In a co-owned building you are not entirely at home once you start drilling: some works are free, some require the managing agent, a few need a general-meeting vote. The triage — before your downstairs neighbour does it for you.
Free, agent or meeting? (decision diagram)
The sensitive points
- Load-bearing wall: meeting vote + structural engineer + insurance — never otherwise; a rogue opening makes you liable for the whole building.
- Floors: most building rules require an acoustic level equivalent to the existing floor. Replacing carpet with wood flooring requires a high-performance underlay (ΔLw ≥ 17-19 dB) — details in wood floors in co-owned buildings and soundproofing.
- Noisy-work hours (typical, check locally): weekdays ~8-12 / 14-19:30, Saturday restricted, Sunday forbidden.
- Shared risers (water, drainage): you connect to them, you never modify them without the agent.
- Notify neighbours + caretaker, protect common areas (lift, carpets), remove rubble outside the building's bins.
The smart calendar
Meeting approval can take 6-12 months: request it BEFORE planning — and schedule the rest per the order of works.