Windowed Cat flap installation in a flat

[SteveCK]

Hi everyone

I hope I've come to the right place for advice.

I live in a housing trust property. I've been enquiring with them about having a cat flap installed in one of my double glazed window panels.

They've actually emailed me to say they won't grant permission as a cat flap "compromises the fire safety and security of the property."

I suspect they've played Chinese whispers internally from my original phone call and they think I want to install it in a door somehow. I am prepared to destroy their lack of reasoning.

The main point is fire safety. I've searched and read various documents around fire safety in communal properties. The fire safety portions always refer to doors, especially front doors. So in my case my front door has the auto-closing mechanism required. It's also steel framed and plated so a cat flap would be impossible to install in it anyway. It would also be pointless as my front door goes into a secure communal area.

I can't find any reasoning anywhere that suggests why a cat flap in a window would compromise fire safety for the property. Can anyone help me out there? I should point out that the compound is secure and only ground floor residents have access to the rear of it where my lounge and bedroom windows are.

As for security, this forum isn't about that but I'll mention anyway; I currently leave a window open 24 hours a day for the cats to come and go, I'm not sure how they think a cat flap will compromise security more than that will.

So re the fire safety portion I'd very much appreciate any help in being able to challenge what feels like banal bureaucracy.

 

Thanks :)

[Tom Sutton]

Windows opening onto common escape route need to be fire resistance and would be fitted with FR glazing and all windows fixed shut. If it is not FR glazing, then fitting a cat flap is not going to jeopardize fire safety but it could be against the tenants agreement.