Ex council house

Laurasnow

I have recently bought my late mums house. It was originally a council house but my mum and dad bought it around 30 years ago. I was speaking to someone about making improvements to my home and was told that because it was a ex council house, I would need to email the council to ask permission in writing if I wanted to fit a new bathroom or a new kitchen ect. Is this true does anyone know? I cant imagine I'd need to inform the council with the house not being a council house for over 30 years and I have now bought it. Thanks in advance for any advice given! 

AdrianC

I can't read your title from here.

Is it freehold or leasehold?
If leasehold, what does the lease say?

Laurasnow

Hi, I questioned my solicitors about this and they said it would be freehold with it being such a old house 

Carrot007

Could be but I doubt it. You have the covenants from when buying right?

I expect they are the standard council ones. No chickens. No permitted development (have to get planning permission), not more that 1 cat/and or dog (no one pays attention to that one), etc, etc...

Maybe they are confusing with the permitted devlopmant one?

Of corse they can vary slightly depending on the copuncil butaorunf here they have not changed for 70 years. Yes my previous house was ex council but sold in the 50s (which was obviously quite rare, but could happen) and had the same as more recently sold ones.

So read the documents you should already have.

MovingForwards

£3 for the title deeds, download and see what they say:
https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-property-and-land/copies-of-deeds

£3.60 in Scotland:
https://www.ros.gov.uk/services/search-property-information

user1977

Laurasnow said:

Hi, I questioned my solicitors about this and they said it would be freehold with it being such a old house 

And did you ask them whether there were any relevant covenants in the title?

TBagpuss

AS others have said, the issue will be whether there are any restrictive covenants in the title.

(And if there are, whether you think there is any risk of them ever being enforced) 

ProDave

My ex council house said no building without permission from the council.  So I got PP for an extension from the same council and thought that was all I needed.

When I sold it, I found out I should have sought specific permission from a different bit of the same council for permission under the covenant.  That was solved by a cheap indemnity policy to allow the sale to complete.

There were no restrictions in internal stuff.

goodwithsaving

Sometimes, but seldom enforced and nothing to worry about. Many non ex council developments have covenants on them but those who put it in place aren't around. With ex-council and older developments, I really wouldn't worry.