Partial removal of party wall between two buildings

[tsport]

Hi, I'd be grateful for any help in this matter - my father in law is leasing a commercial property out, which is being used as a cafe - the tenant wants to expand the business so is planning to lease the next door shop and partially removing the party wall in order to have a bigger cafe.

The tenant has had plans drawn up by an architect and the local authority have approved the building control application. However my sister in law thinks we also need to appoint our own surveyor and structural engineer as well to go over the plans but is this standard practise or necessary?

Thanks

[surveyor]

tsport said:

Hi, I'd be grateful for any help in this matter - my father in law is leasing a commercial property out, which is being used as a cafe - the tenant wants to expand the business so is planning to lease the next door shop and partially removing the party wall in order to have a bigger cafe.

The tenant has had plans drawn up by an architect and the local authority have approved the building control application. However my sister in law thinks we also need to appoint our own surveyor and structural engineer as well to go over the plans but is this standard practise or necessary?

Thanks

I think you mean that your Father in Law is the Landlord.

He needs to read the lease, but it is likely that Structural Alterations require the consent of the Landlord, not to be unreasonably withheld - at the very least.

I don't think it would be necessary to appoint a Surveyor, but having a structural engineer double check the calculations and report back on the finished job sounds prudent. Generally speaking you would also be able to recover his costs from the Tenant also.

Much as always depends on the exact terms of the Lease. I would encourage him to have a think about what happens at the end of the Lease or if the Tenant defaults. I personally would not be keen on having a wall removed (as opposed to a doorway put in).

[TooLateForAName]

Who owns the building next door? What do they say?

[essayer]

Amazed that a landlord would let a tenant drive this process without anything being drawn up; dilapidations etc

Is the property mortgaged?
What about buildings insurance?