Alter is before you start work is required.
  1. Will your proposed alterations affect any face of the building (changing a window/door, putting a skylight in etc...)
  2. Will your proposed alterations cut through any wall?
  3. Will your proposed alterations remove any part of any wall (internal, external or partition wall)?
  4. Will your proposed alterations increase the amount of waste water/sewerage leaving the flat? (E.g. new kitchen, bathroom, toilet, show etc...)
  5. Will your proposed alterations involve any modification to a communal service? (eg. Removing a radiator attached to a communal heating system, re-routing a communal waste pipe.)

Do I need a planning permission?

Drawings, valuation and building regulations issuses

Useful links

  • FENSA (Requirements on glazing for new and replacement Windows)
  • SAP Ratings (Requirements for Carbon & Energy reduction for new premises)
  • NICEIC (The body for Electrical Safety & Certification)
  • Gas Safe (The body for Gas certification & Safety)