Question about bedrooms when selling a dwelling

[freddiemercurystwin]

I've been drawing up some land registry plans for a client. Its an old property probably around 18th century. It has 3 bedrooms according to the estate agent plans but in reality one of the bedrooms does not have any natural daylight. Is this legally a bedroom or is the fact that (presumably) its been used as a bedroom for possibly several hundred years override the lack of daylight issue? Just curious really.

 

[DevilDamo]

I had a similar situation where we had a room on the side of the house, which at first was designed with a normal size window (i.e. cill at 900mm above FFL). However, due to overlooking, the cill had to be raised to a min. 1.6m above FFL thus not complying with the Buildng Reg's from an escape window point of view. We therefore called the room a study/store.

Could you not argue that it is and cannot be deemed as a bedroom as it does not have its own escape... or is it because it's such an old house that obv, those reg's weren't there then.

But... I do think they'd just knock that on the head and because it has been used as a bedroom in the past, it will continue to be used as one.

 

[TicklyT]

I was looking at an estate agent's details of a 2 bedroom house yesterday. According to the details, the first floor has two double bedrooms, a bathroom and a 'Large Airing cupboard - 7'2" X 8'6" '

 

[jeds]

I'm not aware of a building regulation that requires a window. The Environmentall Protection act specifies a window but that only really applies to rented accommodation. Loads of other various bodies have drawn up their own guide notes on windows and ventilation etc. for HMOs and such like but I don't think any of those would carry any weight in a private house. A lot of it comes down to the fact that there is no real definition of a bedroom. Rooms are just habitable or not and people decide what they do with them.

As for lease plans - and I do hundreds of them - I've never on any plan I've done described the use of a room. My advice is leave it blank. All you need to do is comply with the LRR2003 and that does not specify room labels.

 

[The Riviera Kid]

I'm not aware of a building regulation that requires a window. The Environmentall Protection act specifies a window but that only really applies to rented accommodation. Loads of other various bodies have drawn up their own guide notes on windows and ventilation etc. for HMOs and such like but I don't think any of those would carry any weight in a private house. A lot of it comes down to the fact that there is no real definition of a bedroom. Rooms are just habitable or not and people decide what they do with them.

As for lease plans - and I do hundreds of them - I've never on any plan I've done described the use of a room. My advice is leave it blank. All you need to do is comply with the LRR2003 and that does not specify room labels.

I've always wondered this (we're currently trying to divide our house up so the kids have their own rooms, but the layout is so poor it's going to take an age to sort out, and probably a fortune). So basically (if I get this right), if the original (old pre-building regulation revisions) layout included a bedroom without a compliant fire escape window - this could still be advertised for sale/rent as a "bedroom". But if you added a non compliant bedroom (ie small/no window) yourself - this would still be legal to privately use as a bedroom, but you couldn't advertise it for sale/rent as such?

I'm just debating letting the kids have our room, and the missus and I taking a large cupboard for the time being lol.

 

[DevilDamo]

My understanding would be if it exists, then it's fine, but if you were to form a new bedroom, it would require Building Reg's as stated on the Planning Portal...

Do I need Building Regulations Approval?

If you are planning to carry out 'Building Work' as defined in Regulation 3 of the Building Regulations, then it must comply with the Building Regulations. This normally means seeking approval of the work from a Building Control Body.

The following types of project amount to 'Building Work':

• An alteration project involving work which will temporarily or permanently affect the ongoing compliance of the building, service or fitting with the requirements relating to structure, fire, or access to and use of buildings

In that situation, the bedroom would have to comply with the requirements (i.e escape window).

 

[The Riviera Kid]

....but if you built a large "cupboard" and just so happened to put a bed in it, that would be okay for living purposes only lol?

(P.S. Yes, the thought of putting the missus in her own "cupboard" is tempting lol)

 

[jeds]

Providing you Have a standard hall, stairs and landing arrangement, so that in the event of a fire you could escape down the stairs to outside - as in the majority of ordinary houses - then you don't need a window.

This is the same for new and existing. For new you would be making an application so it will all be sorted then. For existing the rule is that you are not allowed to make things worse than they already are.

You would have to deal with ventilation. (the regs over windows is all to do with ventilation) But that can be sorted in other ways than a window.

As I said before, I'm not aware there is any regulation on a minimum amount of daylight. (building regs that is)

 

[DevilDamo]

....but if you built a large "cupboard" and just so happened to put a bed in it, that would be okay for living purposes only lol?

That may be classed as an inner room then... if I'm reading that correctly?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Hmm, interesting, as mentioned though I'm

Just curious really.