Is air conditioning allowed in a flat?

What does your lease need to say?

LEASE, the government-funded advice service, says leases usually deal with alterations in one of two ways. A permissive clause allows changes once you have consent, and if the change is an improvement the landlord should have good reason to refuse. A prohibitive clause bans changes altogether, and you would need to ask the landlord to vary the lease. Mishcon de Reya adds that a lease normally excludes the structure from what you own, and that some leases or building rules ban air conditioning outright. Sources: LEASE; Mishcon de Reya.

What might a freeholder charge you?

They can recover a reasonable sum for costs properly incurred, such as a surveyor checking the plans, a solicitor drawing up a licence, and general administration. Where the alteration affects something they keep, such as an outside wall or the roof, they can refuse or ask for a premium, with no legal limit on the amount. Unreasonable administration charges can be challenged at the First-tier Tribunal. Ask for an estimate at the start. Source: LEASE.

Does a flat need planning permission?

A heat pump on a block of flats can be permitted development if the outdoor unit is no bigger than 0.6 cubic metres, it is the first one on the block and it meets the other conditions. The block must consist wholly of flats, so one with a shop or office on the ground floor falls outside. In a tall block, one unit per block will not go far, so only the first person to apply may benefit. Everyone after that will need an application. Source: Planning Portal.

What if your flat is in a converted Leamington villa?

Then you probably have three things to check: the lease, the conservation area and the listing. Many of Leamington's big houses were never designed for separate households, so pipes may need to cross parts of the building you do not own. A rear flat with its own yard or balcony is the easiest case. A top-floor flat at the front is the hardest, because the outdoor unit may end up several floors below you. The listed buildings guide covers consent.

Are you a council leaseholder or tenant?

Warwick District Council reminds its leaseholders that the lease is a legal contract with the council, and it has a dedicated section on repairs and alterations. Tenants should ask before making any change. Do this first, because the answer shapes everything else. Source: Warwick District Council.

What can renters do?

Ask the landlord in writing before fixing anything to the building. In Warwick district, 19.0% of households rent privately. Many landlords will not want a hole in the wall for a short let, so a portable unit is often the sensible answer. If your landlord agrees to a fixed system, they own it and should arrange the servicing. Source: ONS.

What if there is no outside wall to use?

Longer pipe runs through ceiling voids or service risers can sometimes connect to a unit on a roof or at the rear. Each extra metre costs money and needs the freeholder's agreement. If the refrigerant has to pass through very small rooms, those have to be checked for safety because many modern refrigerants are flammable. Source: Energy Saving Trust.