Do I need my freeholder's permission for air conditioning?
If you are a leaseholder and any part of the system touches the building's exterior, almost certainly yes. Most leases reserve external walls, roofs and balconies to the freeholder, so the condenser needs written consent, often formalised as a licence for alterations. Fitting first and asking later risks being legally required to remove the system.
The lease is the document that decides this, and London leases are consistent on the point: the structure and exterior belong to the freeholder, and alterations to them need consent. A condenser bracket bolted to an external wall is squarely an alteration. Some leases catch internal fixed installations too, so reading yours, or having your solicitor confirm, is the first step we recommend.
Consent usually arrives as a licence for alterations: a short legal document recording what was approved and on what conditions. Freeholders may charge a fee for processing it, £100 to £500 is common, occasionally more with a managing agent's surveyor involved. Budget for it; it is cheaper than any dispute.
What gets requests approved is specificity. We supply the pack that managing agents actually want: the unit's specification and sound data, the fixing method and loads, the condensate arrangement, our insurance and F-Gas certification. A request with that attached reads as professional and containable; a bare 'can I put up aircon?' reads as risk.
In share-of-freehold buildings, common across converted London terraces, the freeholder is you and your neighbours, so consent is a conversation followed by paperwork. It still needs the paperwork: a documented yes protects you when a flat above sells and a new neighbour wonders about the unit outside.
More in rules, planning & flats, or browse all 40 questions on the FAQ index.
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