Is this room even legally a bedroom?

Harrysmum03

Hi guys,
Not totally sure I'm in the right area but really need some advice.
I am looking to downsize my ha property, have found a hse I like but it states it is classed as 5 bed. However, the hse was clearly only originally a 3bed they're classing the front room as bedroom #5, I'll swallow that as I can still use it as a front room but the fourth bedroom upstairs has been made in between the two original bedrooms taking a few feet off each room and just added a door. The room it's self is 9ft4x 8ft5 it has a window if you can call it that, which is 37in x 9 in and 6ft 4 from the floor. So the room has no secondary exit in an emergency.
Could one of you kind people please advise if this can legally be used as a bedroom
Many thanks in advance 😊

McKneff

If its hig enough for a bed, it can be classed as a bedroom.

Harrysmum03

Not quite sure what you mean By that??
My query is not about height but if the bedroom can legally be classed as one with no means of escape if there were a fire. As the window is over 6ft off the ground and so small you can't even fit a child through it.

Harrysmum03

I also read somewhere in my investigation that to use a window as a form of emergency exit it must be no more than about 4.5 meters off the ground with no obsticals or obstructions like railings etc. this hse has a 2ft side access to garden with a 6ft fence. So would make exiting very awkward in an emergency situation even if you Could get through the window.

happy35

I would ring the planning department at the local council they will be able to tell you

In my previous house some people divided a huge room into 2 smaller ones and they had to get planning permission

Harrysmum03

Mmmm That would be the council who converted the bedroom. I can understand deviding rooms and the size is not my concern. It's the fact that most rooms where people would sleep ie a bedroom, have a window big enough to exit through should u not be able to escape in an emergency ie a fire through the normal entry/exit route.
My concern is, if we live there and we're all asleep and a fire broke out in the room next door, you would have no means of escape and the fire service could not get to you through a window just 9in wide.

happy35

Hi, yes the council that covers the area you are buying in

The bedroom was huge around 22feet by 12feet and was supposed to be a luxury master bedroom, people who had bought the 2 bedroom houses were dividing the room to make a 3 bedroom house. They had to get planning permission to put the dividing wall in though, not sure why etc as I never changed mine but think there was something about windows being mentioned

The builder cottoned on to this though and the next phase was built with 3 bedrooms and a price tag to match

I assume that the house you are buying would also need permission as they are dividing rooms

bridgedino

Can I ask why your asking? Either you like the house and it suits your needs or it doesn't.

Harrysmum03

Ok I'll start from the beginning, my hubby was made redundant 5months ago from his 35k a yr job. asked at the job centre plus office what benefits we'd be entitled to and was told none as I work (pt) and hubby had redundancy pay of 4k. We also have 2 kids and an adult non dependant of 16 not in work or education as the idiot thought it would b a good idea to get pregnant!!! Now before everyone jumps on that bandwagon I'd like to point out that for the ladt 20 yrs I've raised my kids to work and b dependant and not be a tean mum statistic, I've screamed at her cried at her shouted at her but what is done is done.
Anyway, knowing about the benefits reform we wouldn't think the advisor was lying so have struggled to pay rent and ct plus all the huge bills that come with a very lge 6bed hse. Now before everyone jumps on that bandwagon I'd like to point out that I have worked all my life doing shifts to support my family so has my husband. We've never once been moved into a bigger property by demanding the council move us instead we have turned out flats and houses into beautiful homes and have done exchanges to better ourselves and give our kids a nicer bigger home. Now we are getting hb £129 child tax credit of £90 and £75 jsa which we were entitled yo back in May!! but due to having spare rooms we have to pay £46 pw rent and with everything else I just can't cope anymore so I now feel pressured downsize from my home we have loved and cared for over 10yrs.now we like the hse I have viewed however if you read my original post it states my concern. Now if the room can not be legally classed as a bedroom then in theory the council would have to put the rooms back to how they were (3 beds rather than 4) and it would also be reclassified as a 3/4 bed hse although I'm not sure how the bedroom tax works on a living room? (Maybe someone can clarify?). Therefor I wouldn't be stumped for the bedroom tax, I get a hse I like and the other family get the bigger hse they need. Everyone's a winner

SailorSam

There were stories in the press when people claimed they were living in a 2 bed house (to avoid bedroom tax), when a wall had been taken down so as to do away with the 3rd bedroom. Other stories said that the 3rd bedroom could never be a bedroom 'cos it was so small
But the tenants lost in both types of case, the only thing that matters is, what does the tenancy agreement say, was the house origionally 3; 4; or 5 bedrooms.

Harrysmum03

When the house was built it was a three bed house with dining room and living room down stairs.
Has been turned into and now classed as a 5 bed house on the tenancy!
As they were told to use the front room as a bedroom and they put up 2 partition walls and threw in a letter box size window to make another bedroom