Bromley and Orpington are both in the London Borough of Bromley. Fitting air conditioning here brings a few London questions that you don’t get in a Sussex village: Is the home a flat? Who owns the outside wall? Where can the van park? Add the borough’s 47 conservation areas and there’s a fair amount to check before a price is final.
Prices
- Single room split: £1,200–£2,200 + VAT
- Two-room multi-split: £2,800–£4,500 + VAT
- Three to five rooms: £4,500–£8,500 + VAT
- Annual service: £95–£150 + VAT
- Repair visit: from £75 + VAT for diagnosis
- Commercial and VRF: after survey
Installation includes the equipment, fitting, commissioning and F-Gas documentation.
Flats and leasehold consent
If you own a leasehold flat, the outside walls, roof and shared areas usually belong to the landlord. Fixing an outdoor unit or running pipes across them normally needs the landlord’s written consent, and your lease may say how to ask and what it will cost. Some managing agents want drawings, a method statement or proof of insurance. Start this early; a survey can still go ahead while you wait.
Planning is different for flats too. The permitted development limit for a heat pump on a flat or block is 0.6 m³, and other conditions apply. Our leasehold consent guide and flats guide explain more. This is general information, not legal advice.
Parking and access
Many London streets have controlled parking or loading restrictions. Our engineers need to unload equipment and sometimes ladders or access towers close to the building. Tell us at the survey stage where we can park and whether you have a permit or a drive, so the plan and the quote reflect it. For a flat on an upper floor, let us know about lifts and stairs too.
Want it done properly? AirCon Doctor installs, repairs and services air conditioning and heat pumps across London and the South East, from our base in East Grinstead. We’re an F-Gas certified company and NICEIC approved. Get a fixed-price quote.
Conservation areas in Bromley
Bromley Council says there are 47 conservation areas in the borough, and it adopted new appraisals in June 2025 for areas including Bromley Town Centre, Shortlands Village and Chislehurst Road. In a conservation area, an outdoor unit can’t be on a wall or roof fronting a road if it is to count as permitted development. Listed buildings need listed building consent.
The council’s planning pages include a pre-application advice service if you want an early view on a tricky building.
National planning rules
For houses, the Planning Portal rules apply: outdoor unit no bigger than 1.5 m³, MCS 020(a) compliant, not used only for cooling, not on a pitched roof, at least 1 m from the edge of a flat roof. Air-to-air heat pumps have been included since 2025. Detached houses can have two units, other houses one. Cooling-only units aren’t covered.
Orpington and the suburbs
In a house with a garden, in Orpington or anywhere else in the borough, a ground-level outdoor unit at the back is often possible, and that keeps costs down. The price moves up when bedrooms are at the front, when pipes must pass through two floors, or when the consumer unit needs work. As an NICEIC approved firm we fit and certify the new circuit. Loft conversions and extensions are common upgrades in suburban houses, and a loft room under a roof can get hot; our loft conversion guide covers sizing and condensate routes.
Grants and VAT
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme applies in England, including London: £2,500 if an air-to-air system takes over from your gas or oil heating and warms the whole house, or £7,500 towards air-to-water. Not available alongside a boiler. HMRC’s Notice 708/6 zero-rates qualifying heat pumps in homes until 31 March 2027, then 5%; we confirm the VAT on your quote. Businesses pay the standard rate. This is general guidance, not tax advice.
See our Bromley air conditioning page, the Bromley and Orpington local pages and our London page.
Quick answers
Which council handles planning in Orpington?
The London Borough of Bromley, which covers both Bromley and Orpington.
Do I need my landlord’s consent for air conditioning in a Bromley flat?
Usually yes, for anything fixed to the outside or shared parts. Check your lease and ask in writing.
Does parking affect the price?
It can affect how we plan the day. Tell us about parking at the survey and the quote will reflect it.
Is Bromley town centre a conservation area?
Yes. Bromley Town Centre is one of the borough’s 47 conservation areas.
Can I get the heat pump grant in London?
Yes, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers England and Wales, if your system meets the conditions.
Related services
More advice
- Air Conditioning in a Leasehold Flat: Getting Consent
- Air Conditioning for Apartments and Flats: Complete Guide
- Air Conditioning Cost in Croydon: 2026 Price Guide
- The £2,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme Grant for Air-to-Air Heat Pumps
- All advice
This guide is general information, checked against the sources linked on 30 October 2026. It isn’t legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, grants and product ranges change, so check the current position before you rely on it.