Penalised for making our living arrangements better!
We are a family of 8 consisting of myself, husband, 19 year old daughter, 4 sons aged 15,
10,6 and 4 years, and a 17 month old girl. We are currently living in a 3 bedroom house, however, some years ago we wrote to our local housing landlords asking to make our loft into a hobby room and to be able to put in a velux window, we were told yes as long as we didnt use it for sleeping. We have now started to do this but..our nosey neighbours have decided to report us and we have had to stop work whilst reports are being made. I had written permission but, thinking we werent going to have enough money i threw the letter away this year, now our housing landlord are saying they cannot find copies of the permission. We are mad about this as we are trying to create space and use the loft as a hobby room. I did tell the housing officer we MIGHT put an xbox up there with a tv to be used occasionally as we have an xbox downstairs. We have the 4 boys in 1 bedroom so space is tight, when the younger ones are in bed the older 2 boys have to come downstairs so they dont disturb them. The building regulator man has been and inspected the work that has been done and he has passed it as safe etc, we do have to put in for permission for the window which we have now got the form to do this. There are other houses along the estate that have proper loft conversions so we cannot see why we may not be able to continue. We cannot be moved into a larger house because there are none available. My neighbours who reporetd us are in a 4 bedroom house when there is only 2 of them living there, thats why there is a shortage of larger houses, there are alots of people living in larger properties so we have no chance of getting a larger house. We like living in this house and so we thought this was an option now that we had saved enough money to do this. We are not putting in a full staircase and have instead fitted in a proper loft hatch with attached ladder which the builder regulator also passed.
7 Comments
by mandi01
Thursday, July 14 2011, 10:26AM
“yes it was our decision to overcrowd, but im not complaining about that, ive just said that we had permission to board out the loft and use it as a hobby room but now the housing association might go back on their word, it would be nice to have a larger house but we are managing as we are, we just wanted a bit more space hence the loft beingboarded out! it says on the websites that no planning permission is required for a velux window!!!!
What p****s me off is that, councils tell us that there is a shortage of larger houses but, surley if people who are living in houses that are too big for them then they could be made to downsize, families are getting larger these days its not just mine.”
by James_T_Kirk
Wednesday, July 13 2011, 2:45PM
“don't do anything without written permission as they can make you reinstate the house at your expense”
by Devongeek
Tuesday, July 12 2011, 4:11PM
“Surely it was your own decision to "over-crowd" the property? it's not the fault of your landlords in the slightest - and when you were housed there originally your family unit must have been rather less than eight, or you simply wouldn't have been housed there.
Why did you only apply for planning permission retrospectively? When you refer to you agreeing the works with a housing officer have you neglected to officially take the works further and get your landlords surveyors department to become involved? Housing Officers simply don't have authority to grant such permission - except upon an "in-principle" basis.
Council and other registered social landlords can evict families for overcrowding, although it's generally a last resort. It's something your tenancy agreement expressly covers.
Have you approached the TSA for advice? There's also a Housing Ombudsman. One, or perhaps both, could offer you advice - but to be perfectly honest you sound as if you've fired the bullet which you're complaining is now firmly lodged in your foot.”
by mandi01
Monday, July 11 2011, 11:46AM
“its a housing association house so wont be evicted!! hopefully!! I wish i had kept the letter but i only threw it away this year, so wish i hadnt! I have the forms to fill for the window as it has been approved by the building regulator, so that can stay. The issue is with the useage of the loft, we can use it for a train room/hobby room but, because i said we MIGHT put an xbox up there aswell, housing are now saying it would be classed as habitable space!!!! There are quite a few houses along our estate that have proper loft conversions, all we have done is boarded ours out and put down proper floorboards!!!!”
by harrylonco
Monday, July 11 2011, 11:12AM
“I fully understand the problem. The council are so upset they look stupid now for allowing every supermaket bar none into our towns. they squabble and bicker like spoilt brats over the smallest ,change of use , or planning application they get wind of.The council is and has always been the problem.They treat the general public as a lower form of themselves. your neighbours may want planning for something one day. The council may find they get a change of use before too long.With any luck. personally i would put in the window and ride the waves ,but carefully . Use the journal to voice your feelings. im sure the editors will see sense.”
by bristoluk2007
Monday, July 11 2011, 12:16AM
“The issue, to my mind, is that 2 people are living in a 4 bedroom house when there are, obviously, others in greater need of such a provision. It's not right - is it?”
by fransam
Monday, July 11 2011, 12:06AM
“sorry you have had this hassle and sorry about your nosey neighbours. always worth keeping any such correspondence though. Is the housing landlord causing problems now? Might be an idea to see the CAB about it and get some free advice. If the landlord wants you out then he may have to reimburse you for expenditure on the loft. just an idea!Things will get worse as the children grow up unless this is resolved.”