Understanding Building Regulations: A Guide for Landlords in Devon & Cornwall

Navigating Building Regulations can feel daunting for any landlord. With various rules and standards to follow, it’s vital to understand what’s required to keep your property safe, legal and attractive to tenants.

This guide breaks down the essentials of Building Regulations and related standards so you can stay compliant, protect your investment and avoid common pitfalls.

What Are Building Regulations?

In England, Building Regulations set minimum standards for the design, construction and alteration of buildings. They are made under the Building Act and supported by Approved Documents that explain how to meet the requirements in practice.

They’re there to ensure:

• Safety and structural integrity

• Fire safety and escape

• Health and welfare (ventilation, sanitation, damp, overheating, etc.)

• Energy efficiency

• Accessibility for people with disabilities

For landlords, Building Regulations mainly come into play when you:

• Convert, extend or significantly alter a property

• Carry out structural work

• Change the use of a building (for example, creating an HMO or converting a loft)

Non-compliance can lead to enforcement action, costly remedial work and difficulties if you ever try to sell or re-mortgage the property.

Why Building Regulations Matter for Landlords

1. Legal Compliance

Failing to comply with Building Regulations can result in:

• Enforcement notices from the local authority

• Requirements to undo or redo non-compliant work

• Potential fines and problems during sale or refinancing

Staying within the rules isn’t optional – it’s part of being a responsible landlord in Devon or Cornwall.

2. Tenant Safety and Health

Many of the requirements overlap with your duties under:

• The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)

• Fire safety legislation

• General landlord obligations to provide a safe, habitable home

If your property has been altered or extended without proper attention to regulations, you may be carrying hidden risks – for example, inadequate fire protection or poor ventilation leading to damp and mould.

3. Property Value and Marketability

Work carried out in line with Building Regulations:

• Helps preserve the value of your property

• Reduces nasty surprises during surveys when you come to sell

• Makes your property more appealing to good-quality tenants

4. Insurance and Liability

Insurers may:

• Question claims if serious defects are linked to unauthorised or non-compliant work

• Expect you to have taken reasonable steps to ensure any alterations met Building Regulations

Being able to show that alterations were properly designed, approved and certified (where necessary) strengthens your position.

Key Building Regulation Issues for Landlords

While the detailed rules sit in the regulations and Approved Documents, landlords commonly encounter the following areas:

Structural Safety

Ensuring the building is structurally sound includes:

• Foundations: Appropriate for the soil and loading

• Load-bearing walls and beams: Properly designed and supported

• Roof structure: Able to withstand local wind and snow loads

Any structural work – such as removing walls, inserting steel beams, or converting a loft – should be designed and signed off by competent professionals.

Fire Safety

Fire safety is critical, particularly in HMOs or multi-storey buildings:

• Adequate escape routes and protected stairways

• Suitable fire-resisting doors where required

• Smoke and heat detectors fitted in appropriate locations

• Fire separation between units in converted buildings

Fire precautions arise both from Building Regulations (when works are done) and from housing/fire safety law for ongoing management.

Energy Efficiency

Building Regulations include requirements around:

• Insulation of walls, roofs and floors

• Windows and doors (U-values, draught-proofing)

• Heating and hot water systems

• Air tightness and ventilation

Alongside this, you must also comply with EPC requirements for rental properties. Improvements such as additional insulation, more efficient heating and, where appropriate, solar PV can help both compliance and tenant comfort.

Accessibility and Usability

Newer and converted properties must pay attention to:

• Step-free access where required

• Door widths and circulation space

• Accessible sanitary facilities (particularly in certain types of development)

While older stock can be more challenging to adapt, it’s still important to consider accessibility in any significant alterations.

How to Ensure Compliance with Building Regulations

1. Research Local Requirements

Building Regulations are national, but local authorities in Devon and Cornwall administer them through:

• Local authority Building Control, or

• Approved inspectors (private Building Control bodies, where still applicable and within current rules)

Before starting any structural or alteration work, check:

• Whether Building Regulations approval is required

• Whether any planning permission is also needed

2. Use Competent Professionals

For anything more than basic, like-for-like repairs, consider working with:

• An architect or architectural technologist

• A structural engineer

• A reputable builder familiar with Building Regulations

• Building Control (local authority or approved inspector)

They can help ensure the work is designed, checked and inspected properly.

3. Keep Up with Changes

Regulations and guidance are updated periodically (for example, around energy efficiency and overheating). It’s good practice to:

• Keep an eye on updates from government and local authorities

• Use competent tradespeople who keep up with current standards

• Review older conversions/extensions to see whether they present obvious risks, even if they were done some time ago

4. Document Everything

Keep copies of:

• Building Control approvals and completion certificates

• Structural calculations

• Plans and drawings

• Guarantees and warranties

These documents are extremely valuable when selling, refinancing or defending your position in any dispute.

Common Pitfalls for Landlords

Assuming “it must be fine” because it’s been there a while

Just because a loft conversion, extension or internal alteration has “always been like that” doesn’t mean it was done correctly. Older, undocumented work is often where the biggest risks lie.

Skipping Building Control

Carrying out work without Building Regulations approval (where required) can:

• Lead to enforcement action

• Cause issues during sale (when buyers’ solicitors ask for certificates)

• Leave you with hidden safety problems

Always check whether approval is needed before starting work.

Neglecting Fire and Escape Provision

Converting a house into smaller units, increasing occupancy or changing layouts without thinking about:

• Escape routes

• Fire doors

• Detectors and alarms

…can leave you exposed under both Building Regulations and housing/fire safety law.

Underestimating Cost and Complexity

“Small” projects can spiral if:

• Hidden defects are uncovered

• Additional work is needed to meet thermal, ventilation or fire requirements

• Previous non-compliant alterations have to be addressed

Budgeting realistically for compliance is essential.

Where My Services Fit In

While I don’t act as Building Control or issue Building Regulations approvals, my Property Health & Compliance Review can help landlords in Devon and Cornwall by:

• Looking at your property in the way a council inspector might – particularly around damp, mould, hazards, fire safety and comfort

• Highlighting obvious risks linked to poor or undocumented alterations

• Providing a plain-English action plan so you can decide where to bring in architects, engineers or contractors

• Helping you connect the dots between Building Regulations, HHSRS, EPCs, and real-world tenant safety

For properties with solar PV, my Solar PV Performance & FiT Protection Review can also support decisions around upgrades and efficiency without compromising existing Feed-in Tariff arrangements.

Conclusion

Understanding and respecting Building Regulations is a core part of responsible landlording. By:

• Checking requirements before you alter or convert a property

• Using competent professionals

• Keeping good records

• And periodically reviewing the overall health and safety of your buildings

…you reduce risk, protect your investment and provide better homes for your tenants.

If you’re unsure whether your property in Devon or Cornwall is up to scratch from a health and safety perspective – especially around damp, mould, hazards, comfort or older alterations – a Property Health & Compliance Review is a practical place to start.