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What is Building regulations?
Last verified 31 October 2026
Building regulations are the national standards for construction and alteration work, separate from planning permission. GOV.UK says you should check whether approval is needed before you construct or change buildings in certain ways.
Why it matters to landlords
Examples GOV.UK gives include building or extending structures, rewiring near baths or showers, installing a fixed air conditioning system, and replacing windows, doors or heating systems. If you are unsure, check with a building control body. For most work you can choose your local authority's building control department or a private registered building control approver. For higher risk buildings, approval comes from the Building Safety Regulator.
Whichever body is responsible can make you pay to fix faulty work. Building regulations approval is separate from planning permission, and you might need both. For landlords the risk is practical: without approval you will not have the certificates of compliance you may need when selling, and the standard of conversion matters for HMO and licensing questions. Keep approval documents and installer certificates in the property file.
Example
Daniel is converting a lettable loft in Cambridge into a bedroom and replacing the boiler in March 2027. He asks building control before starting, uses a registered installer for the boiler, and keeps the approval documents so he can show them to a future buyer.