Property types & audiences
Carpentry in flats and leasehold property
The constraints usually come from the lease, not the building.
Work in a flat has an extra layer that houses do not: someone else's rules. Leases commonly restrict flooring types, working hours and alterations, and the managing agent may require notice or consent before anything starts. None of it is difficult, but discovering it after the material has been ordered is expensive — so it is worth an hour of reading before any work is planned.
Check the lease before choosing flooring
Many leases require carpet to a percentage of the floor area, or specify a minimum acoustic performance for hard flooring. This directly determines the underlay and build-up you can use, and it is the single most common source of disputes after a flat refurbishment.
Consent and notice
Alterations affecting the structure, services or communal areas typically need freeholder or managing agent consent. Non-structural fitted joinery usually does not, but the threshold varies by lease — ask rather than assume.
Access, hours and logistics
Lift restrictions, permitted working hours, waste routes and parking all affect how a job runs and how long it takes. Long material lengths and stair-only access are worth flagging at quoting stage rather than on the morning.
Entrance and escape route doors
Flat entrance doors onto a communal corridor are usually part of the building's fire strategy and are not a free choice. Replacing one is a regulated matter involving the freeholder, not a straightforward door swap.
Questions we're asked about this
Planning work in a flat?
Tell us what the lease says about flooring and access and we'll spec the build-up to comply from the start.
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