Hard floor coverings (engineered timber, laminate, LVT, tile, stone) are one of the most common reasons leaseholders need a Licence for Alterations — and also one of the most common triggers for noise complaints in blocks of flats.
That’s because changing from carpet to a hard surface can significantly increase impact sound (footfall, dropped items, chairs scraping) and can expose construction details that were never designed to perform well acoustically. Even if your home feels quiet, the flat below can experience a very different level of disturbance.
A Licence for Alterations gives the freeholder a formal mechanism to control that risk by setting conditions on what you can install, how it must be installed, and what evidence you must provide.
1) Why hard flooring is treated differently in leasehold buildings
Hard flooring is not usually viewed as a purely “decorative” change in a block of flats. It can affect:
A) Noise transfer to other flats
There are two main sound types to consider:
- Impact sound — footsteps, running, items dropped, moving furniture
- Airborne sound — voices, TV, music (hard floors can sometimes worsen how airborne sound is perceived due to additional reverberation)
Carpet with underlay naturally dampens impact sound. Hard floors generally do not, unless combined with a suitable acoustic build-up.
B) Neighbour relations and disputes
Noise complaints are one of the hardest building-management problems to resolve. Freeholders therefore tend to be cautious and may refuse consent or impose strict conditions if they think the change could lead to nuisance.
C) Building management, enforcement and future saleability
If an unauthorised hard floor causes complaints, it can lead to:
- demands for reinstatement
- legal costs
- delays on sale/remortgage enquiries
- long-term conflict within the building
2) What your lease commonly says about flooring
Many leases contain two layers of control:
A) An alterations covenant
Often: “No alterations without the freeholder’s written consent.”
B) A nuisance / flooring clause
Common wording includes:
- requirements to keep floors carpeted in habitable rooms
- hard flooring only permitted with written consent
- obligations not to cause nuisance through noise transmission
- requirements to maintain or improve sound insulation
These clauses can sit outside the main “alterations” paragraph (often under nuisance or quiet enjoyment), which is why they’re frequently overlooked.
3) When you will typically need a licence for hard flooring
In practice, you should expect to need consent if you plan to:
- replace carpet with hard flooring in living rooms, bedrooms, hallways or other habitable areas
- install tile or stone finishes (often treated as higher risk)
- change the floor build-up (acoustic underlay, insulation, screed, floating floor systems)
- introduce underfloor heating that changes the build-up or adds rigidity
- alter thresholds or floor heights (which can affect doors, fire doors, and transitions)
Even when the lease is not explicit, freeholders often treat flooring changes as an “alteration” because it can affect the building and other residents.
4) What the freeholder’s surveyor will focus on
Most reviews boil down to three questions:
1) Will it increase noise nuisance?
The freeholder will want confidence that the floor will control impact sound properly. Without that, consent is likely to be delayed, heavily conditioned, or refused.
2) Is the proposed system suitable for your building type?
A modern concrete slab building behaves differently to a Victorian conversion with timber joists. What works in one may be inadequate in another.
3) Is the installation method appropriate?
Even good products can fail acoustically if installed incorrectly. Freeholders often focus on:
- correct underlay
- perimeter isolation (avoiding “bridging” that transmits vibration into walls)
- correct fixing method (floating vs glued vs nailed)
- transitions and thresholds
- workmanship and evidence of competence
5) What documents are typically required for a hard-floor licence application
A “decision-ready” flooring application often includes:
A) Written scope
- rooms affected
- total area
- proposed finish (engineered wood / LVT / tile etc.)
- whether any subfloor works are proposed
B) Product specification
- floor product datasheet
- acoustic underlay datasheet (crucial)
- manufacturer installation guidance
C) Acoustic strategy (commonly required)
Depending on the building/lease:
- minimum acoustic performance requirement (if the building specifies one)
- confirmation of an acoustic system and build-up
- sometimes the freeholder asks for an acoustic consultant report (less common, but it happens in sensitive buildings)
D) Method statement
- how the existing floor will be prepared
- how underlay will be installed
- how perimeter isolation will be maintained
- how thresholds and door clearances will be handled
- how noise/dust will be managed during works
E) Contractor information and insurance
- contractor details
- public liability insurance
F) Testing (sometimes required)
Some buildings require post-installation acoustic testing or evidence of compliance. This is more likely where the building has a history of complaints.
6) Common licence conditions for hard floor coverings
If consent is granted, conditions often include:
- approved rooms only (e.g., hard floors allowed in living rooms but not bedrooms)
- specific underlay and installation method must be used
- perimeter isolation details required (to reduce flanking transmission)
- restrictions on tile/stone finishes, or additional acoustic build-up required
- working hours and neighbour disturbance controls
- inspection rights during or after installation
- obligation to remedy nuisance if complaints arise
- requirement to reinstate carpet if the floor causes persistent nuisance (in some licences/leases)
These conditions exist to manage risk and prevent disputes.
7) What can go wrong (and how to avoid it)
A) Choosing the wrong system for the building type
Timber-joisted floors can transmit impact sound more readily. Your solution may need to be more robust than “standard” underlay.
B) Acoustic bridging
Even with great underlay, if the floor is hard-fixed to skirtings/walls or the perimeter detailing is wrong, vibration can bypass the underlay and travel into the structure.
C) Tiles and stone in flats
These finishes can be challenging acoustically and may need enhanced build-ups or may be refused in certain rooms.
D) Proceeding without consent
This can lead to:
- breach of lease
- enforcement
- a requirement to remove the floor
- sale/remortgage problems later
The takeaway
Hard flooring is a frequent Licence for Alterations issue because it can materially affect neighbours through increased impact sound. The smoother route is to treat acoustics as the central part of your application: provide a clear scope, a suitable acoustic build-up, and a proper method statement that shows you will install it correctly.
Need help with a hard flooring Licence for Alterations application?
Email mail@howorth.uk or call 07794 400 212. Tell us what type of building you’re in (modern block or conversion), which rooms you want to change, and the flooring finish you’re considering. We’ll advise what freeholders typically require, how to present a decision-ready pack, and how to reduce the risk of noise disputes or consent delays.