Loft conversion - No Building Regs sign off.

jamcam66

When we bought our house. The kitchen extension had planning permission and was signed off in 2003. The loft conversion had no Building Regs sign off, we also believe it was done at the same time as the kitchen.  We seller paid out an insurance policy for the loft.

What do we have to do to get this signed off? Can the council force us to put it back and not use it as a spare bedroom? 

sevenhills

Is it a proper loft conversion with dormer windows, a staircase and a door at the top of the staircase?

RHemmings

Just curious - is the loft conversion of a type that it would come under permitted development? I thought that was the case for many loft conversions but am not sure. 

james_stan

Permitted development still requires an application to the local authrority, buildings approval is another step to check the structure compies with current regulations - this will require among otherthings strcutural engineers calculations and drawings. 

I doubt they will be any recourse to convert back and you can probably use it 'as is' but at your own risk, if building approval is not forthcoming. The problems will re-emerge however when it's your turn to sell.

user1977

Bear in mind the indemnity policy is invalidated by you contacting building control. It may be better to let sleeping dogs lie.

EssexHebridean

user1977 said:

Bear in mind the indemnity policy is invalidated by you contacting building control. It may be better to let sleeping dogs lie.

Seconding this. 

Why do you need to get it signed off now anyway? If it works well for you are you are using it currently, then the only issue comes in how you come to describe it if you sell. In other words, you may be using it as a bedroom currently, but you wouldn't be able to include the space as a bedroom when the property is listed for sale. And when someone comes along interested in buying, that indemnity policy will almost certainly just pass to them too, so there will be no need for you to go the expense of paying for another.

ThisIsWeird

jamcam66 said:

When we bought our house. The kitchen extension had planning permission and was signed off in 2003. The loft conversion had no Building Regs sign off, we also believe it was done at the same time as the kitchen.  We seller paid out an insurance policy for the loft.

What do we have to do to get this signed off? Can the council force us to put it back and not use it as a spare bedroom? 

2003? Don't worry.
The only action Building Control could take is if it was deemed unsafe. Infinitesimally remote chance.
And you paid for an insurance policy - indemnity? - at the time?
Double don't worry.
Why are you asking about this now - are you planning to sell? If so, answer the SIP correctly when it asks whether there's any BC breach, and add that there's a policy in place for this. You could even be upfront as folk are being shown around, but obviously make it clear it was done ages ago, clearly to a high standard, to your knowledge by the same folk who did the kitchen, and it's never been a concern to you.
Most folk won't be bothered at all (unless it looks cowboy - dangerous staircase, things like that).

Albermarle

sevenhills said:

Is it a proper loft conversion with dormer windows, a staircase and a door at the top of the staircase?

OP this question is important, as if it has not been done properly it is potentially a fire risk.
As well as the above you should have a linked smoke alarm system run from mains electricity , with battery back up. One on each floor, approx in line with the escape route. ( from the loft room entrance to the main exit door of the house.
Also one of the dormer/Velux windows should lead out on to a roof, as another escape route.

eddddy

If the previous owner got sign off for the kitchen, but not for the loft conversion - it's very likely to be because the loft conversion didn't meet building regs standards.

It's quite possible that the design of the house made it impossible (or infeasibly expensive) to do a loft conversion that meets building regs standards.

If that's the case, nothing good would come out of getting Building Control involved.

You just sell the house as it is - a house with a loft conversion that doesn't meet building regs standards. Some buyers probably won't be bothered by that, others might decide to offer less, or walk away.



However, the estate agent might be nervous about describing the loft room as a bedroom if it doesn't have building regs sign off, because in the past, it seems that The Property Ombudsman has said that's misleading and ordered estate agents to pay compensation to prospective buyers.

See: https://thenegotiator.co.uk/30220-2/

Emily_Joy

The council cannot do anything after 20 years (the was a court ruling effectively that if the place has been used continuously for the same purpose for 20 years, even if didn't have the permission at first place, then they cannot force the owner to revert it back). The building regs might take another viewpoint, though.

juliedee4663

eddddy said:

If the previous owner got sign off for the kitchen, but not for the loft conversion - it's very likely to be because the loft conversion didn't meet building regs standards.

Not necessarily.  We were in the process of buying a house with exactly the same issues and the reason that the loft conversion had not been signed off was because if it had the sellers would have gone into a higher band of Council Tax so they left it.