Room in student house without a window

[Evalina]

DD's in her second year and has moved into what is otherwise a nice student house. However her room has no window. It has 2 doors, one into the hall and the other into a kitchen/lounge. So she has no natural light and no direct ventilation. She does get some light (and reduced privacy) through the frosted glazed door between her and the kitchen, but if she opens it to get air, then she gets cooking fumes and noise too.

We have raised it with local council HMO office who are not being very responsive, although they have spoken to landlord who has put in a brighter lightbulb! Landlord has said to DD's housemates that he knows loads of people at the council, and that if he's told to do anything it won't happen until next summer, so DD is wasting her time complaining about it. He's also said his wife is having a baby and is stressed at the thought they might have to pay to sort it out. As a result DD's housemates, who all have nice rooms with proper windows, are telling her to drop it, even though they have all declined to swap rooms with her.

I believe the problem could be fixed for less than £5k, which given collectively they are paying £38k in rent for the year is not too shocking.

Not sure what else to do really. Anyone got any advice?

Also, contact her local MP and MSP.

The set up was almost identical as far as I can tell Evalina but I really do take the view that it's up to the students to look out for themselves at a viewing and I think to pursue a landlord after my DS has moved out of a place which he managed in ok for a full months would make me look batty. Like Rhoda, my view is that you need to think of the consequences of this mission. It sounds as though your DD could end up extremely unhappy and without housemates for next year even if she is able to stay in her house this academic year. I felt for my DS but the housemates all agreed he should have first pick in the new house and all five seem to be firm friends. Honestly, tread with care before getting too revved up by MNers who won't have to deal with the fallout.

That should read 'a full twelve months'.

And you are being a good mother- as PP have said, uncomfortable is one thing, fire hazard is another.

One of the reasons HMO legislation was brought in was fire safety. Student market is vulnerable precisely because they are often just adults, finding their feet, open to,peer pressure ("oh, stop making a fuss, it's fine for the rest of us, don't spoil it").

In that market, this is sometimes known and exploited by unscrupulous landlords. The fact he is resorting to corruption (mates at the council) and emotional blackmail (pregnant wife worried about replacement- well as soon-to-be mother she will understand about keeping her child safe) shows he is definitely unscrupulous.

Get your daughter out of his clutches.

I think the only thing you can do now is move out, and see if you can find someone else to take on 'the cave.' at a low enough rent and you stand the difference

If it isn't a fire door it would be easy peasy for the landlord to fit one.

There is no fire hazard if the fire door is closed!

GoodbyeStranger, yeah, I agree the op should not heed strangers on the internet who don't have to deal with the fallout...

But by fallout I don't mean a child who maybe falls out with some friends who aren't that great at being friends.

I mean there being a dead or seriously injured young person.

A friend of mine from school was involved in a student flatshare fire. This was before HMO legislation came in in Scotland (in fact it was one of the cases that sparked the legislation).

A fire started in their overcrowded flat one night whilst they were asleep.

My friend got part way out, realised one of his flatmates was still in his room. Went back, carried his unconscious friend out and got seriously burned in the process.

Think having to wear a protective bodysuit for years. Badly scarred for life. Serious and severe pain. Months in hospital. Psychologically never the same. Personality changed forever.

Dropped out of his degree course, never finished it. Had to move home as seriously psychologically scarred. Back at home with parents for years. Only really started to find his feet again in his thirties. Will never achieve his full potential.

The only thing that helped him really was the massive amount of respect and admiration he got back in his home town for having the guts to carry his friend out, who would have died by the time the fire brigade arrived. That helped him a lot both socially and in terms of getting a job when he was ready.

But it really has fucked up his life in a lot of other ways.

I am taking on board all of the comments, even those that are not easy to read, and I thank you for them all - you are really helping me think this through.

I completely agree that it would serve no purpose to have this drag on for months. I am looking for a quick resolution as it is everyone's interests, and realise this mean that this may mean DD staying in the room, as she wishes to stay with her friends. The makeup of the house will definitely change next year as a number of them are taking a year out, and a close friend of hers is returning from a year abroad.

The Fire Safety is the non-negotiable bit. I have spoken to the Fire Service again and the firewoman is emailing me with her assessment, which includes that there should be a wall between DD's room and the kitchen in order for it to be considered safe. Also she said that the bedroom doors should all be Fire Doors which they are not.

Bizarrely the Fire Service can only mandate changes to the shared area/exit route - ie to the bedroom doors. They can only recommend, but not mandate changes to the other rooms - ie DD's bedroom, as this is covered by Building Regulations.

So although she says it is a risk, there is nothing that she can do about it, apart from make a strong recommendation and her suggestion was that I go back to Building Control and ask for confirmation that it was signed off and for them to say why there are happy that it meets the regulations. (Which I've read and it doesn't). She would like to understand their rationale as well as she is puzzled as to how they have approved it.

She will then arrange a Fire check, probably for next week, at which we should have the Landlord present. Perhaps if the Fire Service express their concerns to him directly, in front of DD and her friends, he will agree to make the changes, even though it seems he cannot be compelled to.

