Does a converted outbuilding need an EPC, planning permission etc?

dimbo61

I can't believe the response from the University accommodation office.
I am an  accredited Landlord with MSH and they have High standards Re checks on Landlords and Rental properties allowed to advertise on their website.
HMO standards and Even Landlord CPD to ensure we keep up to standard.
Fire safety, Student mental help, EICR, EPC , PAT testing, Student safety and security.etc
Your friend is living in a death trap.
Ask the local fire service to visit the property and check the fire safety.
Without an EPC you can't charge RENT so the tenant can claim back every penny they have paid to the LL

no_moolah

Thanks all. And yes, the university have been very poor on this in my view. They claimed to have a copy of the EPC and electricty certificate on their systems, only it turns out the EPC was for the main house i.e. not the separate garage/flat that is being rented. I believe the electrical report has been requested from both LL and university, but expect a similar case as the EPC.

Apparently this flat was advertised through the university's accreditation scheme, which is ran in partnership with the council. Hard to believe. It's also hard to know whether the LL is making honest mistakes, as the tenant believes. I thought not, but there seem to be so many boxes not being ticked, I'm starting to wonder if the LL is simply not clued up on any of this at all.

dimbo61

" not clued up " is not an excuse and neither is ignorance !
Is the Garage/Flat catches Fire and your friend is inside then the Landlord could go to prison.
£3,000 fine and upto 5 years in prison  for not carrying out Right to Rent checks ! 
Fire Safety, EPC, EICR, and everything else not done 

no_moolah

Just a quick update ... student has inquired with the uni and it turns out their 'accreditation scheme'  is in name only, which might explain how the incorrect EPC slipped through. It seems you just have to tick a box on a website to say you agree to some terms and conditions, but nobody from the uni comes out to actually check the properties or the landlords. Whichever Uni you're going through dimbo61 sounds like it is on the ball.

gwynlas

no_moolah  I cannot recall insulation thickness but I recall Building Control making builder remove that partly installed and add moisture proof membrane to bring job up to standard. Builder said he had been trying to increase useable internal space.

no_moolah

I've asked the tenant if the landlord ever mentioned the electoral roll to them, and the answer is no. The tenant is about to move out so they have been there a year now. If the landlord was contacted as part of annual canvassing and didn't include the tenant in the annexe, is the landlord or tenant at fault here? I'm not sure if this is complicated becase of the tenant being a student. Does anyone know? Thank you

user1977

no_moolah said:

If the landlord was contacted as part of annual canvassing and didn't include the tenant in the annexe, is the landlord or tenant at fault here?

Both, really. There's nothing stopping a resident from making their own application to be added to (or removed from) the electoral roll, the annual canvass is just belt and braces.

no_moolah

Thanks user1977, I think they may have been registered to vote at home but that's helpful to know.

Does anyone know how far council tax gets backdated? The LL has a second annexe, which sounds more like an extension to the main house but certainly self-contained. It's rented out yet isn't banded for council tax. That tenant has allegedly been there 10-15 years. Presumably when the VOA inspect the 'annexe' for banding, they'll also see the extension annexe and band that aswell. Will the LL get a CT bill for all of that period? A bit concerned about how they might react to it, assuming the bill would be fairly high.

dimbo61

Not the LL but the Tenant who would be liable.
The tenant could try and sue the LL if the tenancy agreement stated Council tax included but most tenancy agreements are silent on bills.

FreeBear

dimbo61 said: Not the LL but the Tenant who would be liable.

Yup, the tenant would be liable for all council tax from the date they moved in to the date of departure - One good reason for hanging on to all documents relating to tenancy agreements & checkout reports (including any emails or txt messages).

Wonder if this second annex is also compliant with the rules & regulations like the one above the garage - It is starting to sound like this LL has a track record of failing to comply with the laws. As a parting shot, I'd be reporting the LL to the local council and point out that there are two separate annexes.

It is people like this LL that give slum landlords a bad name and doesn't do the good ones any favours.