Unauthorised work
You are required by law to make an application for building regulations approval before you begin building works. If you fail to comply with building regulations, we’ll serve you with an enforcement notice and take legal action.
There are penalties for breaking building regulations. If prosecuted, you could be faced with a fine of up to £5,000, plus £50 for each day after the conviction that the work is not put right.
As a property owner, you are responsible for making sure that any work carried out meets building regulations approval, even if that work took place before you bought the property. Make sure that you are shown any completion certificates before you buy a property.
Regularisation
If the previous owner didn't get building regulations approval, you may still be able to apply to cover the work that was carried out before you bought the property.
If the building work was carried out after 11 November 1985 then a regularisation certificate can be issued through an application process. You will need to fill out a regularisation application form (PDF, 93.6KB) and pay the appropriate regularisation fee.
Regularisation fees for some common works to homes are provided within our list of building regulations fees. For other works, please email us at buildingcontrol@lambeth.gov.uk with a clear description of all of the works that you are seeking to regularise and their location. Or, call us on 020 7926 1150, so that we can calculate the appropriate fee.
A surveyor will not visit the property until a completed application form and fee has been provided.
It may be necessary to uncover some of the work to conduct a proper inspection. Having notified us of the work, the owner is obliged to do whatever necessary to ensure that it complies with the current legislation.
If the unauthorised building work was carried out before 11 November 1985 we cannot consider a regularisation application.
There is no extra fee for the regularisation certificate once the works have been certified as meeting the regulations.