Tiny third bedroom

[Honeyplease]

We have a 3 bed house, both kids rooms are tiny but the smallest one is 2.03m x 1.83m, which is about 3.5m square. We can fit a cot or a toddler bed but not a single bed in any direction and theres also a radiator which means less space one way.

Does this really constitute a bedroom? we pay council tax for a 3bed property and brought the house as a 3 bed but how can this count?

I’m just wondering if anyone has any knowledge about this or has similar. God knows what we’ll do once DS2 is no longer a small child.

Citizens advice have some guidance here linked to challenging "bedroom tax" with councils. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/housing-benefit/how-an-extra-bedroom-affects-your-housing-benefit/check-if-a-room-counts-as-an-extra-bedroom-for-housing-benefit/

That suggests if a room is too small to fit a single bed, you could challenge it being classed as a bedroom.

A standard UK single bed is 180cm by 90cm so you could fit one in there if you had a divan base and possibly moved the radiator. I don't think you will be able to argue that it isn't big enough to be a bedroom for the purposes of council tax.

There are rules for rental housing and council housing... but not for private housing. There are building standards, butvthey ate optional. (That bedroom doesn't meet them!)

Not sure on council tax...

Council tax is based on the value of your home not how many bedrooms it has. So a £1million one bedroom penthouse can have the same Council tax band as a ten bedroom house also worth £1million.

I'm going to be that poster. But surely when you moved into the house you saw the bedrooms and knew how small they were?

@Ikeawarrior We did. We also thought we were one and done back then!

OP, ask your council what is the definition of a bedroom and take it from there.

Are you sure about no single fitting?
If you get a divan base, and no headboard, isn't should fit across one of the 200 walls, unless doors and radiators get in the way.
DS1 had a slightly large room (2.10x 1.8) single mid sleeper he'd with storage underneath, plus wardrobe.

In the estate I'm in, the single bedrooms are 2.80m x 1.78m. You can't get a standard single bed in because of the boxing above the stairs. Every family I know here has built in furniture in this room. We ripped the fitted bed out (leaving the storage room above) as I use it as an office, but it had been here since these were built in the early 80s.

Any competent carpenter or handyman will be able to build you a bespoke bed / built in bed if you can't move the radiator.

Council tax bands and numbers of bedrooms for the purposes of housing benefit are not linked.

If you want to challenge your CT band, you need to read this: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change/.