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!

Lol. You might die in a fire but at least you'll have had a good nights sleep!

Lots of misinformation and red herring on this thread, means of escape is complex and only relating to new work.

You don't need more than one way to get out, one is fine if it's compliant. Even getting out from a 3rd or 4th floor all you need is fire doors on the way down.

To be honest I'd concentrate on the fact that it's not what a reasonable person would expect from the description (clearly the reviews bear that out) and it should be clear as most people would not expect that. Negotiate a suitable discount and then leave a suitable review (unless it's a deal breaker in which case cancel and try to argue it out either with them or your card company)

I have seen a few holiday lets with bedrooms without windows. I always look very carefully at the online pictures and if it's not clear there is a window in the bedroom I would email them to check . Only done this since we stayed in a cottage recently where this was the case, as previously it wouldn't have occurred to me that there would be no window in the bedroom . I slept on the living room sofa .

There was a thread on here recently about hotel rooms without bedrooms . If I'm going somewhere now with a generic booking (as opposed to specifying a particular view) then I double check .

They are advertised as such and will have alternative fire strategies in place such as sprinkler systems.

Was it the building opposite morrisons by any chance?

I understand what you’re saying but in real
high rise living there is no egress from windows. Firefighters can do nothing. But yes they could see you at the window

! Should say hotel rooms without windows !

Thanks Johnd2, I was coming on to say the same.

Lots of nonsense on here. Random Googling does not help.

🤣🤣

I did wonder what sort of hotel didn't even have bedrooms 😉🤣

My flat isn’t actually crap.

Your standards are too high for the modern housing and accommodation industry. Hence my warning to you and the OP that their children will be looking at similar flats when they fly the nest.

My first rented flat was massive because it was part of a converted factory so there was rooms without windows. They have to have a window to be bedrooms

Nope my standards are not too high. Still irrelevant to OPs holiday rental.

You really can’t see that a bathroom is completely different to a bedroom? My old house didn’t have a bathroom window, which was fine, but there’s no way I’d sleep in a bedroom without a window.

That said I often see hotels advertising rooms with no windows. So I doubt it’s illegal.

As long as there is ventilation in the bathroom and kitchen then no they do not have to have a window.
Bedrooms on the other hand absolutely do require a window from a fire safety point of view.
You're unlikely to be snoozing in a kitchen or bathroom when a fire breaks out.

No way would I be staying in a bedroom without a window.

Whatever the legal position, it is pure unadulterated greed on the part of the owners to try to pass off a windowless cupboard as a third bedroom. Unless they are offering the full Harry Potter experience?

Bloc Hotel have no windows in their standard rooms and are quite highly rated.

What they're doing is renting out a glorified closet.

If they get away with that, there's nothing to stop you from calling the space under your stairs a bedroom and making money from it.

There are separate regs for high rise buildings, which are supposed to have sprinkler systems, properly working fire doors, stairs as well as lifts, etc.

All bedrooms (habitable rooms) need a method of escape in case of fire. So if the doorway is r entrance is blocked there is an alternative method of egress. If there is no MoE it cannot be classed as a bedroom and (heaven forbid) anyone should come to harm because of it the insurers would be rightly upset.

There are stairs and lifts outside my property but if there was a fire inside my property the bedrooms have only one point of egress. That’s the bedroom door into the hallway. Then hallway to front door.
the interior doors are not fire doors and there are no sprinkler systems in the blocks.
I think with high rise living we are used to more risk. Hence the people on this thread who live in houses would not like to stay in a bedroom without a window because of fire safety.

im just pointing out that once over a certain level- about 8th floor the fire brigade told me- there is absolutely no way of being rescued from a window. So you have to hope the fire brigade can come through front door.

obviously a tragedy like Grenfell is when the dangers become clearer to more of the public. But essentially reading a thread like this is an eye opener for someone like me who has raised their family in a property that clearly lots of people wouldn’t be happy with.

And no offence whatever to those of you who have better housing- I’m not bitter! It’s just a very different situation.

People are going on about building regulations and high rise flats etc however the bottom line is - is it reasonable to expect a teenager on holiday to sleep in a windowless room?

I think absolutely not! No natural light, obviously lack of ability to open a window for fresh air and an uncomfortable feeling of claustrophobia.

I go on holiday to relax and enjoy myself - I look to "step up" from the standards I have at home - not move down.

when youre payiing out for a holiday let which is ually quite expensive id expect a window in a bedroom not amake shift cupboard with a bed in it

Just be mindful that depending on when you want to go if you do get a refund you might struggle to find a replacement that isn't horrifically expensive. It might be better to just suck it up...

I'd really rather not take it as far as small claims, but I suppose it depends how annoyed I get and how reasonable/unreasonable they are!