To build a false wall in a Housing Association rental property?

[WheelbarrowKid]

We rent from a housing association. Have a 2 bed house. There are 4 of us. DS 8 has a disability which causes him to be unable to share a room. DD 1 is still sharing with us which is fine for now but would like to move her to her own space soon as she wakes us all night wanting to share the bed etc.

We are assessed as being overcrowded and in need of a 3 bedroom but we are Band C so don't stand much of a chance getting a larger property. Have been bidding for over a year.

We've tried to swap but it's next to impossible as most people don't want to downsize for a smaller property that has a high rent.

One of the bedrooms is very large and has 2 windows so could be divided down the middle to make 2 ok sized box rooms.

I know it is not allowed as would need permission to be made into a 3 bed etc but what are people supposed to do when swapping / being given a new property is next to impossible and private renting is out of the question do to the prices being unaffordable.

The wall would be a stud wall and we'd make it so it could be removed if we had to etc.

Not ideal, but given you state your son cannot share, could you give the children the 2 bedrooms and you and DH sleep in a space saving wall bed in the sitting room and keep your clothes in the bigger bedroom.

You're not wrong, although I can't remember the precise age either.

However, having seen a few people go through it. At that point the HA could just say the adults need to sleep in the lounge so the DC can have their own rooms. It might move them up the banding, I don't know, but maybe still not high enough.

OP. People do far worse in their homes and don't get evicted. Plus they have to go to Court to evict you. They can't just do it. That takes (a long) time. So, worst case scenario, they tell you that you shouldn't have done it. You remove it immediately, no Court will grant the eviction when the problems resolved. I can say that with certainty. Not that I believe it would ever get to that stage.

The only way I wouldn't advise you to go ahead, is if you have one of those newer shorter term tenancies that gets reviewed. If you have a secure tenancy then no problem.

@Cangar Certainly in our Housing Association it's seen as the law to not have a room within a room (bar obvious storage cupboards) so I assume it is! I don't work on property maintenance or with tenants directly so I'm not clued up on the exact laws re that but I know it's in my own tenancy that I cannot modify a room within a room or add walls even temporary ones without permission and if caught I can be evicted. And there's always stories coming in from the Housing Officers that they've had to evict tenants due to similar or because they've broken Fire Regulations by doing it.

I am a secretary to the housing officers, so I write their letters for them and send those out to tenants, so don't actually ever speak to tenants myself bar my own direct neighbours that is

@WheelbarrowKid I can only speak for our housing association, but if it's furniture screwed to the wall (like a kallax unit or similar) then that just about passes as long as it's not full enclosed, but a floor to ceiling wall would be classed as enclosed even without a door.

We were told no room dividing of any kind. It was different though we wanted to separate the kitchen from living area as it's open plan & it was a flat no. We're not allowed to use any kind of bookshelf, temporary divider, nothing.
I know there's no way of them knowing if we put a bookshelf against the back of the kitchen unit but it's not worth the potential hassle.

Yes it is age 10 that different sex can't share but that depends on the housing association. Some say longer. As a PP has said some HA's say the parents can sleep in the living room. We did consider this as well but DS doesn't sleep well at all and stomps and bangs on the floor which echos loudly into the living room. It's impossible to sleep. I know this from sleeping on a sofa bed in the living room occasionally.

I'm on the fence about just doing it and hoping for the best or not risking it as I don't want to be evicted and perhaps trying some of the other suggestions.

I liked the idea of that divider a PP linked from B&Q but when I click on it B&Q has no info and says its out of stock.

I did just that! HA couldn't have given less of a shit and just stated that it had to put back to normal before we moved out!

I have done exactly what you are suggesting OP. The houses on this estate are in high demand because the double window makes them perfect to split in this way and a lot of the people who live here have done the same.

It is easily removed when we move out.

TBH after my eldest disabled son ate his way through a stud wall I considered investing in a safe space so I could grab some sleep. It’s a space designed for none sleeping hyper kids who are not safe to be left alone. It can be set up without damaging a room. They also make beds with safe space tent type sets. Not cheap , you might be eligible for charity grants if an OT considers it essential.
We managed to move in time only to watch our little fang chew holes in the ruddy bricks as well as chomp the plaster. Heavy duty clear Acrylic sheets attached to the walls stopped that.

oops…https://safespaces.co.uk/

Some non permanent ideas here, if it's any help for ideas!

