Overcrowded! please help!!!

mikep7297

Hi all, if there is anyone out there reading this that can give us some advice, I would really appreciate it.

My wife, 7 month old daughter and myself currently live in a 1 bedroom flat. The bedroom bearly has room for our bed and draws, let alone my daughters cot and storage. We asked the council to come and measure the room to determine as to whether or not it is suitable for our child's development. She came over this morning and has said that from the measurements she took, it looks unlikely that she would be able to do something about it. I have researched this on-line and it states;

• If a bedroom is under 110ft.sq for 2 people, then it is classed as over crowding for those 2 occupants.
• A further ½ unit (ie a baby) is an added 25ft. sq.

I can only assume that this would mean if the bedroom falls under 135ft.sq, the occupants would be entitled to a promotion in category.
I have measured the bedroom and have found the bedroom to be a dimension of 116.2512ft. sq. This means that the bedroom is 18.7488ft. sq under the regulated size allowed for a 2.5 unit family such as ourselves.


I'm waiting to hear from them but she said before she left that it was 'unlikely' that they can do anything which doesn't really fill me with much hope.

She also said that there are families out there with the same accommodation as ours that have 2 children. I find that really hard to believe as it would mean the beds/cots would have to be end to end and there would be no floorspace to walk on at all.

If anyone has any advice or knows of any loopholes that could be used and put to the council we would REALLY appreciate it.

Thanks for taking the time to read..

pinkshoes

I've seen those standards, and they're for an HMO:

A House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is a building occupied by persons who do not live as a single household.

So as you are a family, I'm not sure these standards apply.

PasturesNew

Things are tight, but that's a fair-sized room. And it's a bedroom, you sleep there. You're not also living/cooking there.

Is it a council flat? Or private rental?

oldMcDonald

I have a friend who has two children in a 1 bed council flat, they are on the waiting list for a bigger flat / house, but until one comes up she is making the best of the situation. Her and the OH have a futon in the lounge which they sleep on and the girls have the bedroom.

It isn't ideal, but it is a way to manage the situation. TBH, there will be many, many families waiting for housing and, in our area at least, to have 2 adults and 1 (small) child in a 1 bedroom flat isn't that uncommon.

clk299

Sadly I know many, many people who live with more people in that sort of space... including a family with four children, mum and dad.

moneysavinmonkey

Have you looked how much a private rental would be for somewhere a little bigger? Would you get housing benefit to help the rent and you could top it up a bit yourself?

mikep7297

thanks for the comments everyone. I'll take them all on board. I did look into the private rent/housing benifit option which is looking like it could be a good one. We will have to see.

Thanks again.

oldMcDonald

mikep7297 wrote: »

thanks for the comments everyone. I'll take them all on board. I did look into the private rent/housing benifit option which is looking like it could be a good one. We will have to see.

Thanks again.

If your property is a council or housing association one then don't go into private rented.

If it is one of the above then you are in the system and have a secure tenancy, be patient and they will eventually rehouse you.

You could be out on your ear with only a couple of weeks notice in private rented - this will not happen in a council / HA property unless you really mess up, and even then you get several chances. Once you are out of the system then it is near impossible to get back in again.

moneysavinmonkey

you can not be out on your ear within a couple of weeks in private rented accomodation. What scaremongering!!!

Asside from that it is a valid point that you should know what you are giving up. Although it's rather sad that people feel they have to stay 'in' the system.

oldMcDonald

I am sorry if I was wrong, I was not meant to be scare mongering. I was under the impression that if a Section 21 was served at the start of a tenancy and the owner said they wanted to live in the house at the end of tenancy, then it was relatively easy for them to gain possesion. Maybe I have read that wrong?

Anyway, I still stand by it being less secure to be in private rented rather than HA / Council.

moneysavinmonkey

technically you are wrong, as even if the landlord does employ underhand tactics as you described, you don't actually *have* to leave until they get a court order which would take them a few more months at least - but ultimately they would get it....

I agree with your overall point though. There is nothing in private sector as secure as council tenancy.