Leasehold

A takeaway extract rises past the bedroom window of the flat above. Has the survey tested that flue or the flat's fire door?

No. The survey has tested neither that flue nor the flat's fire door. It has noted that a takeaway extract rises past the bedroom window. That is a route observed from the flat or from outside, not a test of the duct, the fan, the fire stopping or the door to the common parts. A home survey of one flat does not commission the kitchen below and does not fire-test doors. Grease, smell and fire separation stay unmeasured. The note is a flag. It is not a test certificate for either item.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

Commercial extracts can discharge cooking fumes where a resident opens a window. Whether the duct is intact, whether it runs in a shaft, and whether a fire door to the stair actually performs are three different questions. The survey can see a terminal or a duct outside the glass. It cannot trace the duct through the building, time a door closer, or check seals it was not asked to test. Lease terms about the shop are for the solicitor. The condition note does not read the lease.

Tell the solicitor about the extract route and ask what the lease and the building's fire papers say about the shop and the common door. Do not tell a lender the flue was tested or that the fire door passed. If a specialist fire inspection or a ventilation check is required, instruct it separately. The survey has left both untested. A bedroom that smells of food, if you notice it on a visit of your own, is still not the missing test.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Was the takeaway flue tested, or only seen as a route?
Was the flat's fire door fire-tested on this visit?
Does a survey of one flat commission the kitchen below?

What are the typical next steps?

Treat the flue and the fire door as untested.
Ask the solicitor what the lease and fire papers say.
Do not describe the note as a test certificate.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

Does an entryphone on the common door settle the fire question?

No. An entryphone is a way to release a door. It is not a fire test of that door or of the shop flue. The survey has not confused the two, and it should not be asked to. Fire performance is seals, closers and the door itself. None of that was tested because an extract passes a bedroom window.

Can the survey measure how loud or greasy the extract is?

It can note what was apparent on the day, such as staining or a smell, if that is what the text says. It has not measured either, and it has not set a limit. A single visit is not a week's trading. Ask the solicitor about the shop's arrangements. Do not turn a glance at a duct into a hygiene or noise result.