Forum Topic

Should it be classed Residential or Commercial ?

If an investor purchases a building in an ALL residential Area, but resides elsewhere, and has no intention of living in the Property ,  and  Changes it to 4 or 5 Flats for Sale . Is that classed as a Residential property or a Commercial Property because the Tenants are temporary occupants.I feel that it should be described as a Commercial property just like a business . A Hotel or a Bed and breakfast establishment.What do members of the Forum think? The original building was built for One family.

Os A Whittle ● 4638d12 Comments

Phillipa, Please provide some examples or at least an internet link where this building regulation and planning consent has been neglected re: dividing of larger than needed houses esp. in the current government as there does seem to some problem with the planning dept. and the leaders getting involved.  There are a few of us very interested in what is going on.

Charles Campbell ● 4637d

Your post makes a lot of sense Phillipa . If only there was inspection and enforcement. There are  certain planning officials who are a Law unto themselves.Incidentally,what happened to Tony Price.? He was such a free spirit and his opinions were always read . I do hope he is well. I miss his input .

Os A Whittle ● 4637d

But they have to have planning consent. If they haven't, then not only do they have to restore the building at their own expense but they face a large fine.Os, if you think your neighbours didn't obtain planning permission for these conversions, then report them to the Council.

Susan Kelly ● 4637d

We have landlords dividing houses up into as many flats/flatlets/bedsits as possible without providing proper space for bins.Many of these do not have strengthened floors between dwellings.  There aren't proper fire precautions either.  These are unsafe, and the lack of sound segregation between dwellings means a lot of tension is caused between tenants - especially when they are not carpeted but have laminate flooring.  They should have Building Regulation AND Planning Consent.

Philippa Bond ● 4637d

YOU'VE LOST ME PHILLIPA.

Os A Whittle ● 4637d

As per an exchange of comments with Charles Campbell somewhere else - you can't make tenants recycle BUT giving them the bins and the space for the necessary bins allows them to manage their waste for themselves properly. This avoids the misery and tension caused to neighbours by unmanaged waste. It should be classed as a Health & Safety issue.

Philippa Bond ● 4638d

It is happening now Phillipa. A four bedroom house that already had a one bed-room flat , a garage and a drive way is now to become if passed to 3 into Two bed roomed flats plus a one bedroom flat . THERE WILL BE NO DRIVE WAY ,No garage. It will all be built over. The cars will have to find parking space outside. The development is at the end of a small CUL-DE SAC and the entrance is right in front of the roads turning Circle. Practically the whole street have written in to question the wisdom of such a DEVELOPMENT being applied for as an extension.It is worrying.

Os A Whittle ● 4638d

Make sure that the planning application allows for amenity space - space for bins.  Otherwise you can end up with people chucking waste out of the windows straight into the street.

Philippa Bond ● 4638d

The council loves it.  They get 4 to 5 times the council tax as they would for a single residence.

Charles Campbell ● 4638d

Of course it's still residential. Big houses have been divided up into flats for decades now.

Susan Kelly ● 4638d

No Gerald. The case i have been thinking about is that the development will be sold as dwellings separately owned to various buyers. The developer will be out to use another property and forget the character change caused.

Os A Whittle ● 4638d

Commercial means it's a shop or office or factory.  It's still residential if someone is going to be living in it.You seem to have a negative view of this buyer being a landlord and maknig money from it, but that's just a political view, it doesn't mean it's not Residential property just because you don't like it.It might need planning permission to turn it from a single residence into flats, but that's a different issue.

Gerald Cabb ● 4638d