# Building permission/licence for interior work on city centre flat



## samthemainman (Aug 15, 2012)

Hi all - been a while since I last posted but was keen to get advice here - namely around understanding the implications/necessity of getting planning permission for either minor or major work to a city centre flat - namely fitting a new kitchen (which involves knocking down a NON-load bearing wall) and refitting two bathrooms (putting a bath in one, and retiling/new shower in another) - so not sure under which it would qualify. The seemingly professional kitchen/bathroom fitters quoting us implied that they felt that for our job they'd only need to apply for permission (which they can do on the spot) if someone raised a denuncia. I'm yet to get our second/third quotes but after buying a property here and doing everything above board (despite many of our friends thinking we were bonkers) - I wanted to check this one out with you guys. 

I don't want to be cutting corners here - but what is the impact in terms of this and selling our property later?

We will likely insist on getting the correct permission etc - but given we're not extending and not doing anything structural to load-bearing walls, I wondered what the possible consequences were if no/the wrong permission was sought?


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

samthemainman said:


> Hi all - been a while since I last posted but was keen to get advice here - namely around understanding the implications/necessity of getting planning permission for either minor or major work to a city centre flat - namely fitting a new kitchen (which involves knocking down a NON-load bearing wall) and refitting two bathrooms (putting a bath in one, and retiling/new shower in another) - so not sure under which it would qualify. The seemingly professional kitchen/bathroom fitters quoting us implied that they felt that for our job they'd only need to apply for permission (which they can do on the spot) if someone raised a denuncia. I'm yet to get our second/third quotes but after buying a property here and doing everything above board (despite many of our friends thinking we were bonkers) - I wanted to check this one out with you guys.
> 
> I don't want to be cutting corners here - but what is the impact in terms of this and selling our property later?
> 
> We will likely insist on getting the correct permission etc - but given we're not extending and not doing anything structural to load-bearing walls, I wondered what the possible consequences were if no/the wrong permission was sought?


Simply - you might not be able to sell.

If denounced, it isn't automatic that permission would be granted retrospectively either - & noisy work like that is bound to be noticed by neighbours. You might end up with half done, or even completed work having to be destroyed at your own cost.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Have to agree with xabia. People will tell you over and over not to bother, but if you get checked out you need a licence and you might find you can't get one and then you're up that creek that people don't like to be up.
Neighbours do report you, even seemingly nice ones and here at least the police can and occasionally do do spot checks when they see skips out in the road.


----------



## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Have to agree with xabia. People will tell you over and over not to bother, but if you get checked out you need a licence and you might find you can't get one and then you're up that creek that people don't like to be up.
> Neighbours do report you, even seemingly nice ones and here at least the police can and occasionally do do spot checks when they see skips out in the road.


It happened to friends in Málaga last year. Their kitchen reform (involving a wall removal) was stalled for several months until the council issued a licence.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Madliz said:


> It happened to friends in Málaga last year. Their kitchen reform (involving a wall removal) was stalled for several months until the council issued a licence.


It happened to us. For complicated reasons, although we went to get a licence we didn't get one, went ahead, were reported by some horrible neighbours (who have reported various neighbours over the years including a policeman) and the police came round. The policeman was very nice though and only asked us to get "a licence". We got one for obra menor and he let us get on with it. So we got our obra done, but it is illegal and I suppose one day we'll get a fine...
Ok I'll tell you the detail. Our urbanización was originally built for Madrileños as weekend/ summer residences. At first around 10% were lived in all year round, but bit by bit as transport improved it became commuter land and now 95% are year round residences. They are houses that lend themselves to lots of improvements being made on them, knocking down walls, extending the kitchen, closing in a balcony, making the garage part of the house etc etc. When I went to get the licence, ready to cough up they told me no more work was to be done in that area. I was furious. In our street alone 5 people had done various renovation/ makeovers on their properties and they were telling me that just because I was a couple of years behind the Joneses we couldn't do it. As nothing of what we wanted to do was going to affect anybodies property in any way I counldn't see the reasoning behind it so we went ahead.


----------

