The regulations deal with minimum standards of design and building work. They are designed to protect the health and safety of people in and around buildings, and cover areas from structure and fire safety to site preparation. Regulations will probably apply to new properties, extensions, alterations, fittings such as drains or heating systems, sanitary facilities and some changes of use, to name but some. A local authority ensures building work complies with regulations, and may demand alteration or removal of non - complaint work. They can also prosecute (with heavy fines a possibility), or carry out the work themselves and recover the cost from you.

Councils can get an injunction, preventing the altered property being used until the regulations have been complied with. So if you plan to do work on your property or to buy a home and alter it, call the local council's building control department for advice and submit your application before work begins.
If you've carried out work and not received building regulations approval, you may be able to obtain retrospective approval from the local authority or a regularisation certificate.

Failing this, a property sale might be saved by your solicitor getting an indemnity insurance policy, although this will not of course affect whether or not the work itself is up to the building regulations standard.
Philip Popeck is a partner at Curry Popeck, solicitors.
Call him on 020 8907 2000, or email him at philipp@currypopeck.com.