urgent advice needed, regarding minimum room sizes

we_are_always_skint

hello, i am looking for some advice, as soon as possible really
i will keep this as brief as i can

i have been in a privately rented house with my two children (4 + very nearly 10) for 8 years now. our landlord is selling up so i have applied to the council list but am very low down so i am looking for another private rent without much success due to bad debt from previous relationship.

about a month ago the council sent me to view a 2 bedroom house they were renting out for the landlord which was covered in black mould, he told me that the dining room fills with water everytime it rains and the rent was quite alot more than i can afford.
needless to say i turned it down but was told i will only get one more offer.
today i have gone to view a beautiful house, again 2 bedrooms and perfect in every way except the 2nd bedroom is only 48 sqft - now if i only had the one child, or even two of the same sex this wouldnt be a problem as they would share similar interests, but to put a 9yrs11mth girl in there with a just turned 4 year old boy isnt going to work is it?.... now i dont want to be left in a situation of becoming homeless so am seriously considering taking it, but after a bit of research it looks like the maximum amount of people for a bedroom between 50 and 70 square foot is 1/2, ie a child under 10? so as this room is even smaller can i use that as a valid reason to not take the property? and would it stand up legally?

thanks for taking the time to read and respond

G_M

Can't say I know if there are minimum sizes but I know councils are very short of property. I would take the first half decent place available and thank my lucky stars.

BitterAndTwisted

If this is your last offer and you weren't entitled to turn down one which was covered in black mould and leaked when it rained you are going to have to accept this one or find an alternative on your own.

Lots of people who rent privately without local authority help or actually own their own homes face this sort of situation because they must.

If this is a beautiful house and you can afford the rent that makes you very fortunate indeed. Each child could occupy the two bedrooms and you could sleep in the reception room if you don't want your kids to share.

MrsCrafty

Sofabed. I know it's tough, but you may have to consider this. My Bil & Sil did this for a while and whilst it was awful, they got to stay in a nice area in a nice house. This was council as well.

seven-day-weekend

Sofabed or you share with the girl in the bigger room and the boy has his own room.

I don't think you can afford to be that picky about a decent council house, they are like gold dust these days.

themull1

You sleep with your daughter or son or the settee, only alternative, private renting. Take the house.

we_are_always_skint

sorry ive not been clear, this is a private rent, not a council house - just has a council bond as a deposit so all houses are offered through the council instead of agents if that makes any sense. once you have moved in it has nothing to do with the council anymore

i think i am going to have to take it as i dont want to be homeless, but i also know once im in there im stuck and i have to look at the bigger picture that we may be there indefinately. can i really sleep in the lounge or share a room with one of them until my children are of leaving home age? i think that would put immense pressure on even the best parents in the world. the council have said we can stay on the list and the current wait is approx 4 years to reach the top but obviously with the change of government this isnt likely to be the case within a few years

thank you for all taking the time to offer advice, i do apreciate it

seven-day-weekend

we_are_always_skint wrote: »

sorry ive not been clear, this is a private rent, not a council house - just has a council bond as a deposit so all houses are offered through the council instead of agents if that makes any sense. once you have moved in it has nothing to do with the council anymore

i think i am going to have to take it as i dont want to be homeless, but i also know once im in there im stuck and i have to look at the bigger picture that we may be there indefinately. can i really sleep in the lounge or share a room with one of them until my children are of leaving home age? i think that would put immense pressure on even the best parents in the world. the council have said we can stay on the list and the current wait is approx 4 years to reach the top but obviously with the change of government this isnt likely to be the case within a few years

thank you for all taking the time to offer advice, i do apreciate it

Only one of them would need to have left home, so it probably won't be that many years.

Some friends of mine brought up three children (two boys, one girl) in a two-bedroom house. They slept on a sofa bed for several years and then put a division in the largest room (it had two windows), so that the girl could have her own tiny space and they could have the small bedroom. She still had to walk through the boys' section to get to it though. They felt it worth their while for the sake of a decent council house on a nice estate.

Now all their children have left home and they have the house to themselves (they have since bought it).

Opinion

we_are_always_skint wrote: »

sorry ive not been clear, this is a private rent, not a council house - just has a council bond as a deposit so all houses are offered through the council instead of agents if that makes any sense. once you have moved in it has nothing to do with the council anymore

i think i am going to have to take it as i dont want to be homeless, but i also know once im in there im stuck and i have to look at the bigger picture that we may be there indefinately. can i really sleep in the lounge or share a room with one of them until my children are of leaving home age? i think that would put immense pressure on even the best parents in the world. the council have said we can stay on the list and the current wait is approx 4 years to reach the top but obviously with the change of government this isnt likely to be the case within a few years

thank you for all taking the time to offer advice, i do apreciate it

I'd say being homeless would be more pressure than having a small second bedroom. As everyone has said, sofa-bed. Sleeping in the lounge is a small price to pay when you really think about it. My mum did that for years.

shellsuit

I'd sleep with the daughter or on a sofa bed, it wouldn't bother me at all.

My Aunty and Uncle had 6 kids and they used to sleep on a sofa bed.

My Dad is 1 of 12 and they all lived in a 2 up 2 down house!

I'd go for it, it's better than having nowhere to live isn't it, and be honest, would you rather a small lovely house in a decent area, or a 3/4 bed, in a state in a not so good area?

I know what I'd go for! Good Luck deciding, I hope it all goes well for you x

iamana1ias

Makes you wonder how all those Victorians survived bringing up 10-12 children in their 2-up, 2-down.....................