High-rise living: Making changes to your high-rise home
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
BSR helps make sure residents in high-rise buildings in England are safe and feel safe in their homes. This new system was created to prevent tragedies like Grenfell Tower from happening again.
What is a high-rise building (HRB)?
When we talk about “HRBs” in this guide to making changes to high rise homes, we mean registered residential buildings that are 18 metres high or have seven or more floors.
To check if your building is registered visit Find a high-rise residential building – GOV.UK
What you need to know before making changes to high-rise homes
What you can or cannot do for home improvements in a high-rise flat is often not clear. Reading this guide and getting advice will help.
If you do not get professional advice and proper approval, it could risk your safety and your neighbours’ safety.
It could also break the terms of your lease or tenancy agreement. You could face legal action or a large fine.
So, before you pick up the tools (or hire someone), check and take these three steps:
- Look at your lease or tenancy agreement
- most agreements require written permission before altering anything structural or changing the outside of the building
- even small changes inside your flat (like switching carpet to wood flooring) may need permission due to noise or fire safety risks
- often, you need a formal “licence to alter” from the landlord or owner for smaller work
- Speak to your landlord, managing agent or Principal Accountable Person (PAP)
- every HRB must have a Principal Accountable Person (PAP) who manages building safety
- the PAP must know about any work that might affect the building’s fire or structural safety. In this guide, we call them your “PAP”
- if you don’t know your PAP, ask your caretaker or concierge. They may also contact the PAP for you
- get written consent from your PAP for any smaller work before starting
- always get their advice on any work, especially if it involves any of the improvements listed below.
- Potential issues at a later date can be avoided by checking to see if you need building control approval first
- Check if your works need building control approval
Building Regulations are laws that cover building work and the standards that must be applied for matters such as structure, fire safety, ventilation and energy efficiency.
Since October 2023, BSR is the building control authority for all HRBs in England. Local councils or private companies can no longer oversee this work.
You must get building control approval from BSR before carrying out building work (as defined in Building Regulations) unless the work is ‘exempt’, an ‘emergency repair’ or is carried out under a Competent Person Scheme (CPS).
Emergency repairs
BSR considers that the emergency repair route is only appropriate when the work meets each of the following criteria:
- it is in response to a genuine emergency where the risk to health, safety or welfare to persons in or about the building is imminent. Hence the need to carry out the work ‘as a matter of urgency’ at the earliest opportunity once the need for the repair has been identified
- for example, a system/service necessary to support the health, safety or welfare to persons in or about the building has broken down and requires urgent remedial action; and
- it is not practicable to comply with the legal requirement to submit an application to the BSR and receive building control approval before starting any work to an existing HRB.
- for example, the Accountable Person (AP) needs to carry out the work within several days to prevent a risk to the health, safety or welfare to persons in or about the building from materialising, but the statutory timeframe for BSR to determine applications for existing HRBs is eight weeks (or longer if agreed between applicant and BSR) and the AP cannot wait that long without the risk likely materialising; and
- it is to repair an existing part of the building, system, service or plant etc
- the emergency repairs route cannot be used to install something new as this would not constitute a ‘repair’
Each case must however be considered on its own merits. If the criteria for an emergency repair as set out above are met, then you must:
- send a notice to BSR as soon as is reasonably practicable after work has started setting out why the emergency repair criteria were met.
- make an application to BSR to have the work ‘regularised’ once the work is complete.
Further guidance can be found at Building control approval for higher-risk buildings – GOV.UK
If work does meet the criteria set out above then you must:
- as soon as reasonably practicable after the work is started a notice must be sent to BSR that sets out why the emergency criteria were met
- when the work is completed an application to have the work ‘regularised’ MUST be made to BSR
Competent person schemes
Competent person schemes (CPS) largely cover the replacement of controlled fittings, for example a door or window or a controlled service, for example a boiler.
CPS allows the competent person (installer) to self-certify that the building work they have done complies with the Building Regulations. Further details can be found here – Competent person schemes – GOV.UK.
If the building work does not fall into these categories, you will need approval from the BSR before carrying out the work.
Such work may include any of the following:
- taking down a wall or moving a wall
- replacing doors
- adding air-conditioning
- installing underfloor heating
- installing new flues
- replacing a boiler that connects into shared water or heating systems
- any other work that could affect the fire or structural safety of the building
What constitutes building work is not always clear. Residents are therefore encouraged to seek advice if uncertain.
You will also be responsible for paying fees for application and approval.
Typical home improvement examples: Who needs to approve the work
| Type of work | Needs Landlord/PAP consent? | Needs BSR Building Control approval? |
|---|---|---|
| Knocking down or moving walls |  | |
| Installing air conditioning | | |
| Changing boilers or electrics connected to communal systems | | |
| Flooring changes (carpet to wood or tiles) | (usually) | |
| Redecorating, tiling, kitchen units | Check your lease first. You may need to return the property to its original condition when you leave. |  |
How to apply for building control approval from BSR
You must provide detailed information showing that your work follows all relevant Building Regulations.
You also need to show how the work will be managed.
- the easiest way to provide this information is by using the documents required for larger work
- guidance on how to submit and manage an online building control application to BSR is available at Managing building control approval applications for higher-risk buildings
- please read this guidance thoroughly before applying to avoid common errors
- if you are unsure whether the work needs approval, always ask first: Contact your PAP, a specialist property solicitor or BSR
What if you don’t get approval?
- if you start work before BSR has told you that you can, it is an offence
- you may have to undo the work at your own expense
- this could be a breach of your lease, tenancy and/or Building Regulations. Breaches of building regulations can lead to legal action
- your insurance may not cover you if something goes wrong
- most importantly, you could put yourself and your neighbours at risk
Costs and timings
- BSR’s building control charges a fee. This fee depends on how long it takes to assess, approve, or reject the size and type of work
- BSR calculates charges using a set application charge, plus added hourly rates for staff (currently £156 per hour). They also charge fixed rates for standard activities
- costs can also cover expenses for relevant authorities (like local authorities and fire and rescue authorities) and third-party experts hired by BSR
- your landlord or managing agent may also charge a fee to issue consent
- remember to budget for time and cost for professional drawings, reports and inspections that BSR and/or landlords might request.
Essential safety reminders
- remember, if you live in an HRB with a PAP, extra rules apply under the Building Safety Act
- always consider including anything that compromises the integrity of the compartmentation of the apartment or building e.g. pipes through walls
- you MUST NOT interfere with fire doors, alarms, smoke vents, or anything else that keeps the building safe
- always tell your PAP if your works might affect fire or structural safety. Get advice to check if BSR approval is also needed
Checklist
always get written permission for smaller work from your PAP
contact BSR early if you’re unsure whether the work needs building control approval
use qualified people for the work
keep all approvals, in case you sell your home later
when in doubt – ask before you act.
Where to get help
- First step – Ask your landlord, managing agent or Accountable Person for initial advice
- Read BSR’s building control FAQs and useful resources
- Read official building control guidance
- Contact the Building Safety Regulator
Other useful organisations
Important update on proportionality
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government recently consulted on improving proportionality in building control to re-classify works inside individual flats from Category A to Category B.
This would be to reduce the administrative burdens on routine modifications.
Until legislation is amended and introduced, existing rules remain in place. All modifications affecting structural or fire-safety elements in HRBs continue to require BSR approval.
Building safety guidance and resources
A to Z of building safety
Your home, your safety
Find out more in the new residents’ newsletter.