The short version
- The lease says whether the windows belong to your flat or stay with the freeholder.
- Most leases need the freeholder's written consent (a licence to alter) before any alteration.
- Flats have no permitted development rights for window changes, so a different look usually needs planning permission.
- A freeholder replacing a whole block in England must consult you once your share passes £250.
Who is responsible for replacing windows in a leasehold flat?
Your lease decides who is responsible. You replace and pay for windows that are part of your flat (demised to you). The freeholder replaces windows it keeps, and recovers the cost through the service charge.
GOV.UK confirms that the lease sets out "whether you or your landlord has responsibility for repairs" and "if you need permission to make alterations". There is no single national rule. Two flats in the same street can have opposite answers.
How to find the answer in your lease
- Read the demise clause or the plan. It describes what is "your" flat, and often names the windows, frames or glass.
- Read the repairing covenants. They say who repairs and replaces each part of the building.
- Read the alterations clause. It says whether you need consent, and whose.
- Ask the managing agent to confirm in writing if the wording is unclear.
Get the answer in writing before you collect quotes, so each installer prices only the parts you are responsible for.
The usual split between you and the freeholder
The usual pattern puts windows inside your flat with you and the roof, external walls and shared parts with the freeholder. LEASE, the government-funded leasehold advice service, lists "windows and internal doors" among the repairs a flat owner is usually responsible for.
| Usually the leaseholder | Usually the freeholder |
|---|---|
| Windows and internal doors | The roof |
| Internal walls, ceilings, plasterwork and floors | The external walls |
| Plumbing and wiring inside the flat | Communal areas, such as entrances, staircases and gardens |
| Fitted kitchens and bathrooms | Shared facilities and pipes or wiring serving the whole building |
Your lease overrides this pattern. LEASE says to "check the terms of your lease carefully, because leases can vary", and adds that a lease can require your landlord's permission "for certain types of work, such as replacing windows".
Do you need the freeholder's permission?
Yes, in most leases: a window replacement is an alteration, and the alterations clause usually requires the freeholder's or managing agent's written consent first. This consent is often called a licence to alter or a licence for alterations.
The freeholder can attach conditions, such as matching the existing style, section size and colour. Our page on double glazing quotes in Barnet covers this consent step for the borough's flats.
Ask the managing agent three things before you sign anything with an installer:
- the window specification the freeholder will accept (material, colour, opening style)
- the documents they need back, and how long consent takes
- any fee for the licence, in writing
Wait for written consent before you sign with an installer. If you sign at home, you usually have at least 14 days to cancel, but made-to-measure windows can be an exception, so check the contract before you sign. Our guide to the double glazing cooling off period explains the rules.
Is replacing windows a structural alteration?
Your lease's alterations clause decides whether new windows count as a structural alteration, because no national rule settles it. GOV.UK confirms that the lease sets out "if you need permission to make alterations".
Read the clause before you treat new windows as a simple like-for-like swap. A clause that bars structural alterations, or one that needs consent for any change to the outside of the building, applies to window replacement until the freeholder confirms otherwise in writing.
Do you need planning permission for windows in a flat?
Planning permission is not needed for like-for-like replacement windows in a flat, but it is normally needed when the design, opening method, material or profile changes. Lambeth Council states it plainly: "Flats do not have permitted development rights for changes to windows." Some councils publish their own rules for flat windows: Norwich City Council has a Local Development Order for replacement windows and doors in flats, as our page on double glazing quotes in Norwich explains.
Houses are treated differently. The Planning Portal says houses can replace windows with ones of "similar appearance" under permitted development. A flat owner does not get that allowance, so swapping timber sashes for uPVC casements is a planning question, not just a lease question. In Leeds, 22.0% of households live in a flat, and our page on double glazing quotes in Leeds covers the consent they need first.
Three things tighten the rules further:
- Conservation areas, where councils expect repair or a close match
- Article 4 directions, which remove permitted development rights street by street
- Listed buildings, which need listed building consent for window changes
This guide covers England. Planning and leasehold rules differ in Wales and Scotland, so check with your council there.
What happens if you replace windows without permission
Replacing windows without permission puts you in breach of your lease, and of planning control where the work needed planning permission. Each breach carries its own risk:
- Lease breach: breaking lease conditions can lead to court action and, in serious cases, forfeiture of the lease, according to GOV.UK.
- Planning breach: carrying out development without the required planning permission is a breach of planning control under section 171A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
- Council action: GOV.UK planning guidance says the council can take enforcement action or invite a retrospective planning application.
