Can a parent and child rent a 1 bedroom flat?

mrmagoo38

Devongardener said:

mrmagoo38 said:

Wish i hadn't asked now. Thanks to everyone else though, hope youve enjoyed your weekend. 

Don’t be discouraged, it was a perfectly reasonable question to ask, and completely possible.  

As I said, I did it,  we had a big bedroom so my son could make his own area.   We moved after a couple of years when I could afford a bigger property and by that time I felt he should have his own room.    

I hope you find somewhere suitable!

Its just sad that a cash strapped single parent cant ask a question regarding bedrooms and affordability without someone insinuating the worst of people.

mrmagoo38

Probably gonna look for a 2 bedroom now but choose somewhere cheaper in the country.

user1977

Using a living room as a bedroom is perfectly feasible, though depends on layout and size. You also get "1 bedroom" flats which have additional space (boxroom etc) which can't officially be called a bedroom.

And a lot of 1 bed flats do have kids in them - I know of a local authority which had to review their figures when they realised that (for the purposes of calculating demand for school places) it wasn't safe to assume 1 bed flats would be child-free.

Norman_Castle

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/check_if_your_home_is_overcrowded_by_law

At 7 a child is only 3 years at most from being 10 when they are considered an adult for overcrowding rules. Keep that in mind if a particular flat is affected by this and you expect to stay for longer.

ArbitraryRandom

I'd think it really depends on the flat. If the property has a good size dedicated lounge that's completely different from one that has a kitchen/sitting room.

I would suggest the parent has the lounge and the child the bedroom and that the parent invest in a decent quality sofa bed with underbed storage. 

diystarter7

mrmagoo38 said:

Probably gonna look for a 2 bedroom now but choose somewhere cheaper in the country.

Hi again

Yes do that as its best old round and your child will like all children to appreciate their own bedroom as will you and you wont have to move when your child is older.

Good luck

markin

If moving again when 2 bedrooms really are needed means having to move schools its probably best to bite the bullet now.

_Penny_Dreadful

Yes in theory it is possible and depending on the configuration and size of the 1 bedroom flat e.g. separate living room rather than an open plan living room and kitchen, you wouldn’t be overcrowded.  In practice you might find it challenging to find a landlord willing to let to you as some landlords don’t appear to understand the overcrowding rules. Also you could be competing for the property against some more attractive (on paper at least) tenants. I suspect we will see more people attempting to do what you’re doing as the costs of living continue to increase and people try to cut their cloth accordingly. Good luck with your search. 

theoretica

Norman_Castle said:

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/check_if_your_home_is_overcrowded_by_law

At 7 a child is only 3 years at most from being 10 when they are considered an adult for overcrowding rules. Keep that in mind if a particular flat is affected by this and you expect to stay for longer.

The overcrowding rules, as I understand them, would then potentially give priority for council housing but as this would be a single household property and not an HMO I can't see any requirement on either landlord or tenant not to 'overcrowd' this way should they both choose to (and should the property not have a living room, which would stop it counting as overcrowded).  Are you seeing a requirement I am not?  There is nothing to stop a single person, or a couple, in their own home having lots of children which then get older and the property 'overcrowded' in a way an HMO landlord could not squash people in.

_Penny_Dreadful

theoretica said:

Norman_Castle said:

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/check_if_your_home_is_overcrowded_by_law

At 7 a child is only 3 years at most from being 10 when they are considered an adult for overcrowding rules. Keep that in mind if a particular flat is affected by this and you expect to stay for longer.

The overcrowding rules, as I understand them, would then potentially give priority for council housing but as this would be a single household property and not an HMO I can't see any requirement on either landlord or tenant not to 'overcrowd' this way should they both choose to (and should the property not have a living room, which would stop it counting as overcrowded).  Are you seeing a requirement I am not?  There is nothing to stop a single person, or a couple, in their own home having lots of children which then get older and the property 'overcrowded' in a way an HMO landlord could not squash people in.

Statutory overcrowding is a criminal offence unless it falls within an exception. For example, overcrowding due to natural family growth.  It’s one thing for a landlord to let a 1-bedroom property to a parent and child, it’s another to let a 1-bedroom property to one parent and 5 children from the start. Should the parent with one child at the start of the tenancy then go on to have another 4 children that’s not on the landlord’s head.