Renting out the top of a house...

56cheffy

Not sure if this is the correct forum for this but here goes:

My father has recently died, my mother is left with a large house, the bottom half is more than enough for her to cope with as it has a bedroom and bathroom downstairs.

My question is:

Can she rent out the top half and install a fitted kitchen upstairs, if so does she need to get permission from anyone? The house has no mortgage.

She is not looking to completely convert to 2 flats or to split the utilities, she would pay the bills, but by just blocking off one door downstairs inside the main entrance it could be made to do the same job.

She would then use the back door as her entrance and the upstairs would have a separate entrance, the existing front door.

Andy_Hamilton

It's her house so there's no mortgage company to talk and I would recommend it if she wants a regular income.
She would become a landlord in her own right so she would need to comply with the rules and regulations (insurance/gas/Fire/rental deposit schemes etc) but that's nothing to be worried about too much. The other way she could do rent the rooms out to lodgers, they would need access to your mothers shared facilities (kitchen) but she has more control over who she has in her home.

Lodgers could become friends and security for your mother rather than "tenants upstairs"

TBeckett100

how about downsizing?

56cheffy

TBeckett100 wrote: »

how about downsizing?

She's lived in the same small town all her life, loves her neighbours who all look out for her and visit regularly and there is nothing available locally, so it's not an option

PasturesNew

I'd suggest that at her time in life she'd not want lodgers pottering about in her space.

And renting out upstairs she'd have to comply with all the rules/regs/laws too.

I recently went to view a flat that was an annexe on a big family home. I asked the agent why it hadn't gone already as it was in a bit of a posh road and she said "most people don't like renting close to the landlord as they feel awkward". I can see that is an issue for many.

Even though it would be informally divided into flats, I'd be surprised if the usual regulations didn't apply. It might be just as hard/impossible to informally divide as to formally do it. But there are people here who will have gone down this route and be able to say definitively what the legal issues are re building regs.

chappers

theres nothing to stop her fitting another kitchen upstairs and having "lodgers".
My friends Mum lives in a big four storey house since her husband died she lives in the basement and the ground floor with her own 2 bedrooms, living room ,kitchen and bathroom, there is a second kitchen and bathroom on the first floor and her two postgraduate lodgers each have abedroom and a sitting room on the 1st and 2nd floors.
apart from the extra kitchens the house has not been altered in any way and nothing is blocked off or separated.

tbs624

56cheffy wrote: »

My question is:

Can she rent out the top half and install a fitted kitchen upstairs, if so does she need to get permission from anyone? The house has no mortgage.

She is not looking to completely convert to 2 flats or to split the utilities, she would pay the bills, but by just blocking off one door downstairs inside the main entrance it could be made to do the same job.

She would then use the back door as her entrance and the upstairs would have a separate entrance, the existing front door.

As your mother owns the house outright, she doesn't need to have permission to let but there may be other rules that need to be looked at.

As a starting point see here for guidelines to the distinctions between self-contained and shared accommodation: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/151564

If you are thinking of blocking off the use of a door, the best thing to do is to contact the local Council Planning Office/Building Controls Officer and the local Fire Safety Officer so that you can check that there are no restrictions especially with regard to safe evacuation of the property by either party.

See also here: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1115315273728.html

If there were to be more than two other people in the house you should contact the local Council’s Housing Dept/Environmental Health Department to ask about HMO licensing as there are specific facilities that have to be provided for washing etc

Your mother would need to have an annual gas safety service & certificate for all gas installations, ensure that the electrical system is safe. There will also be Council Tax, insurance and income tax obligations.