Would you buy a flat with a windowless bedroom?

mclopa

Hello
We've been looking for a flat to buy as an investment for rental income. We found a block that we like and there are a couple of possibles. One is a 2 bedroomed ground floor flat with ensuite - so 2 bathrooms. However, one of the 'bedrooms' has no windows. Our surveyor classified the flat as 1 bedroom with an extra (windowless) room. I have now read that fire regulations require bedrooms to have 2 methods of escape (ie door and window). The estate agent thinks there's no problem with renting (or selling) as a 2 bedroom property. I'm very uneasy. Anyone else been in a similar situation? If so then what did you do? And any opinions on what I should do?
Thanks

wrf12345

Buildings regulations would not allow for such a bedroom so it sounds like someone has cut up a larger room into two rooms, if there was a fire and someone died I would think the landlord would be liable - if the price is right you could seal up the room, I guess, so no-one could access it or possibly swap it with the bathroom or kitchen if they have windows and are okay size-wise. 

daveyjp

Local Authority could take action as a bedroom with no window is against regulations.

Gentoo365

I would ignore the estate agent and pay attention to the surveyor and common sense, and I suppose decency.

I wouldn't want to rent out a room with no window and regardless of the rules, laws, and demand for rental property now, things could change. 

I would keep looking.

maman

As others have said, a windowless room cannot be classed as a bedroom despite what the Estate Agents have told you. 

If the price is right for a one bedroom flat in your area then you gain extra space you could use as a study or storage but as a two bedroom I wouldn't consider it. 

Schwarzwald

I recently was allocated a windowless room in a hotel. I only booked for 1 night.
within 5 minutes i was back at reception to upgrade to another room.
windowless bedrooms are horrible!
i would neither buy (unless i can create a window) or rent such, leaving regulation even aside. 

Big No for me.

Alderbank

This sounds like one of those office block to residential conversions under class 0 permitted development rights.

If so, was the conversion carried out before August 2020? Before that date it was a free-for-all where the developers could do what they liked without any restrictions. From August 2020 the rules were changed to require the the provision of adequate natural light in all habitable rooms (ie bedrooms and living rooms) of new properties created.

theartfullodger

If price is low enough of course.  Obvs....

SiliconChip

The first flat I bought in Edinburgh was a 1 bedroom plus box room, which had no window (but did have 2 exits). The box room was often used for visitors to sleep in, a very common arrangement in Edinburgh tenements, and I expect many of them were permanently occupied by children or lodgers.

35har1old

wrf12345 said:

Buildings regulations would not allow for such a bedroom so it sounds like someone has cut up a larger room into two rooms, if there was a fire and someone died I would think the landlord would be liable - if the price is right you could seal up the room, I guess, so no-one could access it or possibly swap it with the bathroom or kitchen if they have windows and are okay size-wise. 

It's a walk in cupboard.Advertise per surveyor classification not the estate agent view.
As to sealing the cupboard up not really a great idea due to possible mould issues and to convert it to a kitchen or a bathroom major renovation required 

BonaDea

Would building regs allow it to be described as an office/study, even if not a bedroom?  Quite a few of the people looking for 2 bed flats (at least in London) are really looking for 1 bed plus 1 room to use as a wfh office, so it could perhaps work as a rental if regulations allow.   Your target demographic would be smaller, but that might not be a problem if demand is high enough anyway.