Apply to make alterations to a council leasehold property
You must apply for our permission to make any alterations to your property.
This includes things like:
- replacing the kitchen or bathroom
- installing a satellite dish
- removing internal walls
- replacing the front door
You must submit plans and supporting paperwork to us. We will look at your proposal and, whenever possible, give permission. This may be subject to certain conditions.
For all applications you need to provide:
- a layout plan showing all rooms in the property as they are now (even those you won't be changing)
- a layout plan showing all rooms in the property as they will be after the alterations (even those you won't be changing)
Depending on the kind of changes you want to make you may also need to provide additional plans or details.
Apply to make alterations to your leasehold property
Making changes to plumbing, bathrooms or kitchens
If you are altering plumbing or fitting a new kitchen, bathroom, wetroom, or shower you also need to provide:
- a plan showing the existing and proposed plumbing, if you are making changes to it
- for showers and wet rooms - details of how walls and floors will be made waterproof
- for bathrooms, shower rooms, and kitchens - details for mechanical air extraction systems showing how and where they will exit the property
Making changes to your heating system
If you are fitting a new heating system you will also need to supply:
- details of the existing and proposed location of the boiler
- information on how and where flue and pressure relief pipes will exit the building
Removing load bearing walls
If you are removing any part of a load bearing wall you must also give us:
- a supporting structural engineer’s report
Changing your front door
If you are changing your front door:
- you must check with us that the front door you want to fit is a fire safety door that meets current fire safety guidance
- it must be fitted with a self-closing device
- you should not alter the letterbox or add a cat flap as this can affect the fire safety of your building
Changes you can't make to your property
There are some changes we won't usually allow. This includes putting any of the following into the floors, ceiling or external walls:
- soil pipes
- waste pipes
- gas pipes
- water pipes
- heating pipes
- electrical cables
- any other services, components or equipment
Who can carry out work on your property
If adjacent properties or any parts of the building structure are damaged, or adversely affected, by work you carry out then it must be repaired, replaced or adapted as required by us. This will be at your expense.
To avoid this it is important you choose qualified people to carry out the work.
Electrical work
Works to electrical installations must:
- comply with BS 7671 and Part P: 2006 of the building regulations (2010 amendments)
- be carried out by a competent electrician registered as a domestic installer with NICEIC, IEE or ECA
When the work is finished you must get the appropriate electrical certificates and give us copies of them.
Gas installations
Gas installations must:
- be carried out by a competent Gas Safe registered engineer
When the work is finished you must get the appropriate Gas Safety Record and give us a copy of it.
Building regulations and planning permission
We can grant conditional approval for work on your home as the leaseholder or landlord. This does not mean we have given approval as the planning or building regulation authority.
You may also need to get building regulations approval or planning permission for your proposed alterations. You can find out if you need planning permission or make a building control application online.