Get the licence and any planning permission first. Paying for windows that you are later told to remove costs far more than waiting a few weeks for consent. Our guide on when to buy double glazing shows how to plan the fitting date around it.
Building Regulations and the certificate
Replacement windows must meet Building Regulations, and an installer registered with a competent person scheme such as FENSA or CERTASS can certify the work themselves. Under regulation 20 of the Building Regulations 2010, the installer gives the occupier a certificate and notifies the local authority within 30 days of completion.
Send a copy of that certificate to the freeholder or managing agent with the rest of your licence paperwork. Ask each installer which scheme they belong to, then check their registration on the scheme's own website.
Checklist before you replace windows in a leasehold flat
Six steps take you from reading the lease to a certified installation:
- Read the demise, repairing and alterations clauses of your lease.
- Ask the managing agent for the accepted window specification in writing.
- Apply for the freeholder's licence to alter, and agree any fee in writing.
- Check planning: like-for-like or not, conservation area, Article 4 direction, listed building.
- Choose an installer registered with a competent person scheme such as FENSA or CERTASS, and check the registration yourself.
- Send the Building Regulations certificate to the freeholder when the work is finished.
When the freeholder replaces windows across the whole block
The freeholder pays the installer and recovers the cost through the service charge. In England, the Service Charges (Consultation Requirements) Regulations 2003 require a Section 20 consultation when any leaseholder's contribution to planned work will be more than £250.
Consultation gives you the right to see estimates and comment before the contract is let. GOV.UK points you to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) when a charge is unreasonable or the finished work is unsatisfactory.
Get quotes for your flat
Tell us about your flat and local installers who cover your postcode can quote. Free, no obligation.
What installers need from you when you own a flat
Installers quote a flat accurately when they have four things from you:
- The freeholder's specification or consent letter, so every quote prices the same windows
- Which parts you own under the lease (frames, glass or both)
- The floor level and access, since upper floors can need scaffolding or a platform
- Any conservation area, Article 4 or listing on the building
Ask each installer whether they fit flats at your floor level, and who arranges access through shared areas. Our list of questions to ask a double glazing salesman covers the rest of the visit. Then compare the quotes line by line with our guide on how to compare double glazing quotes. For prices, see what new windows cost in a flat.
Questions people ask
Can I change the windows on a leasehold flat?
Yes, with the freeholder's written consent where the lease requires it, and with planning permission when the new windows look different from the old ones. Like-for-like replacements in a flat do not need planning permission, according to Lambeth Council's guidance.
Who pays for replacement windows in a leasehold flat?
The lease decides who pays. You pay when the windows are demised to your flat. The freeholder pays and recovers the cost through the service charge when the windows are part of the building they keep.
Who is responsible for windows if a leaseholder is a freeholder?
A leaseholder who owns a share of the freehold sits on both sides of the consent and repair process, as leaseholder and part-owner of the freehold. Agree the window specification with the other owners first, then collect quotes on that one specification.
Can you replace windows without planning permission?
Yes, but in a flat only for like-for-like windows. Lambeth Council states: "Flats do not have permitted development rights for changes to windows." A change of design, material or opening style normally needs planning permission.
Does the freeholder pay for rotten windows?
The freeholder pays for rotten windows only when the lease makes window repair the freeholder's responsibility, and then recovers the cost from all leaseholders through the service charge.
Can the freeholder replace my windows and charge me?
Yes, when the lease makes the windows the freeholder's responsibility. In England the freeholder must run a Section 20 consultation when your share of the planned work is more than £250, and you can challenge an unreasonable charge at the First-tier Tribunal.
What are the replacement window regulations in Scotland?
Scotland has its own building standards, planning rules and property law, separate from the English rules covered here. Check with your local council in Scotland before you replace windows. Flat owners in Scotland also check their title deeds and speak to the factor, as our page on double glazing quotes in Aberdeen explains.
Cities where flats are a big share of homes
Leasehold consent matters most where flats are common. Census 2021 puts the share of households living in flats at 21.7% across England and Wales, and far higher in these cities:
| City | Households in flats, all types | Of which in converted houses or buildings |
|---|---|---|
| Double glazing quotes in London | 54.0% | 12.3% |
| Double glazing quotes in Southampton | 41.5% | 5.9% |
| Double glazing quotes in Bristol | 35.2% | 12.0% |
| Double glazing quotes in Manchester | 34.6% | 5.7% |
London and Bristol each have about three times the national share of households in converted houses, where several owners share one facade. One owner's new windows change the look of everyone's building there, so get the freeholder's specification before the first installer visits. Tyneside flats share one front and often one stacked bay, as our page on double glazing in Newcastle upon Tyne explains.
