Building a small extension in a Private Estate

Dick Clerkin

Hi,

I've just bought a small terraced house in a private housing estate.

I'm hoping to build a small extension onto the back of the house, small enough that I don't have to apply for planning permission from the local authority.

A number of friends have suggested I'll need to run it past the property management company. Do I need to do this? Can they prevent me from doing this?

And advice/past experience much appreciated.

xper

You need to check the terms of your long-term lease and the current management company rules. There is almost certainly details therein about what structural changes you are allowed and not allowed make and whether and how you go about getting approval from the management company.

Also, while a small rear extension would generally be exempt planning permission on a property you own outright, there might be special conditions regarding further development attached to the original planning permission for the estate. While these should, if thy exist, be reflected if your lease terms and the estate rules, it would behove you to look up the estate's planning application yourself just to be safe and avoid some expensive grief in the future.

And of course, remember Management Company is not the same as Management Agent.

Kneeam

A lot of the time in Private Estates or Estates with an Owners Management Company it depends on policy of the board of directors (usually elected from the owners present at the AGM each year) of that Owners Management Company specifically.

Some Boards of Directors are very laid back and if the alteration is not visable from the road etc then they dont mind, other Boards of Directors can be extremely pedandtic about alterations being made with or without permission.

Contact the Managing Agent and have a chat with the person looking after your estate to see what the positon of your Board of Directors is.
(If you dont and you go ahead with the extension you could face months/years of hassle, solicitors letters etc & this is not what you want when you have just bought into an estate)