Building control enquiries
Requests for information
Building Control records are not public records. We can only show them to:
- the owners of the property
- solicitor acting on the owners' behalf
We charge a fee for any search we make for records.
We may be able to reply to third-party enquiries if the owner contacts us. They will need to show proof of ownership and ID and authorise us to contact the third party.
We keep records for 15 years. We may not have any records older than 15 years.
If you are looking for certificates and documents associated with Building Control applications, you can search our Building Control system for public information.
Fees
The fee covers researching the enquiry, retrieving records, producing a written response and one copy of the document (up to one hour of work). We do not charge VAT on these.
- Per reply letter (up to one hour of work): £143
- Extra research charge (if more than one hour): £143 per hour or part of
If we need to refer to a Building Control surveyor to give you a response: £198 (£165 plus VAT of £33) per hour or part of
All charges are non-refundable, whatever the outcome of the enquiry. These cover the cost of research, not the documentation. We may not hold the records that you ask for, but we will not know this until the research has been done.
- Cancellations: £158.40 (£132 plus VAT of £26.40)
Completion certificate and decision notices – copy requests
If you find an application that may have the certificate or decision notice you need, email building.control@islington.gov.uk to tell us:
- the reference number
- if you want to pay for an urgent search (2 days) or a standard search (10 days)
We will reply confirming the fee and how to pay. We may need proof of ID and ownership. We will start the work when we receive payment and any other information we need from you.
All fees are to search our records, and there are no refunds even if we do not find what you need. We may not hold the record you need.
We will write a letter confirming the application details and completion certificate information.
- If we find a digital copy of the certificate, we will send that. It is unlikely that we will find digital copies of any application made or certificates issued before 2019.
- If an applicaiton was made but a certificate was not issues, we will send a letter to tell you and refer you to an inspector. They can advise you how to get a certificate, if possible. You may need to pay extra charges to cover the inspector's hours.
It is possible the council does not hold the records that you require, but this will not become apparent until the research has been completed.
Urgent requests
We can respond within 2 days but we charge a higher rate than our normal service. These fees are non-refundable.
- Response within 48 hours: £387
The owner, or owner’s representative, should send a request in writing with the correct fee.
We will reply by email up to a maximum of 2 working days after we receive payment.
Plan sharing
Plans and architectural drawings are protected under copyright law. We cannot reproduce these without the permission of the original copyright owner, usually the producer of the drawing. This type of copyright is valid for 100 years from the date of production.
If you find an application that may have the plans you need, email building.control@islington.gov.uk with the reference number.
If we find any plans, we will reply confirming the fee and how to pay. We may need proof of ID and ownership. We also need the permission of the copyright holder.
- Property record viewing: £171.60 (£143 plus VAT of £28.60)
We make plan drawings available but cannot provide details of why they were submitted or comment on suitability for your purpose before sharing.
We would try to make files available within 10 working days from when we receive payment and any other information we need from you. However, sometimes it may take longer as many of our records are stored in a different building.
Drainage records
We cannot take requests for drainage records.
Reports and summaries – current and historic applications
We may be able to write or provide summary reports based on the information we hold on file.
- Non-refundable fee for this service: £165
This sum covers our research costs, which will include finding the files and a first review of the information available. Based on the review we will tell you either:
- that we do not hold the information you are looking for
- a fee quote for the production of the report or summary
If we need more time and resources, then we will tell you about any extra fees to finish the report. When we receive the extra payment, we will continue the work.
We will email the report 10 working days after we have received the payment and any other information we need from you.
We may be able to offer an faster service but this will mean higher fees and may depend on the availability of records and resources.
Registered Building Control Approvers
Registered Building Control Approvers are private companies. They must let us know when someone commissions them to control works and when works are in compliance. We keep have to keep a record of the notifications.
We do not give out copies of these notifications. We can give you the name and contact details of the company so you can contact them.
Registration of notifications from Registered Building Control Approvers reference numbers include 'IN' as part of the number.
Prospective purchasers, private search companies and energy performance certificate (EPC) requests
Building Control does not provide this information. Read our local land charges information.