To think that a 'bedroom' without a window cannot be legally described as one?

[ABedroomByAnyOtherName]

We've had a holiday booked since last year with a UK Holiday Cottage company. Lovely cottage, three bedrooms, great reviews on the website.

I paid the final balance this week and thought I'd have a look at the more recent reviews. Two new reviews point out that the third bedroom does not in fact have a window, it is just a windowless storage room with a bed inside.

This is ridiculous, surely? We need three bedrooms as there will be me and DH plus two teens who will definitely not share. We have paid a significant amount of money for three bedrooms - none of us will sleep in a windowless room, especially not in the summer!

After a quick check on the internet, most seem to agree that a room without a window cannot be legally described as a bedroom under UK law and can definitely not be advertised as one for renting out. This is due to fire safety regulations, as there needs to be at least two exits in the case of a fire.

I emailed the company saying this and have had a reply today to say it IS a bedroom and as such wasn't misdescribed, so they don't see an issue.
I'm so annoyed! We have paid a lot for what's basically a two bedroom cottage unsuitable for our needs, how on earth can they justify this?!

Can anyone help point me to the particular piece of legislation/building regs that confirm this? Obviously, lots of planning/building trade websites mentioned this, but I'd rather have a link to a government site to support this when I email back. I'd be so grateful for any help!

Ugh. I am so peeved. I'd rather they gave me a full refund now, as it's so dishonest that I resent giving them any of my money...any advice/pointers gratefully received!

According to building regs, a bathroom doesn’t need a window, but a bedroom does.

Presumably he doesn’t sleep in the kitchen or bathroom?

I digress but bedroom windows in tower blocks cannot be used as alternative fire escapes. Just have to add this because so many people here are saying they wouldn’t sleep in a bedroom with no alternative fire escape. Millions of people have to.

my family have had to. High rise living. If bedroom door access was to be blocked in a fire there would be no escape. Window could ventilate for a while but not give a means of escape.

I found this on the internet.

Building Regulation for Windows in Bedrooms
Many buildings in the UK have at least one room that doesn’t have a window. You may be tempted to rent out this room as an extra bedroom or include it when counting the bedrooms in the house to increase value upon sale. However, while it can technically serve as a sleeping place, such a room wouldn’t qualify as a bedroom as per the UK building regulations. In fact, marketing such rooms to lodgers as bedrooms is against the law and can get you into trouble. Without a window, you should label these rooms as studios, playrooms, or home offices.
All bedrooms in the UK must have a window that complies with the specified building regulations. In this article we look at building regulations for windows in bedrooms

Thanks so much everyone! I need to go out for a few hours, but will come back to the thread later - it's good to know I'm not on my own in thinking this is both mis selling AND possibly illegal. Thanks again!

I stayed in an apartment in a conversion of an old building in Alnwick a few years ago, and whilst the second bedroom did have a window, it looked into an internal atrium and didn't open. It was horrendous, I sleep with my window open all year round at home, and this was the summer. I hardly slept, and complained when I got home (I didn't like to whilst I was there as I was with my parents, who were treating me.) The response was that it was okay as there was a vent into the (equally airless) atrium. Er, no.

So a room without a window at all sounds absolutely hideous, I'd be doing all I could to get my money back.

That's not for short term holiday let's but rather, for lodging.

Op you need to have a look at this

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/1147723/AAguidetoomakingyourrsmallpaying-guest-accommodationnsafefromm_fire.pdf

Ask for a copy of the Fire Risk Assessment and details of their insurers, their insurers may well be interested

I’ve stayed in windowless, underground hotel rooms so I don’t think you will find what you are looking for!

https://www.ashburnham-insurance.co.uk/blog/2018/10/can-you-let-a-windowless-room/

all ‘habitable’ rooms must have a way of escape. This protects all occupants against fire risk and any other potential reasons to get out quickly. All rooms must also have a form of local ventilation.

https://www.gbhomesurveys.co.uk/whats-the-definition-of-a-bedroom/

This is because it's not just about egress. In the event of a fire one of the first things firefighters do is an external of the building. The window isn't where you will get out, it's where they may get you out. At the very least, they will be aware you are possibly there (because there is a window).

An internal room is not a bedroom so it won't be immediately obvious as a bedroom and if you are trapped, how do they extract you?

Added to which, when awake we are incredibly sensitive to the smell of smoke. Cooking, weeing etc. we'd know there was a fire very quickly. We don't have a sense of smell while asleep, which means you are relying on alarms and noise. In an internal room, that's probably too late.

I wouldn't ever sleep in a room with no windows. It's very dangerous.

What about people in high rise?

But hotels have bedrooms without windows?

They are clearly marked as such.

Well, the bedroom window physically can't open but at least it lets light in.

I don’t understand. Whose window doesn’t open?

My property was marketed as a 2 bed when I bought it. It does have a 3rd single bedroom with en-suite!
The bedroom doesn't have a window but the adjoining en-suite does. It still had to be marketed as a 2 bed.
The owners have been disingenuous.
I personally wouldn't cancel as I'm sure one of the teens wouldn't mind - it's a place to lay their head, at the end of the day. And if the property is amazing in other ways, then you could be cutting off your nose to spite your face.
I would, however, ask for a discount.

I should add that my property is Georgian, and these types of quirks are common in the city where I live.

I still wouldn't stay in one. However, they are fire plans, sprinkler systems, the fire brigade would be very aware of it and so on. It's not all about egress. It's also what happens with firefighters getting to you and whether you survive until they do.

@TeenDivided @Saschka @TeaKitten @CastleTurrets

To answer all your follow up questions:

I live in an upper floor flat where the bathroom has no window AND no extractor fan, the bedroom window physically won't open and the only window that does is about 2 metres in the air, opens inwards and about the size of an A3 sheet of paper.

Oh, and I don't have sprinkles.

These flats exist and the regulations for holiday lets will be even looser.

My own... The PPs implying I was exaggerating about my own windows.

Did you not look at pictures on the website, OP? @ABedroomByAnyOtherName

Windowless bathrooms and kitchens usually have extractor fans of some sort to remove damp and the moisture created by use.

There's no legal need for it to have a window if it has other means of ventilation. I can think of a pro for a windowless room and that is you aren't woken at stupid o'clock just because it's light

So you do have a window in your bedroom then…

I don’t see why that means OP should have to tolerate a windowless bedroom on a holiday she’s paid good money for. You living in a crap flat doesn’t mean OPs expectations are unrealistic. The two things are not related.