Licence to Alter: Three Types of Construction Works which Need Licence to Alter
Based on the terms of the lease, licence to alter can be needed for different types of work within a commercial or residential property. Generally, common type alteration works fall into three categories- structural alterations, Installation of Hard Floor Finishes, and relocation of wet areas.
Structural Alterations
Structural alterations generally implement changes to fixtures and fittings. It often involves weight-bearing elements of the property or can change the important appearance or shape of the property. Enabling an extension or knocking through a load-bearing wall can be a good example of structural alterations. If these alterations do not receive the required care, it can lead to severe damage to the building. And no doubt this will be a matter of concern for both the owner and the leaseholder.
Generally, landlords are suggested to hire an independent structural engineer to properly check the proposal offered by the leaseholder. Everything needs to be properly checked before granting a licence of Alterations. Any other structural alteration within the building should be checked. Previously carried out structural works that might have changed the load directions from the original layout need to be properly checked by experts. Apart from these, the second key factor is checking the proposal is including adequate temporary works or not. For instance, it can be said that bearing loads during the process should be checked and approved by an engineer otherwise there will be a risk of damages.
Installation of Hard Floor Finishes
Leaseholders generally place carpet and underlay on the flat floors to minimize noise footfall. But modern people are picking wood, tiles, and polished concrete as floor finishes and these often lead to noise problems. Generally, these problems do not appear immediately. If the installation goes against the terms of the lease, the leaseholder may need to re-instate the carpeting. The alteration work includes installing acoustic insulation material. One can do it earlier or at the time of hard flooring installation.
In order to handle this kind of situation, landlords and the managing agents need to keep a policy ready for granting a licence to alter for hard floor finishes. In the agreement, insulation material should be mentioned along with a new finish and performance for the soundproofing work. But these are not the best ways to make the floor soundproof. And that’s why the policy needs to include a post-installation check to ensure zero noise problems to other leaseholders. Before starting the work a detailed schedule of condition should be prepared to make it clear that due to the ceiling the new floors any crack has taken place or not.
Relocation of Wet Areas
Installation of new wet areas is the third common alteration work. Bathroom and kitchen relocations are common examples. If the landlord grants this kind of alteration, the process should be continued on the basis of clear and specific conditions. In the case of apartments, the process should set a precedent within the block.
A comprehensive system of tanking should be considered here in order to avoid any kind of leakage. Apart from this, there is another consideration and that is the old drainage may not serve the new one.
In order to handle this kind of situation, installing macerators is a good solution. But it needs to be properly maintained to prevent blockage and noise nuisance. Relocation work should engage zero to very little noise. Hard flooring and appliances can be sources of noise problems to other leaseholders.
Wet areas require some special services like water and drainage pipes and mechanical ventilation. To make it possible, you may need to involve extensive work on external walls. All these need to be included in any licence for alteration.
