Estate Agents calling a living/parlour room a bedroom?

BookBook

I have noticed a few houses lately advertising themselves as having an extra bedroom, i.e. calling a house a three bedroom house when two bedrooms are upstairs and the third bedroom is/was a downstairs parlour or living room.

Similar to attic spaces are there any particular requirements that need to be met before you can call these rooms a bedroom?

I noticed that in some of the houses turning this room into a bedroom leaves very little actual downstairs living space.

ABajaninCork

I know if the loft has been converted, then you need planning permission and a fire safety cert. If they don't have that then it's just a loft!

Marcusm

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I know if the loft has been converted, then you need planning permission and a fire safety cert. If they don't have that then it's just a loft!

You don't need planning permission, you need to ensure it complies with building regulations for a habitable room which includes minimum ceiling height and access/egress issues.

Woshy

I saw a house a few weeks ago that was advertised as a 3 bed. The third bedroom was the size of a walk -in wardrobe (I'm not exaggerating either). It could have been a wardrobe except for the fact it had it's own doorway off the hall. You could have barely fit one chair in there. How they can advertise properties like that as 3 bed is beyond me.

the_syco

BookBook wrote: »

I have noticed a few houses lately advertising themselves as having an extra bedroom, i.e. calling a house a three bedroom house when two bedrooms are upstairs and the third bedroom is/was a downstairs parlour or living room.

A lot of landlords do this to get more rent from the one house.

MouseTail

Well I suppose who uses a parlour? The extra room downstairs is a study / playroom / den / gym / dining room / junk room /bedroom.

The Niece

the_syco wrote: »

A lot of landlords do this to get more rent from the one house.

Agreed, living in London - landlord wanted the rent for an extra person in - our only communal area was the kitchen so we were like ships in the night...depending on what you're looking for, it can be quite uncomfortable in my opinion

Victor

BookBook wrote: »

are there any particular requirements that need to be met before you can call these rooms a bedroom?

The city or county development plan may specify a minimum floor area. This may be dependent on when the property was built. The building regulations have certain stipulations regarding fire escape.

Marcusm wrote: »

You don't need planning permission, you need to ensure it complies with building regulations for a habitable room which includes minimum ceiling height and access/egress issues.

An increase of floor area and/or addition of a window normally does require planning permission. The fire safety issues are substantial.

ted1

Victor wrote: »

The city or county development plan may specify a minimum floor area. This may be dependent on when the property was built. The building regulations have certain stipulations regarding fire escape.

An increase of floor area and/or addition of a window normally does require planning permission. The fire safety issues are substantial.

Are you sure? You can build a 40sqm extension without planning permission

BookBook

MouseTail wrote: »

Well I suppose who uses a parlour? The extra room downstairs is a study / playroom / den / gym / dining room / junk room /bedroom.

In a lot of the smaller ex corporation houses the parlour usually gets opened up to make the living room/kitchen bigger.

BookBook

For me it comes across sometimes a bit like false advertising because when I see a house with one more bedroom listed than similar houses in the area I assume the house has been extended which isn't always the case.

I wish total floor space (without the garden ) was mandatory in property advertising.