Commercial Office Improvements - Legal Issues

If you wish to improve your commercial office, be that through building a new one or renovating and refurbishing an existing property, there are a number of laws and other legal issues to be aware of. Because these issues are in place, you should only work together with contractors who are aware of these rules and know how to uphold them, like ApolloInteriors.com, for instance. If the rules are not followed, then the chances are that it will all have to be done over again, which will come at great expenditure. Some of the laws that are in place are in terms of protection of the safety of the building; others are beneficial to you as the property owner in terms of your taxes and deductions.

Listed Buildings

The most important thing to work out is whether or not the commercial property is a listed building.

Compiled by the Department of Culture, Media & Sport, with the help of English Heritage, the list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest includes castles, cathedrals, private houses, milestones and drinking fountains.

If the building on which work needs to be done is listed, regardless of the reason for renovation, special consent has to be obtained. This is for any work at all, even something as small and insignificant as changing the guttering or putting in double glazed windows. If you do not know whether or not your building is listed, local libraries have files on this that can be referenced to.

Capital Allowances

Another very interesting piece of information for commercial office improvement is whether there are any capital allowances to assist you. Of course, there are numerous conditions that must be met before the tax office will agree to these capital allowances. It is generally recommended to look into these before starting building work. One capital allowance of particular interest is that given to developments in disadvantaged areas.

Capital expenditure on the renovation of business premises in certain 'disadvantaged areas' may qualify for the Business Premises Renovation Allowance (BPRA).

Allowances also exist for a number of other things. These include fixtures in buildings, integral features of the building itself and thermal insulation. Do take the time to study each of these, although a good contractor should be able to do this work for you.

The Green Deal

One final important legal matter to consider is the Green Deal. There is a strong government commitment towards making properties more energy efficient. Because of this, it is also now obliged by law to display an energy certificate on every building that has been completed, be that a new build or a renovation. In order to receive a better energy rating, there are various allowances within the Green Deal that allow properties (domestic and commercial alike) to become more efficient.

The Green Deal is a policy introduced by the Energy Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) to help fund energy efficiency improvements to existing buildings. The policy has the potential to boost the market for energy efficiency and micro-generation and involve companies and organizations of all sizes, from multinational banks and major retailers to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

This is why it is important to work not just with a contractor that understands the various legalities and other legal issues, but also one that is itself committed to increasing energy efficiency. By doing so, there is a potential to significantly reduce the cost of your overall commercial office improvement. Furthermore, it will assist in making sure that the running of that office once completed is far more affordable, due to a significant reduction in your energy bills.