Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Legal matters

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have any legal concerns we suggest you consult a solicitor.

Original poster

Does anyone know what consititutes 'overcrowding' in a 3 bedroomed HA house?

30 replies

TotorosOcarina · 29/08/2010 20:16

please?

x

OP posts:
MaMoTTaT · 29/08/2010 20:18

depends on the age of the people and how many couples \link{https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/Secure/Calc.aspx\this calculator} will tell you how many bedrooms you qualify for with any combination/ages. Therefore if you put your numbers in and it comes up with 3 bedroom you're not overcrowded

FlutterbyPurpleToffee · 29/08/2010 20:20

it depends on the ages and genders of the people on the house

Original poster
TotorosOcarina · 29/08/2010 20:22

thats great, thankyou :)

OP posts:
LucindaCarlisle · 29/08/2010 21:19

Who is living in the house currently?

expatinscotland · 29/08/2010 21:20

Also depends on your local authority's definitions. Some councils count living rooms and corridors as sleeping spaces.

5inthebed · 29/08/2010 21:29

Corridors? Confused That is harsh!

I don't think you'd be classed as overcrowded with 4 kids under 10 tbh. A friend of mine has 5 kids under 10 in a council house and she has been told she is fine until her oldest is 10, and that is only because her oldest is the only boy and can't share with younger sibs as girls.

Expat, you having any luck getting moved?

expatinscotland · 29/08/2010 21:48

Oh, we'd never get moved. We're going to have to go private again.

5inthebed · 29/08/2010 21:51

Sad That sucks.

We got moved the beginning of the month, DS2's SW wrote a strong worded letter and we got priority, and a house within 10 days.

Sorry for hijack Dis.

Original poster
TotorosOcarina · 30/08/2010 08:57

Ah crappy.

The bedrooms in these terraced houses are tiny, if its a lad it will be 3 of them in a medium room, if its a girl she will have to share the tiny box room with DD!

OP posts:
5inthebed · 30/08/2010 09:09

Could you try for an exchange? Or can you put your name down for a move anyway?

Not sure how your counci works, but mine works on length of tenancy.

Lougle · 30/08/2010 09:25

Generally speaking,

A room for each couple/individual over 16

A room for up to 2 children of the same sex, or 2 children under 10 of different sexes.

So, a 3 bed house can accomodate:

Single mother/father or Couple
Up to 2 boys & 2 girls or 4 boys or 4 girls.

Engelbert · 30/08/2010 09:41

It depends why you're asking.

In terms of statutory overcrowding any room that isn't a kitchen or bathroom can count as a bedroom and for these purposes a child under 10 is half a person and a child under 1 not counted at all. This hasn't been updated in years & some mps are lobbying to change. Can't post a link as on my phone but if you Google statutory overcrowding you'll see...

On the other hand you may well have priority under your ha transfer policy. I'd ring them and ask for a copy so you can check they've given you the right priority. Bear in mind if you are asking cos you're pregnant they won't take baby into account until its born.

What is really desperately needed is more social rousing and especially more larger houses...:0(

Engelbert · 30/08/2010 09:43

Social housing obviously...

4andnotout · 30/08/2010 09:55

We recently had our bedrooms measured by out local authority as the box room where dd3 and dd4 sleep can't actually fit 2 single beds. As ours are all under 10 we aren't over crowded and are low band. We wouldn't have been interested in going on the list again it's just that the local H.A are building 2x 4 bedroom houses at the bottom of our road and they have strict criteria for applicants as you already have to live in the village and we are the only family with 4 children in the village who are on the list, if they hadn't have been built we would have made do. The way I see it is that we were lucky enough to get a ha house in the first place it's not really their problem that I got pregnant again.

expatinscotland · 30/08/2010 11:13

'What is really desperately needed is more social rousing and especially more larger houses...:0('

3-bed house is larger, IMO.

GypsyMoth · 30/08/2010 11:17

well i have 5 dc in a small 3 bed....we manage,and 2 of them are teens,so adult sized!

i'm bidding each week for a larger place tho

roundthebend4 · 04/09/2010 21:12

i had 4 dc in a 3 bed with the 3bedroom being 8 by 7 .Ds1 was 14,ds2 12, dd7 and ds3 who was 4

By their calcualtions dd an ds 3 could styed sharing and me have the box room , totally not considering that ds uses a wheelcahir and has problems with sleeping which would have affected dd at school and the fact that ds could barley move round in the lounge etc

I gave it up in the end and now rent private and now have a 4 bed

Council here would allow us a 5 bed as at 16 ds is entitled to own room and they accpet that ds3 really cant share with dd but im in no rush like my place in now

FlyingInTheCLouds · 04/09/2010 21:19

we're 4 dc in a 3 bed, no probs.

but depends on LA and local housing stock.

roundthebend4 · 04/09/2010 21:52

4andnotout

I was told to take the box room which would been not ok but would have done but ds3 had to have his own room for everyones sake

mk1985 · 15/06/2015 13:34

Hi everyone!

I have a big problem and I need some viewpoint. I wanna speak my landlord, because he let some people overtake the house. I am think we are living in an overcrowded house. Need some viewpoint please.
Datas:
we have six bedroom house, two double bedroom, and four single
people who living:
one couple in one double bedroom thats fine another couple in the second one thats us
the third couple in the single bedroom
the brothers in a single bedroom they are more than age 20+
one man in a single room same fine
and one single room a mom with 2 kids, one is age 10+ and a boy, and a another same a boy age 21+

Need some advise how I can speak with the landlord, what act I can use?
we are in a waiting list in council house, just in class D. Can this changed with a fact what we are living in now overcrowded?

Please message me urgent!!!!

LassUnparalleled · 18/06/2015 00:35

Also depends on your local authority's definitions. Some councils count living rooms and corridors as sleeping spaces.

Scotland has a statutory definition from the 1987 Housing Act. Living rooms count corridors don't.

For the poster above me. Yes that probably is overcrowded unless there is also a living room which could be used as a bedroom. It sounds horrendous.

Yamahaha · 18/06/2015 00:41

Well, in that case mk1985, the landlord will be subject to HMO rules. Could you speak to CAB? Or housing office?

mk1985 · 18/06/2015 10:26

Thanks the answers. No we don't have any livingroom. Thanks god. The council told first we need to speak the landlord.

adrnkun · 23/01/2017 11:07

Hi, i have few question about landlord and tenant.
1- Can a landlord let his house on rent for tenants without informing anywhere like council ?
2- Can they take the rent on cash and hide their income ?
3-Can they let the tiny 5 ft x 9 ft box room to sleep a person ?

Because i'm having over crowded problem,i can't find another house because of my physical condition so i'm looking for a solution.

specialsubject · 23/01/2017 13:50

You would be better starting your own thread. And also reading the how to rent guide on gov.UK.

Depending where you are, numbers 1 and 3 may not be illegal. Tax dodging is illegal.