Leasehold flat and fireplace / woodburners ?

Fatbadger_2

Hi - We are about to buy a leasehold flat on the ground floor of 3. It is Victorian so there is a fireplace which has not been used for decades. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas about likelihood of permissions please advise. I was thinking that the fireplace is mine and if there was no covenant in the lease then why not reuse the fire? But then what happens if we want yhe chimney swept, because that goes through several owner occupiers! I wood rather have a woodburner but for the reason just dtated i doubt i coukd install a flue up through neighbours chimneys.
Mad idea all round?
Thanks for looking.

Owain_Moneysaver

You should have the right of access to chimneys and flues etc, but you'd need to get your solicitor to check the exact arrangements for the property you are considering.

Sweeping should be classed as routine maintenance, but if you need to put a new flue inside the existing chimney (which should be yours exclusively - shared flues are another problem and may make any combution appliance impossible under current regulations, even a new gas fire) that may be more difficult and require freeholder consents.

Ectophile

Each fireplace should have a completely separate chimney all the way up to the chimney pot. So what you do with your fireplace wouldn't affect anyone else.

It's worth having an expert look at it to see what state the chimney's in. That will give you some idea how much work is needed.

Cardew

Ectophile wrote: »

Each fireplace should have a completely separate chimney all the way up to the chimney pot. So what you do with your fireplace wouldn't affect anyone else.


.

That is if the building was built as flats/ However many Victorian buildings are flats converted from a large house.

suki1964

Cardew wrote: »

That is if the building was built as flats/ However many Victorian buildings are flats converted from a large house.

This is something that needs to be checked

My first flat was a covered Victorian house. My flar was the top floor. The four flat below me all had their gas fires fitted with their fumes going up the stack. Chimney was never lined, I got carbon monoxide poisoning

silverwhistle

Every fire should have its own flue, which is why you'll see multiple pots on older buildings, but the bricks (feathers ISTR) between the flues can crumble, as suki found!

If you line the chimney neither you or your neignbours should have any problems, but I can't comment on the legal situation in your case. I imagine in principle you have a 'right of way'.

stan5001

Every fireplace will have it's own flue in the stack.








We lived in a converted Victorian flat and used the coal fires, having them swept every year.


There was nothing in the lease about them and we had no issues.
I would get legal advice before installing a wood burner (as you will need to install a metal flue through the old brick one) although you should have no problem.

FreeBear

stan5001 wrote: »

I would get legal advice before installing a wood burner (as you will need to install a metal flue through the old brick one) although you should have no problem.

A reputable installer should conduct a smoke test and will need access to each room and loft space that the flue passes through to check for leaks. Once this test has been completed, then a flue liner can be installed. Negotiations with other flat occupiers may be required before the smoke test is carried out.

It would also be advisable for each room the the flue passes through to be fitted with a carbon monoxide detector.