ladders in loft

dawyldthing

This is a bit of a wierd one, but I wondered if any of you knows the answer. I've looked around a house to rent and to get to the bedroom it has a ladder. Its only for a short term let, but I was wondering if bedrooms to a loft are allowed fold up ladders to get up and down them or if they are a fire hazard and are not allowed. The other thing is she wants cash in hand, but has a home made contract, does anyone know if its law binding if any problems happened in the future?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

pimento

I'm pretty sure you can't have a bedroom only accessible by ladder. If it's a loft room I think you also have to have fire doors on all doors in the property.

Basic fire safety I would say.

pimento

Yep, thought so..

http://www.loft-conversion-uk.com/loft-conversion-building-regulations.html

dawyldthing

thank you, i thought it wouldn't be allowed

amcluesent

I though so long as there was a Velux window as 2nd escape route you were OK with a ladder?

PasturesNew

Just a ladder isn't in itself a problem surely. I've seen lots of studio rooms where the bed's literally on a big shelf, accessible by a ladder.

poppysarah

Imagine there's a fire. Imagine you're up in the loft. Imagine it's dark, smokey and your escape route is down a ladder to get to the exit (and not a nice firemans ladder with a helpful strong fireman there).

tbs624

PasturesNew wrote: »

Just a ladder isn't in itself a problem surely. I've seen lots of studio rooms where the bed's literally on a big shelf, accessible by a ladder.

That would be different though PN, because this one sounds like a conversion, and you would be more enclosed with a loft area than on a "mezzanine" type shelf.

AFIAA, the usual rule with loft conversions accessed only by a ladder is that they cannot be described as anything other than an "occasional" living space.A loft area would also need to have had suitable reinforcements to the joists. OP - is it definitely a ladder, rather than a "space saver" stairway?

If you really like the property you could always go and check it out at the Building Control office at the local Council

A "home made contract" will probably have any number of unenforceable terms in it, and the fact that the LL wants cash payment suggets she is letting "under the radar". Did she show you an Energy Performance Cert or a current gas safety cert?

Have you asked whether she owns outright, has a BTL mortgage or consent to let, if she is on a residential mortgage?

PasturesNew

Did she show you an EPC? She has to.
Is there any gas?

Ask her specifically which TDS she will be putting your deposit into.

She sounds ill-equipped/illegally letting a potential death-trap, to be honest.

dawyldthing

i'd call it a ladder, it can fold away and then be lifted up so its private, but it has to stay down as theres no way of getting down if its up (if it makes sense)

Nope, i've not seen a energy performance certificate or gas certificate come to think about it, and i think she owns it outright as shes been letting for 25 years she claims.

the folding loft ladder is similar to it, but its aluminum material maybe http://www.loft-conversion-uk.com/loft-ladder.html

i know on the advertisement there was no mention of this room, it was only because I had put on my ad that I wanted to pay less rent that this one come up, but I don't think its legit

dawyldthing

there isn't any deposit, just a months rent in advance