When small properties have big implications
They say that small is perfectly formed but in the world of lettings, 'bijou' properties are getting noticed for all the wrong reasons.
The most recent was a London room a tenant couldn't access standing up. The head height along the course of the staircase leading to the room was 3ft 11" at its tallest point, meaning even a child would have struggled to stand up.
The council eventually banned the landlord from letting the room after Environmental Health said the poor access would impede a tenants' escape in the event of an emergency. This news comes just weeks after a shoe-box size studio was withdrawn from the market after the local council's housing inspectors paid the property a visit. No surprise, as the tenant could cook a dinner and open the front door all from the comfort of the bed.
Perhaps you have seen the rise in family homes being carved up into micro lets After all, there is no rule regarding size and square footage of rental accommodation, although there are guidelines about how many people should live in a given amount of space - but two adults of the same gender or a couple can live is a space of just 110 square feet without cause for concern among housing officials.
Landlords see potential in the smallest of spaces and the current regulations are open to interpretation. When you combine this with research by Paragon Mortgages that indicates 94% of landlords reported an increased demand among tenants, it's no surprise we are seeing more mezzanine levels and kitchenettes being installed in single rooms so they can be classed as studio apartments.
While it appears there is no shortage of tenants willing to pay hundreds of pounds a month to rent such small spaces, good lettings agents can become gatekeepers, playing a major part in improving rental standards. Firstly, there is the gas safety aspect, which is most applicable to studio apartments. A landlord has a legal obligation to ensure a boiler isn't in a room used for sleeping, unless it has an independent air supply (a point that should be listed on the property's gas safety certificate). Agents taking on studio properties should include this check at market appraisal stage and definitely before any agreement is signed.
Then there's staying on-side with the local council, as inspectors can force a property to be withdrawn from the market if they deem it uninhabitable. While some may call it a 'clever use of space', part suspending a bed from the ceiling, placing a wardrobe next to the front door and offering a converted garage isn't exactly the dream home many people imagine. While it's difficult to balance tenant demand, lack of rental accommodation and business goals, agents should be mindful that the mere listing of tiny, uninhabitable properties can damage an agency brand and invite negative press coverage.
* Simon Duce is managing director of the ARPM Group, providing national outsourced lettings and property management services
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Comments
Well, deffinitely something should be done for this - you can't expect people to live in some kind of dens, and paying for it on top of that!...