Stupid new HMO rules

earner

scorpio_princess wrote:

... If houses full of people are as widespread as you say they are, how come this hasn't been brought to the council's attention? ...

Because even if you are a TOP priority on the housing list there is currently a 4-5 year wait to be housed. There is a serious housing shortage in Cornwall. Many people here are living in sheds/garages. What good would having them turfed out do them?

These people are all single and all staying a few months at a time/maybe a year. So they aren't even local singles or people trying to live here. Just passing through. If they were slung out they'd just all be sleeping rough

seven-day-weekend

earner wrote:

Because even if you are a TOP priority on the housing list there is currently a 4-5 year wait to be housed. There is a serious housing shortage in Cornwall. Many people here are living in sheds/garages. What good would having them turfed out do them?

These people are all single and all staying a few months at a time/maybe a year. So they aren't even local singles or people trying to live here. Just passing through. If they were slung out they'd just all be sleeping rough

Single people have a rough deal in any Local Authority housing area.

Which of course is why they live in shared houses.

TJ27

In my area we don't insist on fire exit signs. We do ask for extractors in kitchens. We do ask for fire doors where necessary but it is often possible to make panel doors fireproof by the use of specialist veneers or paints. (It's far more expensive than just buying normal fire doors though and many landlords won't do it.) In my part of the world the wash hand basin rule doesn't apply. I can't say I've ever asked anybody for security bars. Security glass possibly but not bars. The main escape route is usually the stairway but I completely take the point of the poster who says that they would obstruct your escape in the case of a fire.

There are still a few grey areas regarding HMO definitions but it is now FAR clearer than it was previously.

jamesd

Washbasins are to limit the spread of contagious disease from one tenant to others.

clutton_2

nanny-state gone absoluely insane ..............................

bunking_off

sciencegeek wrote:

3) fire doors (installing ugly fire doors in our victorian house would be awful in my opinion)

Obviously you have a Victorian property, but the building regs effectively say that any new 3 storey building has to have fire doors onto the safe exit route (ie stairs/hall/landing). As such, the requirement being imposed is simply that the building matches current building regs.

I think you're got a misunderstanding of what a fire door comprises. The ones in my house look like standard panel doors albeit with self closer chains (which are internal to the door casing, not something sticking out of the top). Downstairs ones are even glazed with clear glass...but doubt a landlord would do that as it costs a mint versus the wired stuff. Only reason you'd know they were fire doors is if you took them off the hinges & realised they weigh approx 3 times as much as a conventional door.

Your choice, but I wouldn't be happy sleeping in a 3rd storey bedroom without a secure egress route in case of fire....