Load bearing wall in ex-council leasehold

[JSP]

Hi there,

I'm new here and new to the home buying process so bear with me

I'm looking to buy a ground floor ex-council maisonette (leasehold) in Southwark, London, that is need in complete renovation. There are two very narrow (1.70m each) bedrooms upstairs separated by a wall - I don't know if it's load bearing or not yet (it doesn't sound particularly hollow when you knock on it) but for the purpose of this query let's assume it is.

The property would be much more appealing if the two rooms were just one decent sized room (the house has another two rooms). I've read all about the process of applying for permission to knock down the wall, but I've also heard that councils can be extremely picky and unreasonable with these applications for non-safety reasons (to prevent people from adding extra value to houses in council estates, for example).

I understand and respect that councils have to look at safety first and I would never knock down a wall if it's unsafe to do so, but I've also heard and seen examples where they have been very picky at random and they haven't really had the interest of the home owners at heart when making the decisions. I don't want to spend around 500 pounds in "admin fees" with Southwark council to then be told I couldn't knock the wall for non-safety reasons.

Does anyone have experience with these kind of council permits and how stringent they are for a simple bedroom to bedroom wall?

And without prejudice (I understand the legality of it all), what are the advantages and disadvantages of involving the council in doing this?

I would love to hear some advice on this, thank you.

 

[^woody^]

but I've also heard and seen examples where they have been very picky at random

What part of the council are you referring to?

You do realise that the council's function as landlord and building control are distinct. And the rights and obligations under a lease are different to those under any building regulations?

 

[JSP]

I do realise that - I guess I'm talking about the council's function as a landlord. I know of two different people (one of them living in Southwark) which have had applications for knocking down walls turned down and in both cases they went ahead and did it anyway after hiring a structural engineer to ensure it was done safely with no issues whatsoever afterwards, hence my question.

 

[^woody^]

The terms of the lease will dictate what you can and can't do. No landlord can withhold any permission unreasonably.

Unauthorised alterations to leasehold properties can be costly at sales time.