Mum living in annexe - complaint made by a neighbour about this. Can we get in trouble?

[Motherof1and2dogs]

I will try to keep this as short as possible but as much detail as I can. Myself, my husband and my Mum all decided it would be a good idea to sell our previous homes and all move in together, this was down to many reasons, however the agreement was Mum was to have her own independence and own place to live so we agreed to find somewhere with an Annexe. The place we bought was advertised as an Annexe. When we viewed the property the Annexe at the time was just being used for a business and has no kitchen or bathroom, just a toilet so it was more like an outbuilding/ garage and not a proper annexe.

We have been in the new place since October 2024. The Annexe is not yet self contained, my Mum has to use our bath to wash and has a make-do temporary kitchen until we save up to get her a proper kitchen and bathroom fitted.

I have just had a neighbour knock to give us the heads up that another neighbour of ours has complained to the council that we have someone "living in our garage". Can we get in trouble for this?

Our plan was to contact the council when was was ready to start the building process to get planning permission and then make it a self contained Annexe, and understand we would have to pay council tax on this eventually but as it's just 2 rooms with a toilet I didn't think we would need to notify anyone? It doesn't have its own address and Mum uses our address for her post.

I am not really sure what to expect. I really hope this doesn't cause too many problems for us. I don't need this right now, we don't make any noise, I have a 2 year old and I am 14 weeks pregnant. I want to cry because we both work full time jobs, we work hard, pay all our bills, we are nice genuine people and we are being targeted already. One reason we moved is because we wanted a quieter lifestyle (moved from a busy town location to a small village) and it's not been the best experience so far :(

Could someone please let me know what could happen to us in this situation. I'm so worried we are going to have to move again.

I’m not sure my mum lives in our garage turned flat she is also billed for council tax

How horrible of them! What difference does it make to their life?? I wouldn’t worry. See what the council comes back with and follow their advice.

I’m not sure what you’re in breach of?
sometimes planning permission is granted on the condition that it’s not used as holiday accommodation or something. But if there are no conditions attached to when the annexe was originally built then I don’t see what you are doing wrong.

its not a definite you’d have to pay council tax, that will depend on whether it’s seen as a separate dwelling with own front door, self contained facilities, shut off from the main property etc. if it remains integrated then you might not, and definitely not before you install a kitchen.

So I’m not sure what their problem is and it sounds like they’re just being a busybody!

you can use a room in your house that was an office as a bedroom if you want!!

I’m sorry but your poor mother, that sounds horrendous, she definitely got the worst end of that deal, how did that happen where you bought somewhere you couldn’t afford to make it basically habitable and it’s not even got planning,

yes I’d expect issues if your mother is living in the garage.

The council (if they can be arsed) will come out and have a look and advise you what to do.

Is it part of the main house or a separate building?

That seems a bit unfair. Surely the mother viewed the property and agreed she was happy with it. It doesn't say the room isn't habitable, just that it wouldn't be counted as a separate dwelling until it has kitchen facilities.

If your mum is living with you, in your house and sometimes using a room in an outbuilding that's fine and nobody's business but yours. The council won't be interested unless there is a self contained annex and they want to claim council tax. If there's no kitchen or bathroom that's extremely unlikely. Ignore your horrible neighbour, let them report you. Fuck 'em! Do you think you're worrying so much because you know that's your intention eventually? It might be but it hasn't happened yet. Anyone can invite their parent to live with them, it's not illegal! Good luck.

Not sure how there’s a problem with this. Your solicitor would/should have advised you on this.

The nosy man could have just been doing a bit of shit stirring…

I don’t want to sound mean but… you’re slightly contradictory. On one hand you’re saying you bought it as it was advertised on an annex, but then you’re saying that you were going to apply for planning down the line to convert it to an annex?

If you were going to apply for planning down the line, then you are clearly aware that the building isn’t supposed to be for residential purposes. If it hasn’t the planning then the council can take enforcement action. This is potentially more likely if you live in a conservation area or National Park etc.

Council will only be interested if they believe you are
a. Avoiding paying council tax on a separate, self contained dwelling.
OR
b. renting out a substandard property to a third party.

Neither is the case here.

That's the problem with small villages. Full of nosy people and busybodies.

@Onceachunkymonkey It's not a garage, it was a garage turned into an office and was advertised as an annexe, it has heating, lovely new flooring, a toilet and sink, even has its own garden! She's got a fridge freezer in there, her living area is lovely, a temporary oven, then only thing she uses of ours at the moment is a bath as she doesn't have one.
It's a separate building at the back of our garden. 1 bedroom, good size. She viewed it before we agreed. She doesn't pay any bills, that was the deal. She doesn't earn much so she was struggling before, so we agreed to sell up and move in together and we cover all bills so she can live her life a bit more.

Well done for twisting the whole op 😂😂

@Almostwelsh I honestly thought it would be nice and quiet, well wasn't I wrong! We just want a quiet and simple life!

Let them fuck off. You are all the one family. What business is it of anyone else?

@Bogasphodel so it was advertised as an annexe, we viewed it and was more of a converted garage with a toilet. So the plan was we save up to make it a proper self contained annexe, that was the agreement. We haven't started any work on it yet as we are saving, so my mum is having to use our bath and washing machine temporarily, she has her own fridge freezer and cooker, but these aren't build in, just plugged in. It's livable at the minute, cosy, but certainly not a fully self contained Annexe. Hope that makes more sense.

From what you've described it may well be liable for council tax as a separate property. Check the criteria on your local council website and see what it says.

As I understand it anyone can convert a garage into a living space without needing planning permission. You do need planning permission to convert a garage into independent living accommodation ie with a bathroom and kitchen.
Goodness knows why your neighbours are sticking their oars in, but I can’t see you are doing anything wrong.

Eugh Lord save us from the busybodies and gossips! Ignore them.

Do they know it's your mum? They might think you're renting it out

@Karneval25 so this is why I am worried... it's not technically a self contained annexe yet... it's just 2 rooms with a toilet. Doesn't have its own front door, the front door is entered by our back garden, doesn't have its own address either. The agreement was we save to then eventually turn this into a proper annexe with a fitted kitchen with a proper bathroom. We didn't think we were doing anything wrong at this stage, but starting to wonder if we are as someone has complained. My mum also doesn't pay us a penny, the agreement was we move so she doesn't have to pay any bills ever again.

Hi, if she is staying in it permanently (even if she’s using your bath), then yes you would need planning permission as you are changing the use from an office/garage (whichever the original permission was for) to residential. Did this not come up with your solicitor or mortgage, as the value would have to reflect that it wasn’t a residential annex?

This.
I rarely swear but what a f-ing busybody

@ZanzibarIsland no, we didn't think we needed to say my mum was living with us. She isn't on our mortgage so I didn't think we would need to notify anyone at this stage. She isn't in a proper self contained annexe, yet, it's more just 2 rooms and a toilet out in our back garden.

@Bogasphodel no I understand we need planning permission to build a kitchen and bathroom inside, but we haven't started any work yet, we haven't even saved money to start the work yet so we didn't think we needed to notify the council of anything at this stage. The annexe that has already been built has had planning permission before it was built, but we haven't done any work on it since, just moved my mum in there if that makes sense. But if my mum is living in it, even with no changes made since it was first built, can we still get into trouble? Sorry I hope I'm making sense.