How many bedrooms needed?

[PetraDelphiki]

What would be the correct number of bedrooms a council would say is not overcrowded for:

Parent
DS 19 at university
Then 2 DDs under 10
And 1 DS under 10

I know any living room can count as a bedroom - just after how many living/bed rooms would be needed? I can’t find anything that tells me how the university student is counted...

I have friends in council housing and they have always said in their area age of child isn't taken highly into account as long as siblings sharing are same sex

So I'd say 3 bedrooms

My local council would not consider the older child in the bedrooms as they could live alone. They'd advise them to sign onto the housing list and wait 15 years. The younger 3 could be in the same room. So if you had a 1 bedroom flat, they would say you have enough rooms to sleep in (they'd count the living room as it is now considered a luxury to have a reception room).

When one child is 10, they'd say you're entitled to a 2 bedroom so there isn't mixed genders in the same room after age 10.

I put this into the LHA calculator and got 4 because of the student (over 18 are apparently entitled to own room) but there’s no way to allow for him not being there term time...

Interestingly the calculator only allows 2 children per room...

If we ignore the student we get 3 rooms that can be used as bedrooms (including living rooms)...I guess then 3 bedrooms plus a living room for him to use when he’s home would be reasonable...

@Petradelphiki

Are you sure they aren't counting the older child as an adult who isn't a child of the other adults living there?

Possibly - there doesn’t seem to be any way to distinguish!

Bedroom standard
From the Shelter Website:

This is not a legal definition of overcrowding or a measure of statutory overcrowding. However, many local authorities use a bedroom standard when assessing whether an applicant is overcrowded for the purposes of determining whether s/he has a reasonable preference under their allocation schemes for social housing.

The Allocations Code of Guidance recommends that the following 'bedroom standard' is adopted as a minimum measure of overcrowding, ie a one bedroom for:

each adult couple
any other adult aged 21 or over
two adolescents of the same sex aged 10 to 20
two children regardless of sex under the age of 10.

The LHA calculator is used for calculating housing costs you would be entitled to in the private sector-which is different to how many rooms the local authority say you need.

You need to google your local council allocation policy as that will tell you what their definition of overcrowding is.

Your son at uni should still be included in the calculation.

So for "over crowding" purposes the council would offer you
a 2 bed + living room ifyou are looking at a council property or if your allocations policy is more generous 3 bedrooms.

If you were renting in the private sector the LHA calculation says you would be entitled to the 4 bed rate of housing benefit/UC (it doesn't mean you need a 4 bed)

If you were renting a 3 bed in the private sector you would only get the 3 bed rate.

You're getting confused between the two (not unsuprisingly as it can be complicated)

Are you trying to work out how many bedrooms you are entitled to in a council property or how much HB/UC you would receive?

I can clarify it for you if you like.

1 bedroom for you (and your partner)
1 bedroom for non-dependant
2 bedrooms for 3 dependants - as they are all under 10, it doesn't matter to the system which children are sharing.

Thanks all - it's so that I can clarify what is generally considered reasonable as an expectation of sharing for the kids. (not for me BTW)