Landlord permission for imported home fixtures
Before ordering, read the tenancy agreement or lease and obtain written approval for the exact fixtures and installation work. Confirm who can approve, whether further consents are needed, and what must be removed or restored when you leave. Share the approved specification with Cambridge China Bridge.
Read the restrictions before choosing fixtures
Find the tenancy agreement or lease, its plans and any later amendments. Look for clauses about alterations, removing existing fittings, flooring, drilling, services and external appearance. Ask a solicitor to explain any prohibition or unclear consent clause before committing to a purchase. Failing to follow lease conditions can lead to a court order to pay for damage.
Separate a proposed upgrade from a repair to an existing fitting. For private renting, government guidance says you should only carry out repairs if the tenancy agreement says you can. Report the fault to the landlord and ask who will arrange the repair before ordering a replacement.
Identify everyone who needs to approve
For a rented home, ask the landlord or letting agent who is authorised to approve the work. If the landlord holds a lease, ask them to check whether freeholder or management company consent is also needed. For a leasehold home, send the proposal to the contact identified in the lease and confirm the approval route.
Ask whether the proposed work is prohibited, permitted without consent or subject to written consent. Request confirmation of any application documents, review charges and formal alterations agreement before proceeding. If the reply is only approval in principle, ask what remains outstanding before treating the proposal as approved.
Submit a specification for the actual work
Provide the property address, photographs of the existing fittings, proposed layout and product drawings. Describe dimensions, weight, materials, fixing points, drilling, removal work and connections to water, drainage or electricity. Name the installer and explain access, delivery arrangements and protection of communal areas. Include any effect on walls, floors, doors or external vents. For water treatment fittings, see our home water filter and softener guide.
Request written approval that identifies the attached drawings and specification by date or revision, including all conditions. Ask whether a formal licence to alter is needed rather than assuming an email is sufficient. Develop the product details using our kitchen cabinet sourcing guide or tiler’s checks before ordering, as relevant.
Agree reinstatement and ongoing responsibility
Ask for a written answer on whether the fixtures can remain when you leave or whether you must remove them and restore the previous condition. Clarify the restoration standard, who pays, whether original fittings should be stored, and what happens to plumbing connections, fixing holes and damaged finishes. Do not budget on the assumption that an approved improvement can stay.
Agree who will maintain the new fittings and deal with leaks, defects or damage during installation. Photograph the original condition and retain the approval with the installer’s records. Ask your insurer about the proposed work and imported fixtures; our home insurance guide covers the insurance questions separately.
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Release the order after checking the conditions
Ask the installer to check the project’s planning and building control position separately from the landlord’s approval. Building regulations approval and planning permission are different, and you might need both. Use the process applicable to the property’s location and ask the relevant authority about uncertain work before ordering. For heat pumps, see our planning permission and neighbour noise guide.
Before paying a deposit or authorising manufacture, match the factory specification to the approved proposal and check that outstanding conditions have been addressed. Give Cambridge China Bridge the approved drawings and installation constraints for its staff in China to use in the factory brief. If a product or fixing method changes, return it for review before releasing the change.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission to replace kitchen cabinets?
Check the tenancy or lease clauses on alterations and removing fittings. Send the proposed cabinets and fixing details to the landlord or freeholder and request written confirmation before ordering.
Is my landlord’s verbal approval enough?
Request written approval identifying the exact drawings, products and work. Ask whether a formal alterations agreement is needed, and check the conditions before paying the factory.
Must I remove approved fixtures when I move out?
Check the agreement and approval conditions. Ask for written confirmation of what can stay, what must be removed, the required restoration standard and who pays before ordering.
Can I order while freeholder consent is pending?
Keep enquiries and specification work moving, but wait for the required written approvals before committing to manufacture. Agree with the supplier what happens if consent changes the design or is refused.