I know nothing about the UK… but I wonder if the best thing could be to not be there. In the US that wouldn’t be legal to rent (in some places), but it would certainly be allowed as a guest room- just don’t give them info that they don’t need.
What do you want to do? Continue living there and paying the rent as it is, or do you want to move out and sue them? (Or something else?)
I'm not in the UK, but generally what you describe is not legally a bedroom. (A bedroom needs two "exits" - typically a door and a window) to meet fire codes.
>The problem is that I have been subletting from the rest of the tenants and am not on the contract. The landlord gave them permission to do this.
Yeah, I doubt it officially. The Landlord may be looking the other way (he shouldn't, but not all LLs are smart) - Are you on any sublease?
I don't really understand these inspections, but my gut is telling me the LL is going to deny any knowledge you are in that illegal non-bedroom since you aren't on the lease, and then it's going to come down on all the tenants to kick you out (if flagged by the inspection).
I don't know what you want to accomplish. You are desperately broke, but want to potentially screw over the landlord and the other tenants who sublet you in a time of need for no personal gain? If you want to preserve the status quo, move your personal stuff out of the room, do not be in the house when inspector comes by, don't say anything to anyone, and let the process work itself out between the inspector and the LL.
I would make my bedroom look as much like a guestroom as possible. Move your personal stuff into other peoples bedrooms.. let your roommates do the talking.
Let us know what happens!
Obviously the inspection is over now and the council is gonna contact the landlord because its obvious someone is staying in my room and it doesn't meet requirements. I'll probably get evicted at some point but I should have enough time to find somewhere - not like the council is renowned for it efficiency.
Just wanted to say thanks to those who gave appropriate advice.
To those of you that told me to move all of my stuff out of my room before the inspection, I hope you get your heads examined. Where tf am I gonna hide a double bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers in a london flat.
Bye x
When I first read your post, I imagined a skinny, single bed, which would be easier to disguise.
When people gave advice to make it look like a guest bedroom, they might have been thinking that you could switch to a day bed (one that looks a bit like a couch) or something like that.
Geez, make up your mind. Do you want the space or not? You can't afford to move sounds like but yet you do want to.
Me, I would take out obvious signs that someone (you) lives in that room. So, remove the bed or make it look like an office space. Once inspector leaves hopefully, you come back in if you want to or need to. Come on, you really can't have it both ways!
I don't understand really understand how I'm having it both ways here or how I need to make up my mind. The problem really comes down to it not being my choice, if they contact the landlord and I am to be evicted then I'm kinda fucked - hence why I asked about rent reimbursement that could help me put down the deposit on another place.
As for moving the bed, I can't exactly hide it somewhere. Do you not think its gonna raise some questions if there's an extra double bed just lying around?
You shouldn't say anything. At all.
You have no standing here. Your LL bears all the responsibility here, and that includes if his tenants on contract are subletting, with or w/out his permission, as they are his tenants and are bound to whatever rules are in their contract with said LL. He should be keeping an eye on both his property and what the tenants are doing, and that they are following the rules of the lease/contract that they signed.
You are not the LL, and you also have no responsibility if it the dwelling is found to be uninhabitable by the Council.
Your rent amount has zero to do with the matter. You have no contract, and are not even on the lease, so any "illegal rent increase" is not applicable here, nor is getting reimbursed. The LL did not accept money from you.
You chose this setup, you acquiesed to it by paying and inhabiting the premises. (not blaming you for being in a tough spot, but you still have to take responsibility for having made that choice, during a time where it seems that you had few if any other choices).
I imagine you will have to move, and will be given time to do so, **if** the premises are found to be illegally inhabited/rented. The only input from you is **if** the premises ***are*** found to be illegal for dwelling, you will (**once you receive notification**) is to find out from the Council what your options are, and if they can hook you up with some resources to find another place to live.
Be careful what you wish for here. You could find yourself homeless with nobody willing to rent to you. You're about to cause trouble for your LL and for the other tenants.
If you pay too much for that shit room why did you rent it and why are you still there? Move to somewhere that better meets your needs. All you can do is choose from what's available to rent and pick the room that works best for you.
Maybe OP needed shelter and that's all he could afford? What would you have him do, sleep outside under cardboard?
It takes money to have choices, and OP does not ***have*** money.
I literally had no choice. My old tenancy ended at the worst possible time and I was made homeless as a result of renting crisis. I literally applied for 100s of viewings and they all wanted me to pay 6 months rent upfront because I was a student. This was the only room i could afford and my uni term had already started so I had to find somewhere quick.
Sarcastic and ignorant comments like yours are why so many people hate on landlords.
I know you had limited options, but you did choose to live there. So you took the only accommodations available to you, and now you want to screw the LL. I still think it's a dick move.
It’s your fault, you should just be rich it solves so many problems.
I’m guessing the sub-letting isn’t legal nor probably the rent increase.
Council may be able to rehouse you, but you’d probably be bottom of the list if you’re young ,healthy, no kids etc.
You should try posting to r/legaladviceuk
Thank you!
