DJ lets out 12 garages as bedrooms

tbs624

Story from the Manchester Evening News here


"Being a DJ is my proper job and this property is an off-shoot of what I do. I’m being portrayed as a dodgy landlord and I’m not that person."

chambta

What a fool.

AnnaV

It's not this guy is it? :rotfl:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3047860

Meatballs

I had the garage room at uni, it was great. Half the houses around here have the garages converted into living space...

tbs624

Follow-up reading here

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/egov_downloads/Hulme_garages.pdf

Looks like his retrospective planning apps have failed.

It's not just about the living accomodation itself - the loss of garage space in that particular area is of note.

Our DJ chap says that when he bought the properties off plan he was "told he did not need PP" to be able to convert the garages. Strange then that he appears to have chosen to be a tad "cloak and dagger" by building a wall *behind* the garage door. What about B Regs requirements on ventilation, means of escape, sound proofing etc?

Manchester of course has more HMO licensing in place than many other cities.

Wonder if the extra occupants' rents were declared to HMRC? Or if the insurers were aware of the "conversions" to these properties?

missile

"I have no choice but to go to the Planning Inspectorate and wait for the appeal. Hopefully common sense will prevail."

He has been renting these garages for 6 yeras and he more income before his appeal can be heard. Hopefully common sense will prevail and councils will take urgent action. I would like to see unscrupulous LLs barred from the register, but unfortunately this does not seem to happen.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/news/june_2010/government_abandons_private_landlord_registration

cheap_charlie

I have never owned a property with a garage but even I know you need planning permission to covert them into a room.

So with every word of indignation he spouts, he comes across as a moron to me.

Callie22

tbs624 wrote: »

"Being a DJ is my proper job and this property is an off-shoot of what I do."

And that quote sums up exactly what's wrong with so many LLs today - they don't see it as a 'proper' job, so they don't see a reason to bother with the legislation. If you're renting out property, and if you're taking money off a tenant, then it IS a proper job and should be regarded as such, with all of the hassles, frustations and pitfalls that come with self-employment. It really annoys me when LLs plead ignorance of the law because they never bothered enough to research their responsibilities, because being a LL wasn't their 'proper' job.

BeauBelle

cheap_charlie wrote: »

I have never owned a property with a garage but even I know you need planning permission to covert them into a room.


Not always the case, we converted our garage into living space last year and the council decided we didn't need planning permission just building regs.

Foggster

BeauBelle wrote: »

Not always the case, we converted our garage into living space last year and the council decided we didn't need planning permission just building regs.

I agree. The space of the garage is not included in the space needing planning permission i.e. it is already been "planned" for when the property was built. So like BB said, in most cases it is Building Regs only.

_bankrupted

That small little detail of building a wall behind the garage door, removes all credibility to his story and exposes him as being one big liar who has committed planning fraud for financial gain.

You simply can't be taken as a person who has made a genuine mistake as it's all there to see:- An attempt to hide a bedroom with a fake garage door.