Responsibilities for property owners
Property owners are responsible for maintaining buildings and structures so they do not become dangerous.
This includes boundary walls, fences and other structures on their land.
Building control do not carry out surveys, repairs or maintenance.
Dangerous structures
If a structure becomes dangerous, we may require the owner or occupier to carry out work to make it safe.
Failure to maintain a structure may result in formal action by the council, this may incur costs.
Emergency works
Where there is an immediate risk to public safety, urgent action may be required.
If the owner cannot be contacted, the council may carry out emergency works to remove the danger and recover the reasonable costs from the owner.
We may also work with the police, fire service and other agencies where necessary to protect the public.
Costs
We may charge for:
- repeat callouts
- nuisance calls
- emergency work carried out by the council
- reports that are not considered dangerous structures
If Building Control has previously raised concerns about a structure and further action is required, additional charges may apply.
Other council departments may also charge for services provided in relation to a dangerous structure.
Nuisance or repeated reports may also result in charges.
Fees and expenses for dangerous structures (PDF, 252 KB)
Information for all tenants
If you are a tenant, contact your landlord, managing agent or housing provider before reporting maintenance issues to Building Control.
Building Control deals with dangerous structures rather than general maintenance issues.
You may be asked to provide evidence that you have contacted your landlord, managing agent or housing provider before further action is taken.