change of use, to avoid bed room tax

[ozz1243]

hi all im new here (and dont have a clue about planning permission or how it works)

would it be possible to change a 2 bedroom flat into a 1 bedroom flat by applying for a change of use, change of layout or somthing along them lines.

i got talking about this in the pub, if the council say you have 2 bedrooms on paper then you apply for change of use, or change of layout and make the second bedroom a dinning room on paper. no bedroom tax then

as i said iv not a clue planning permission works.

 

[rjm2k]

If you are talking about a council house, I doubt they will allow you to change its use.

 

[ozz1243]

dont think you would be able to do a council house my self. if you rented some where out and there was an extra bedroom.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Council Tax is determined by the price of the property so a reassessment is the only way to have it amended. Though this can work against you I understand.

 

[ozz1243]

im not on about council taw im on about this bed room tax thats coming in (to put the poor on the streets). if your on the dole and you have a bedroom not being use its around £11 a week you have to pay out of your dole, 2 bedrooms £22 a week

so could a landlord do a change of layout of a property to make a 2 bed room place into a 1 bedroom

 

[indus]

I suppose the moral debate here is whether the tax payer should pay for you to have a bedroom you don't actually need??

 

[OwainDIYer]

You would have to be able to show that the room could not be used as a bedroom. There is no difference between a dining room and a bedroom as such.

If you change the layout so that one room opens off another, then you run into Building Regulations problems for means of escape etc.

In a block of flats in England you would have to get freeholder's permission to make such alterations.

 

[kingandy2nd]

. if your on the dole and you have a bedroom not being use its around £11 a week you have to pay out of your dole, 2 bedrooms £22 a week

There is a certain irony to this

 

[ozz1243]

I suppose the moral debate here is whether the tax payer should pay for you to have a bedroom you don't actually need??

i know what your saying but most council flats 1 or 2 bedroom cost the same anyway might be a few quid different. and some one that cant afford an extra £10 a week defo cant afford to move house. none of your carpets will fit your new place (a few hundred quid), odds are it will need painting (£70) for cheap paint, van hire (£120) for the day plus petty thats if they can drive, if not man and a van. etc its not cheap moving

plus i wouldn't want to move a kid from there school, friends and away from there home because of a bedroom

 

[ozz1243]

You would have to be able to show that the room could not be used as a bedroom. There is no difference between a dining room and a bedroom as such.

If you change the layout so that one room opens off another, then you run into Building Regulations problems for means of escape etc.

In a block of flats in England you would have to get freeholder's permission to make such alterations.

so its a no then. as i said we were just on about it in the pub i was just curios thats all.

 

[ozz1243]

[/quote]There is a certain irony to this[/quote]


your spot on there pal, you know what i mean thow

 

[^woody^]

Do you understand what this 'bedroom tax' actually is and how it applies? If so you would understand that there would be no reason to want to do this, and no reason for a landlord to allow it.

Anyway, change of use in planning context does not apply for this scenario

 

[Willa]

Who would pay the local authority fees for building control and possibly planning? I doubt your landlord would cough up.