I have found the LL on LinkedIn. Until a couple of months ago he was working on a large strategic project for the council, employed by a fully owned subsidiary of the council - so yes he does obviously know a lot of people there.

a7mints DD cannot shut the fire door - as neither of the doors are fire doors.

eva I have a lot of sympathy for you. Dd is in a flat/apartment on 2nd floor. The window she has don't open at all. It also has a sliding door to a shared kitchen from the bedroom that can be locked. And the other door is to the hallway/corridor. So ventilation also crap. The kitchen window doesn't open either. So even if she keeps the sliding door open to the tiny kitchen its not much use. They are relying on some electric ventilation unit that can be boosted in hot weather. Dd and her friend signed for the new flats without us seeing it so we trusted their instincts. But they never asked about wether the windows opened. They saw it and presumed it would. So faux pax on their side. They learnt the hard way. When we went to see her. It's like a shoe box. Me and DH sat there talking to her for and 1 hr on the bed and already the window were steaming up and feeling like there's not enough air circulating even with us putting the max boost circulation on the control panel. God knows what's it going to be like in the summer or if she has more than 2 people come round.
We have same thing as you in a way. But with light at least and some air circulation. But not great. Still think it's compromised health hazard. We worry if the ventilation boost thing packs up can easily suffocate in Dd room it's so small.

Coffee , pretty sure the window needs to open as an emergency escape. Is there a trickle vent in the frame?

It's pretty big window for size of room. But it's sealed unit no opening whatsoever. Dd put loads of stuff on the ledge as there's not enough storage. I've not noticed any trickle vent either. The kitchen is same size window as this one. Don't open as well. Think because outside has a smoking balcony area they thought for security reasons they made the windows sealed units. I would rather see a small opening on the top 3rd of the window than nothing at all though. It's white and bright at least.

Lovely large window, but yes I can imagine if the sun streams in that it could make the room unbearably hot and stuffy.

The bed is directly under the window. Its going to be like a sauna in the summer. When dd said the apartment was brand spanking new build. We just assumed it would be passed by building inspectors and a whole host of other health and safety people. So we thought no need for us to see it. I guess they have passed it with putting in the ventilation system. Not sure how they passed the window for fire escape . They tried to cook a steak dinner the other day. Some cheap steak they found and low and behold the smoke alarm went off and causing fire drill for everyone ??? Can't understand why they can't at least make the kitchen window open.

On the photo if you can see dd skirt her sliding kitchen door is near to her can see bit of the door. She can reach to slide the door open from her bed! The door near the fire blanket is the other girls sliding door to her bedroom. Think they were seduced by how modern and new it was But didn't think about the lack of ventilation. It's a very stuffy atmosphere after cooking a meal.

I have found the LL on LinkedIn. Until a couple of months ago he was working on a large strategic project for the council, employed by a fully owned subsidiary of the council - so yes he does obviously know a lot of people there.

This stinks of corruption. Might the local newspaper be interested?

Has your DD been to the Students Union with this? They may be able to lobby on her behalf and give her info about alternative emergency accommodation. Has she also been to see her personal tutor? If this is affecting her ability to study and get on with her degree she needs to let someone know. Hopefully it won't affect her end of year exams but if the issue hasn't been resolved she may need to provide some evidence of extenuating circumstances, it's probably best to let someone know now rather than later. for you and your DD. Hope you get it sorted soon.

If not the local paper (prob has its own dodgy connections to local developers who advertise thier properties) the Uni paper would be interested.

One more thing...... she should write to her MP. I'm sure the council will be more helpful if her MP was on board.

Coffee, if it is a large new building that potentially overlooks other properties, it is possible that obscured glass and a non opening window is a planning requirement.

This very plush appartment building has apparently non opening side bedroom windows. Crazy!

www.acesandbanks.co.uk/#home

Wow those apartments look amazing need but yeah crazy to think you can't open the window to atleast freshen the bedroom once in a while paying those prices.
I was noticing on photo I posted. The apartments across from her 1 or 2 levels above from her has a window that open. So I guess it's not to do with been overlooking. Im wondering if it's because outside dd window is communal smoking area, maybe they were saving them from the toxic fumes . I can only imagine with no outside air to ventilate sooner or later the room is going to suffer from damp and mould.

eva does her room have a radiator? I suppose if it has thermastatic valve should be fine. But it's going to get really warm in there if she has to dry her clothes on them in the winter months.

Coffee. I'd hate to have that big window and not to be able to open it. She could maybe stick some reflective solar film (?) on it if it gets too warm.

moon I know is such a waste not been able to open it and have some fresh air. Going to get dd a de-humidifier and a small fan. I was going to suggest to dd was to get some frosted sticky film for bottom half window so at least can have a bit of privacy from people having a drink and smoke outside without having to keep the blinds down. But I think if she has the solar reflective film im guessing its mirror effect from the outside. It will become a magnet for girls doing their hair and makeup outside her front window . Apparently it gets quite busy outside. This little room is £141 per week. Can rent a 3 bed detached house with garden where we live for that price

It sounds corrupt. I would contact the council and ask who you need to make a formal complaint to.

www.gov.uk/complain-about-your-council