windows have no FENSA certificate - Building control fines?

[NeedAdvicePlzz]

Hi all
I had an offer accepted on a house and the vendor confirmed (via the EA) that the windows were installed in 2018 and FENSA certified. I looked up the property's FENSA certificates on the site today but It doesn't show the property has any FENSA certificates.

The site also says if the installation of windows and doors aren't registered with FENA within 2 years, then the certificate is no longer valid (I'm assuming a paper certificate?). Apparently, this means that they are deemed unsafe unless checked by the council's Building Control inspect them and issue a certificate themselves (at the home owner's expense).

Since it was several years ago now, can Building Control still inspect the installation of is it too late. If it's too late, will they impose a fine and force the windows to be removed?

Just to share: I will not get indemnity insurance for this. I don't want to inherit building safety and regulation problems from the previous owner.

I have created this thread to see if anyone has any experience of this. Thank you

Why do you think the windows are unsafe? Has the vendor said?

i bought a house with no fensa certification. Just got indemnity. The only reason they weren’t signed off is because they had no vents- the owner didn’t like them.

i could have had the vents retrofitted, or asked for money off for new windows. But I added that the noise reduction seemed significant, so went for the indemnity.

You seem to be taking this quite hard. Get the indemnity. Do they look like they are about to fall out?

We had our windows replaced and they are certass registered. Check there. It's not a big deal anyway just get indemnity insurance. I think you're massively over dramatising this.

Why have the others fallen through?

when you’re buying a house things can look really bad. Like I said I bought one house with no fensa. It was fine. I bought another which said the roof needed replacing- looking at the roof and the age of neighbours I went ahead. Lived there 20 years and the roof never fell off. Another with something else that seemed serious. None of it was.

I only had a certificate for one window when I sold last year and the property I bought didn't have any, wasn't an issue at all.

Agree with pp, some installers register with Certass as opposed to Fensa so I would check this before ruling the house out completely.

Not something that I personally would be concerned about. I’d just get the indemnity. As long as they look in reasonable condition I wouldn’t care. They won’t be unsafe.

I should also add I was missing a few other certificates when I sold, not because any of the work was substandard, but because my documentation filing system sucks (aka I had recycled them) I also realised I hadn't got bc final sign off, that took 4 weeks

Yes.
Give building control a ring, local one. ie an approved inspector.
They will have a walk around charge you £a few hundred and issue a certificate.

We had to put film on a few of ours, literally a window stick on film.
They will come out quickly if you’re in a rush.

No fine.
No slapped wrists.
Its not unusual.

I'm selling my house. My back door (glazed) was installed by a FENSA company but they didn't register it, and I didn't realise replacing a door was FENSA business (even though it's obvious in retrospect as it's a glazed door). It doesn't have vents so maybe it isn't FENSA compliant, although it is secure, double glazed, and reinforced. I hope my buyers are happy with an indemnity because if I had to remove it and replace with a solid door the kitchen would be really dark.

If you've pulled out of several sales already, maybe you're overthinking too many things, or just need to focus on new builds?

Ps. The film was because we couldn’t prove the high level glass was safety glass.

In the nicest possible way OP you are being OTT about this. If you are really worried about how "unsafe" the windows are, pay to get an indpendant person to inspect them.

You can insist on a piece of A4 paper with a FENSA stamp on it, but that will tell you nothing as to if the windows are safe or unsafe, as they were installed in 2018.

I think you will find they are 100% safe.

You have 4 options:

Pull out.
Accept an indemity policy, which the vendor will purchase and you can then use this when you sell
Get the windows inspected to show they are safe
Proceed as is without an idemnity or certificate.

Make a decision and then move on.

Buy a new build then if you don't want to inherit problems. Old houses aren't perfect!

Windows just because they have no certificate don't make them unsafe.

This sub-forum gets sillier and sillier every day

Honestly OP your windows are not going to explode on you. This is a really common issue where companies don't register the windows correctly. Chill out and just accept the indemnity policy.

I can’t actually remember if we got indemnity insurance. I think we got the building control inspector out within a couple of weeks - the windows looked undamaged, and all they did was have a look at them, check the openings and the seals around the windows, and said they were fine. Really easy to get sorted.

You couldn't get an indemnity now anyways nor can the sellers for anyone else as the council is aware of it now as you called.

are you sure they are FENSA and not CERTASS. We had some of both.

How many times have you heard of someone’s windows falling out?

I missed that, but having reread the thread - an indemnity is now not possible. I can imagine OP, it may not be you withdrawing from the sale, more your vendor possibly withdrawing from selling the property to you, if you are going to get so concerned about such issues.

It has been suggested, you need to buy a new build. It will not be as solidly built as most of the older stock of houses, but you will get a nice file of ticked box certificates.

I think it's more buyers being too picky to be honest. These types of issues have existed forever when buying properties hence indemnity policies. It's a lot of money, it always has been when buying houses and quite frankly you are being ridiculous in your comments.

I had a viewer look at my house and pointed out a slab had sunk in one corner, there was a bit of 'messy cement' a few scuffs on some paint and other non issues. The estate agent told them to look at a new build as they wanted a new build but to pay a cheaper and reasonable price as they pissed them off that much with them picking fault.

To put things in perspective OP:
I bought a house without a survey and the first time I saw my purchase was the day I got the keys.
Some windows ARE about to fall out (wood and also UPVC ones).
The boiler hasn't been serviced for years.
The wiring is not up to code.
The wood burner has no paperwork and doesn't look professionally installed.
That's ⬆️ only the missing paperwork. There's structural issues, dry rot and all sorts on top of that.

Literally NO ONE cares. I've had people from building regs, planning and council here.

It's my house now (and there was lots of other interest) and it's my privilege to sort this mess out.
A plastic window missing a certificate seems on the twee end of problems... And definitely not a good enough reason to pass on a house.

I had a garage conversion which needed building regs about seven years ago. My builder installed the upvc double glazed windows himself, and I never saw a certificate (I've known him a long time and trusted that he sourced decent windows). The building regs people didn't ask for anything regarding the windows, they just wanted to see the gas and electric certs, and happily signed the job off.

@NeedAdvicePlzz you contacted the council. So now the seller cannot offer indemnity to you or anyone else.

Some of our windows are 400 years old, some are 250 years old and some are 100. None would meet current building regs or even come close. Even if the windows in this house weren't compliant (which I bet they are) it doesn't mean they are unsafe.

It sounds as though you're struggling mentally and have fixated on this as being more of an issue than it really it.

Unless you're buying a new build (and even then) houses are not perfect.

My first house, the survey made out the roof was about to collapse. It was fine and we lived there 8 years without needing to fix it.

Focus on your mental health, not the windows.

Yes but Fensa certs are a standard request on solicitors questions

ie. Have any windows been installed since April 2004
answer….yes
please supply fensa certificate.

My brother had 650 snagging issues with his new build.
Years to sort out and they even had to dig up the garden as someone forgot to connect up the sewer and it was seeping everywhere.
New very very rarely means perfect.