A licence-to-alter information pack is easier to manage when every requested document has an owner, a current revision and a clear status. Build the register around the property's actual requirements before setting a construction start date.
Start by asking the freeholder, managing agent or appointed adviser for the process and information that apply to your proposed work. Keep their request with the refurbishment brief, then identify who will prepare each response.
Confirm the consent route for the flat
LEASE's guidance on alterations and home improvements explains that the lease determines the restrictions and permission requirements. Some alterations may need written landlord permission or a formal licence. Planning permission and building regulations approval do not replace landlord consent where the lease requires it.
Have the relevant adviser resolve questions about the lease and proposed work. Then record the agreed process, the person handling it and the decisions needed before the affected construction starts. This guide helps organise that information. Our construction appointment does not automatically include legal advice or consent administration.
Ask for a property-specific information request
A general checklist can help you think of questions, but the working pack should follow the request you receive. Ask which drawings, scope details, contractor information and other documents are needed, in what format and through which submission route.
Separate a document you have been asked to provide from a document you think might be useful. For each requested item, record the purpose and the person expected to prepare or confirm it. Identify any review or professional appointment that remains to be arranged.
Keep owners and revisions in one register
Use this original document register as a starting point. Copy the fields for each requested item and keep them current as information changes.
| Record | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Document identity | Register number, title and the request or question it answers. |
| Requested by | Freeholder, managing agent or appointed adviser; request date and correspondence reference. |
| Prepared by | Responsible author or provider, contact and agreed next action. |
| Current version | Document number, revision, date and matching construction-scope reference. |
| Submission | Date sent, recipient, issue reference and attachments included. |
| Response | Query, decision or condition received; response reference and person checking it. |
| Construction consequence | Affected work, remaining restriction or action needed before that work proceeds. |
Use clear status descriptions, such as “awaiting drawing revision”, “submitted for review” or “response received; conditions to check”. Use approval wording only for the decision made and the scope it covers. Retain superseded documents as history while marking which version the team should use.
Check that the drawings and work description agree
Compare the pack against the quotation brief. If the drawing shows one bathroom layout while the written scope describes another, ask the relevant authors to resolve it before the information is relied upon.
Repeat that check when products or layouts change. Record the revision, the work affected and the person who will establish whether the change needs further consent or review. Tell the construction team which details remain provisional.
Example: a revised floor finish
Say the owner changes the proposed floor finish after the original information pack has been submitted. This is a hypothetical document-control example. Update the product and scope references, then ask the appropriate adviser how the revision should be handled under the property's process.
Keep the earlier issue and the revised information linked in the register. Record any requested supporting information and the response. The construction brief should show which finish is current and what remains unresolved before purchase or installation is released.
The same method works for a changed layout or service route: identify the change, obtain the relevant review and bring the resulting information back into the construction scope.
Make a usable construction handover
Once the relevant decisions are available, put the current drawings, agreed scope and applicable conditions together. Identify any required notices, inspections, access arrangements or completion information in the actual documents, and assign responsibility for each.
Record who communicates with building management and who keeps the team informed if a condition changes. A folder of attachments is more useful when the important actions are visible on a short current register.
Prepare the refurbishment enquiry
For a flat refurbishment in London, send the postcode, proposed room-by-room scope, drawings and relevant building requirements. Explain which information is confirmed and which decisions remain open. We can then discuss the construction package, access and supply responsibilities on that basis.