Summary of Your Rights and Duties
Building Regulations
Rights
- Right to carry out building works
- Right to carry out building work, provided it complies with planning and building rules.
- Right to apply for and obtain approval
- You have the right to apply for and obtain building regulations approval from building control services or approved inspectors. However, your application must meet the conditions set out in the relevant building legislation.
- Use of self certified services of competent persons.
- You are entitled to use the self certified services of a competent person for certain installation without seeking approval from the building control or approved inspectors.
Duties
- Confirm if Building regulations are required before starting building works
- Check to see if building approval is required. If you are employing a builder, they should check to see if building approval is required and act on your behalf to get the approval. Ultimately, the responsibility still lies with you and you must confirm that any work done will be in compliance with the building regulations.
- Compliance
- Ensure that your building works (if not exempted) complies with building regulation requirements.
- Other appprovals
- Check to see if planning permission is required and follow the notification process under the Party Wall etc Act 1996, if the work involves a party wall.
Party Wall etc. Act 1996
Rights
- Right to carry out Party Wall works
- You are entitled to repair and maintain party walls
Duties
- Give notice to adjoining owner
- Must give two months’ notice to the adjoining owner of intention to carry out works under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
- Carry out works
- If no dispute, proposed work must be carried out within a year, after which time the notice becomes invalid.