Pin page (pinterest.co.uk)

Another one for Kallax. My friend did this and it's really effective plus lots of extra storage.

Yes. We did this with the biggest kallax. Got the cheapest insert boxes from Amazon. Loads of storage space as a bonus.

They have some on eBay.

Can you get rehoused on the grounds of DS's disability?

It is not illegal for two children of opposite sexes to share. However in social housing you will get additional priority/banding on housing register if they do.

You should request a tenant improvement permission for the stud wall. Look at whether the HAS have policy online about it. If you do it without permission and they find out be prepared to remove it. Otherwise if you are otherwise good tenants I doubt much more will happen.

DS's disability is already being taken into account. The OT came to the house and assessed him as needing his own room so the HA have upped our bedroom requirement from 2 bed to 3 bed. The tricky bit is the banding as we are still in Band C which doesn't have much luck of getting rehoused due to the huge waiting lists. Tried to appeal for Band B as the OT even wrote in her report that she recommends Band B due to the stress DS's disability and lacking a room will cause but the HA were having none of it.

So I really can't see us getting rehoused any time soon. I know people who have been waiting for 8 years.

I have looked at my housing associations policies and it says a dividing wall would likely be denied due to it increasing the amount of bedrooms so rent wouldn't be accurate. Also as PP's have said, it would likely go against fire safety regulations as you'd have to walk through one room to the other. The windows are both big enough and fully open to be an escape route however.

Even so, it would be such a big help for us as a family if we are going to be stuck here for the foreseeable. We are good tenants, always paid rent on time, no complaints, looked after property well, asked for permission for all other things etc.

We are having a stud wall put in across an open plan kitchen because of sen child and safety concerns. We got an OT assessment who then had plans drawn up, the LA housing adaptations department took over after that and applied for grants, the housing association also need to approve and agree the plans.
Each local authority also has a housing adaptations department that deal with stuff like this all the time. They might have some suggestions

@WheelbarrowKid have you discussed your situation, ie your child’s disability with the HA? If overcrowding alone isn’t enough, perhaps they may improve your banding due to need? I’m aware not all social landlords adopt the same criteria, but it might be worth asking.

Apologies if already discussed, NRTFT.

Kallax with a safe backing would create an extra room, so it wouldn’t be a room within a room. Then the storage would be on you DD side.

Or half and half, so but the backing half on your DD side and half on your DS’s. If either of you or your DH is practical this would be easy to do B&Q will cut ply to size and then screw it on, and paint.

Rather than a door (which might make it a “room”) then would a curtain provide enough of a divide? It is hard to know if this would work for you as all disabilities have different needs.

Have you looked at a Disabled Facilities Grant? That is different to the HA banding.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11722967/I-split-two-sons-bedroom-building-partition-wall-just-100.html

have a look on TikTok for save ideas that will not get you into trouble but will get the job done

Thank you everyone who suggested the Disabled Facilities Grant. I'd never heard of this so I will have a look now. May also have another look at the kallax units as so many are suggesting it works well. A curtain probably wouldn't be enough instead of a door but I'll keep thinking of ideas.

Also to the person who said an OT approved a stud wall, perhaps this is something I could look into as well.

As an aside - have you contacted your MP and lobbied them with this? Attend a Friday night surgery and put this to them as a major problem you need help with.

In my area the council do the banding and you bid with the council for property - so get a chance of all HA and all council properties - not just one HA

Is there any way in your area to get bidding for council properties and other housing association properties?

Can you buy the stand alone room dividers?

Put kallax units down the middle?

You could separate the room without the need for a stud wall if you're creative.

Not really. You just have to screw the timber for the door frame to the wall, same as with the studs. I've divided the DS's room with a stud wall, and I'm going to make door frames and hang the doors ...erm....dreckly!

The worse that can happen is that the HA tell you to take it down again. Which is unlikely.