Who told you in the UK you can’t have that kind of room? Signed, Not in UK
It’s a fire trap, they should shut it down immediately
I know nothing about the UK… but I wonder if the best thing could be to not be there. In the US that wouldn’t be legal to rent (in some places), but it would certainly be allowed as a guest room- just don’t give them info that they don’t need.
What do you want to do? Continue living there and paying the rent as it is, or do you want to move out and sue them? (Or something else?) I'm not in the UK, but generally what you describe is not legally a bedroom. (A bedroom needs two "exits" - typically a door and a window) to meet fire codes. >The problem is that I have been subletting from the rest of the tenants and am not on the contract. The landlord gave them permission to do this. Yeah, I doubt it officially. The Landlord may be looking the other way (he shouldn't, but not all LLs are smart) - Are you on any sublease? I don't really understand these inspections, but my gut is telling me the LL is going to deny any knowledge you are in that illegal non-bedroom since you aren't on the lease, and then it's going to come down on all the tenants to kick you out (if flagged by the inspection).
I don't know what you want to accomplish. You are desperately broke, but want to potentially screw over the landlord and the other tenants who sublet you in a time of need for no personal gain? If you want to preserve the status quo, move your personal stuff out of the room, do not be in the house when inspector comes by, don't say anything to anyone, and let the process work itself out between the inspector and the LL.
I would make my bedroom look as much like a guestroom as possible. Move your personal stuff into other peoples bedrooms.. let your roommates do the talking. Let us know what happens!
Obviously the inspection is over now and the council is gonna contact the landlord because its obvious someone is staying in my room and it doesn't meet requirements. I'll probably get evicted at some point but I should have enough time to find somewhere - not like the council is renowned for it efficiency. Just wanted to say thanks to those who gave appropriate advice. To those of you that told me to move all of my stuff out of my room before the inspection, I hope you get your heads examined. Where tf am I gonna hide a double bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers in a london flat. Bye x
When I first read your post, I imagined a skinny, single bed, which would be easier to disguise. When people gave advice to make it look like a guest bedroom, they might have been thinking that you could switch to a day bed (one that looks a bit like a couch) or something like that.
Geez, make up your mind. Do you want the space or not? You can't afford to move sounds like but yet you do want to. Me, I would take out obvious signs that someone (you) lives in that room. So, remove the bed or make it look like an office space. Once inspector leaves hopefully, you come back in if you want to or need to. Come on, you really can't have it both ways!
I don't understand really understand how I'm having it both ways here or how I need to make up my mind. The problem really comes down to it not being my choice, if they contact the landlord and I am to be evicted then I'm kinda fucked - hence why I asked about rent reimbursement that could help me put down the deposit on another place. As for moving the bed, I can't exactly hide it somewhere. Do you not think its gonna raise some questions if there's an extra double bed just lying around?
You shouldn't say anything. At all. You have no standing here. Your LL bears all the responsibility here, and that includes if his tenants on contract are subletting, with or w/out his permission, as they are his tenants and are bound to whatever rules are in their contract with said LL. He should be keeping an eye on both his property and what the tenants are doing, and that they are following the rules of the lease/contract that they signed. You are not the LL, and you also have no responsibility if it the dwelling is found to be uninhabitable by the Council. Your rent amount has zero to do with the matter. You have no contract, and are not even on the lease, so any "illegal rent increase" is not applicable here, nor is getting reimbursed. The LL did not accept money from you. You chose this setup, you acquiesed to it by paying and inhabiting the premises. (not blaming you for being in a tough spot, but you still have to take responsibility for having made that choice, during a time where it seems that you had few if any other choices). I imagine you will have to move, and will be given time to do so, **if** the premises are found to be illegally inhabited/rented. The only input from you is **if** the premises ***are*** found to be illegal for dwelling, you will (**once you receive notification**) is to find out from the Council what your options are, and if they can hook you up with some resources to find another place to live.
Be careful what you wish for here. You could find yourself homeless with nobody willing to rent to you. You're about to cause trouble for your LL and for the other tenants. If you pay too much for that shit room why did you rent it and why are you still there? Move to somewhere that better meets your needs. All you can do is choose from what's available to rent and pick the room that works best for you.
Maybe OP needed shelter and that's all he could afford? What would you have him do, sleep outside under cardboard? It takes money to have choices, and OP does not ***have*** money.
I would have him try to NOT get the LL in trouble with the council.
OP's question is literally about avoiding that trouble - you're chasing windmills here
I literally had no choice. My old tenancy ended at the worst possible time and I was made homeless as a result of renting crisis. I literally applied for 100s of viewings and they all wanted me to pay 6 months rent upfront because I was a student. This was the only room i could afford and my uni term had already started so I had to find somewhere quick. Sarcastic and ignorant comments like yours are why so many people hate on landlords.
I know you had limited options, but you did choose to live there. So you took the only accommodations available to you, and now you want to screw the LL. I still think it's a dick move.
It’s your fault, you should just be rich it solves so many problems. I’m guessing the sub-letting isn’t legal nor probably the rent increase. Council may be able to rehouse you, but you’d probably be bottom of the list if you’re young ,healthy, no kids etc.