Refurbish Flat

yya

Hi everyone. I am planning to refurbish my flat this year. It was a ‘older’ flat in canary wharf, built in 2002. Hence need to install a new set of kitchen cabinets, redo 2 bathrooms and flooring. It seems doing these work need to get permition from the freeholder. I would like to ask how complicated it could be for the process of getting the freeholder to agree? Would be possible the freeholder reject some updates, and if I hire a builder or a company, would they be the one contact with freeholder? I would not remodel the flat, only want to update the inside. Also do you guys have any recommendations about how to find good builders? Thanks in advance.

eddddy

Assuming your lease says you need consent from your freeholder...

In simple terms, the law says:

• The freeholder can only ask you to provide a 'reasonable' amount of information about your planned alterations

• The freeholder cannot refuse consent 'unreasonably'

• The only valid reasons for refusing consent would be if the alterations were detrimental to other leaseholders or to the freeholder

So perhaps the freeholder will mainly be interested in the effect of 'things' they own. e.g.

• If you're cutting a hole in their external wall for a vent
• What you're connecting to their communal drains
• What you're connecting to their communal water supply pipes

(Also, how are you dealing with waste - the old kitchen and bathrooms? Will you need a skip on the road? Or do you want to put a skip on the freeholder's land?)

In your position, I would just apply with whatever information it is easy to provide - maybe a brief description of the work (and if the kitchen/bathroom people provide free sketches, you could put those in as well). Then see if the freeholder asks for more.

The freeholder might write a letter giving consent, or provide some kind of licence document. That letter/document is very important - keep it safe. When you sell the flat, the buyer's solicitor is likely to ask for a copy of it.


An efficient freeholder might impose 'reasonable' conditions, like (assuming you're on an upper floor accessed by lifts, and building materials have to be carried through communal areas)...

• No building materials or waste to be stored in communal areas
• No work to be done outside 9am to 5pm Mon to Fri (to avoid disturbing neighbours)
• Lifts to have floor and wall protectors used to prevent damage
• Communal carpets to be covered by dust sheets
• Walls in communal areas to have protection to prevent damage
• All protectors / dust sheets to be removed at the end of each working day
• Communal areas to be cleaned and vacuumed at the end of each working day 

If the freeholder wants to do an inspection to check that you haven't damaged any communal areas (or to inspect holes cut in walls etc), the freeholder will probably charge you a fee for that.
 
(That's probably enough stuff to start with.)

Jonboy_1984

Personally I would spend a couple of hundred quid first on having a solicitor check the specific lease clauses and work out if you need permission or not, as it all depends on the lease wording but replacing “like for like” internal fittings (or very similar depending on what is available) may not need any engagement with the freeholder.

eddddy

Jonboy_1984 said:

Personally I would spend a couple of hundred quid first on having a solicitor check the specific lease clauses and work out if you need permission or not, as it all depends on the lease wording but replacing “like for like” internal fittings (or very similar depending on what is available) may not need any engagement with the freeholder.

But even if your solicitor says that in their opinion, you don't need consent - the freeholder's solicitor might disagree, and a future buyer's solicitor might disagree.


So unless the lease is 'crystal clear' that you don't need consent, I might be tempted to do it the other way around.

• Submit a simple request for consent (or for confirmation that consent isn't required)...

• If the freeholder gives consent or replies "you don't need consent" - that's great. (And keep the freeholder's letter safe.)

But if the freeholder is difficult - e.g. refusing consent, imposing unreasonable conditions, etc. - then maybe pay a solicitor for their advice.