Bedroom a boxroom. Am I owed money? Will I pay bedroom tax?

tiggernik

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

They can do what what is suggested. They could take the smaller room themselves and give the lodger one of the bigger bedrooms. Rent officer happy; lodger happy and tenant won't have to get a benefit reduction (although the tenant might not be happy if they were trying to get around the new rules).

My friend would not be able to do this as his '2nd Bedroom' is only 43sqft and CANNOT even fit a SINGLE bed in, so he would not be able to swap rooms....what can he do now?

beecher2

tiggernik wrote: »

My friend would not be able to do this as his '2nd Bedroom' is only 43sqft and CANNOT even fit a SINGLE bed in, so he would not be able to swap rooms....what can he do now?

As neverdespair girl says, a single bed must fit into a room which is over 6.5ft x 6.5ft

notanewuser

beecher2 wrote: »

As neverdespair girl says, a single bed must fit into a room which is over 6.5ft x 6.5ft

Unless its not square.

beecher2

notanewuser wrote: »

Unless its not square.

If it isn't square, then one wall will still be longer than 6 ft. I dont' think the room is likely to be 21.5ft x 2ft

notanewuser

beecher2 wrote: »

If it isn't square, then one wall will still be longer than 6 ft. I dont' think the room is likely to be 21.5ft x 2ft

Ha ha. My DD's room is L shaped, so while it's 8.5ft long and 8ft wide, where the airing cupboard eats into the room there's exactly space for a single bed. If the airing cupboard were 6 inches bigger I couldn't get a bed in there.

tiggernik

Don't think the room is square and it's also got something to do with where the door is.....I need to find out more and get back.....but even so he and his wife would not be able to fit a double bed in that room or would they be expected to sleep in bunk beds?

tiggernik

Hi, it's been a while but just thought I'd let you know that my friend (mentioned above with 43sqft '2nd bedroom') fought the council and won.....they say the room is not big enough to be called a room so he does not have to pay 'bedroom tax' on it......Thanks for all your comments:beer:

lukieboy96

If your tenancy agreement says 3 bed then that is what you pay.

welshee

beecher2 wrote: »

If it isn't square, then one wall will still be longer than 6 ft. I dont' think the room is likely to be 21.5ft x 2ft

LOL !:rotfl:

Jemma-T

Intersting case in Scotland where the tribunal held that a bedroom was not a bedroom so could not have the [STRIKE]room subsidy[/STRIKE] bedroom tax applied:

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/tribunal-may-pave-way-for-bedroom-tax-appeals-1-3085350

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/428437/Brothers-win-blows-a-hole-in-bedroom-tax-benefit-cuts