Building regs for removal of staircase

[Rob G]

Hi all,

I have a friend in the UK who owns a chalet in the French Alps, and who wishes to undertake some alterations. They've asked me about what regulations apply and whether they need official approval; not being the slightest bit au fait with such matters (in France or the UK!), I said I would post their query on LF for them. So here goes:

I have a ski chalet in La Tania. The property was designed as two separate

properties with a connecting door that can be left open to make one property.

Each side of the property is identical in lay out. At ground level there is an

open plan kitchen, dining and lounge area with a double bedroom off of the

lounge. There is a set of stairs leading down to the basement and a set of

stairs leading up to three bedrooms, a shower room and a bathroom. I would like

to remove one of the sets of stairs to upstairs and open up the landing so that

the bedrooms on both sides of the property are accessed via the one set of

stairs. I would like to know if there is any planning or building regulations

that I need to comply with in order to remove the one set of

stairs.

I would appreciate it

if any one can give me information as to which department to apply to regarding

any alterations I would like to make to my property to comply with any building

regulations.

Thanks in anticipation,

Rob

[Nick Trollope]

There are no "building regs" in France - in the UK sense. Your friend is at liberty to do whatever he likes to the interior of his house (there may be declarations to do regarding local taxes, but that is purely financial). Unless he is renting out the chalet & the increased size would class it as a "hotel".

There are plenty of regulations regarding the construction of stairs, but if he is not adding any, these will not apply.

 

[Rob G]

Thanks Nick - very useful. Will come back if this raises further questions.

I assume for tax implications that he will need to inform his local "trésor public" of the changes?

Rob