Council Interference

[Ian999]

HI,

I've just completed on a property which requires rennovation work doing to it. I called up the council and registered myself for council tax, but applied for an exemption for a few months whilst the renovation work gets carried out.
My Builders started work on the property yesterday, and I've just recieved a call from them saying that someone from the council (building inspector) had just gone to my property, checked it out and said that I need to do lots of additional work that I had no intention of doing. They told the builders they would write to me to infomr me of this.

The only reason I told the council of the work I was doing was to get an exemption on the council tax - wish I hadnt now.

However, is it correct that the council can interfere in my property and tell me what work I must have done. They have said that they will come and re-inspect it once the work is carried out. I have no intention of renting the property to/through the council or to any DSS. This property will be rented privatley by me.

Please can someone tell me if the council has authority to do and enforce this.

Thanks

[welshgold]

the work needs to comply with building regulations, and a few more things if its in conservation zone, but apart from this they can not make you do other things.

[moocow]

ask them what law this comes under.

[Ericthelobster]

I've just completed on a property which requires rennovation work doing to it. I called up the council and registered myself for council tax, but applied for an exemption for a few months whilst the renovation work gets carried out.
My Builders started work on the property yesterday, and I've just recieved a call from them saying that someone from the council (building inspector) had just gone to my property, checked it out and said that I need to do lots of additional work that I had no intention of doing. They told the builders they would write to me to infomr me of this.
[...]
Please can someone tell me if the council has authority to do and enforce this.You've got confused here between the council tax and building control departments - the two are entirely separate. There's no way anyone from the council tax dept would have anything to do with the renovation work you're doing; all they want to do is check that the property is genuinely empty/uninhabitable or whatever exemption it is you're claiming for. They may not even bother inspecting.

The guy you had round was evidently a Building Control Officer, whose job it is to ensure that the building work you are having done is to the correct standard, mostly as regards safety but also other issues like insulation. When you are having major works done, you have to submit an application to the Building Control dept and pay them a fee - if you haven't done this, then presumably the builder or an architect will have done so - they wouldn't be round inspecting your property otherwise.

What works are ongoing at your property, and what has the BCO kicked off about?