In flats across London, Essex corridor stock and Greater Manchester conversions, air conditioning projects fail more often on consent than on equipment price. Freeholders, managing agents and neighbours control walls, roofs, balconies and common parts. A keen installer quote cannot override a lease. The highest-leverage step is to start the consent conversation with clear outdoor options before locking a brand or paying a deposit.
Two gates, not one
Planning permission and lease consent are separate. Clearing one does not clear the other. Many leaseholders discover this after an engineer has already visited, which wastes survey fees and goodwill.
Common parts are the usual flashpoint: risers, exterior walls, shared roofs and balcony decks. Refrigerant pipework and condensate lines often need to cross areas the lease treats as landlord-controlled.
What freeholders actually worry about
Noise toward neighbouring windows, water dripping onto lower dwellings, appearance on street elevations, and fire-stopping through compartment walls dominate objections. Structural capacity on balconies and maintenance access for later servicing follow close behind.
A proposal that only shows an indoor unit brochure does not answer those worries. A one-page pack with outdoor photos, proposed fixings, drain route and acoustic notes does.
- Photograph candidate outdoor positions before the survey.
- Ask whether the lease mentions external plant at all.
- Budget time for managing-agent processes, not only install days.
- Do not order equipment before written consent principles are clear.
How consent risk enters the quote
Installers who regularly work in leasehold blocks price delay and redesign. Those who do not may submit a low number that assumes the client will 'handle paperwork'. Both behaviours are rational. Only one is transparent.
Ask whether the quote includes landlord drawing packs, second visits after consent changes, or out-of-hours working imposed by the block. If not, keep a contingency rather than treating the first number as final.
A sequence that saves money
Confirm lease position, open a freeholder enquiry with two outdoor options, commission a survey that respects those options, then compare installers on the consented pathway. Reversing that order is how projects stall mid-summer.
Where consent is refused, revisit passive measures or alternative positions rather than forcing a banned balcony. Credibility with the freeholder matters for any later application.
Frequently asked questions
Can I install first and seek consent later?
That is a high-risk approach. Unauthorised alterations can breach the lease and force removal at your cost.
Does freeholder silence mean approval?
No. Treat only written approval as reliable, and keep copies with the handover pack.
Are houses immune to consent issues?
Freehold houses avoid lease gates, but planning, neighbours and title covenants can still constrain outdoor plant.
Core buying guides
Start with these high-intent guides, then dig into the rest of the library.
Related guides
Sources and further reading
How this guide was prepared
This guide was written by the Local AC Installers Editorial Team. We compare official guidance, legislation and established consumer information, separate general information from project-specific advice, and show publication dates and sources. We do not accept installer accreditation claims at face value.