Tenancy agreements are tricky things (speaking as a lawyer), so although it wouldn't specifically say that you can't have a waterbirth at home - it might say something along the lines of not to do anything that would "deliberately" (not accidentally) infringe the buildings insurance... (things like lighting a fire not in a fireplace or leaving a bath over-following on purpose), that's the clause you are looking for and it is pretty standard for your landlord to have this agreement with the freeholder (unless they are the same person and you are living in the whole house>!?)
This isn't a problem though.. if you have rot/active woodworm or the structure is unsound and fails you wouldn't be liable anyways - but of course you don't want that to happen - just making sure you are covered if it does!
If you don't have carpet and have exposed floor timbers, it is relatively easy to make an assessment just like you have done, without lifting the floor boards. You will be able to see if there is any extensive rot/active woodworm or extensive woodworm damage in the floorboards which give a good indicator and how much movement there is when you apply pressure, just by walking about. Also you will know the points of the room where potentially pipes have been run to radiators or water supplies (like the kitchen sink - drainage won't be cut into the joists, they are too big)
Where are you intending to put your birth pool?
Is this upstaris or ground floor?
If it is upstairs -- it is more likey the pipes have been run across the joists to conceal the pipework. Though some heating engineers will suspend underneath if they could get to or the ground floor ceiling was exposed at the time of fitting central heating?
If it is down stairs -- they wil be more likey to be suspended underneath and most of the pipe work runs along the joists for ease anyway!
Look at where you boiler is - if your pipework is really old, then you might have any easy time solving the where the pipework is, as most of it will have been attached to internal walls and fed through ceilings and floors.
If you want to take up a floor board, it might not be simple as I'm sure you have some very old large skirting boards.. but you might find as you look around your floor an excess point (I.E where the floorboards have been cut inside the room so they could be lifted and then nailed down again) this will not only enable you to lift the floorboard there, without taking off the skirting board, or cutting your floorboards, but will also let you know where work has been done before.
If you take up a section of the floorboard you will need a strong long handled (about a foot long) flat head screwdriver and a hammer to drive under the nail and prize them up! the nails are really long about 3!! Or you could use a chisel but this might cut into the wood.. blunt is better! and I doubt you have floor gaps wide enough for a crowbar?
Have fun having a good look around, and have a read through the tenancy agreement (let me know if you find anything erroneous!)
Hope I’m not confusing things more for you?!?!
XxX
