Forum Topic

People living in a small garage....again

Greedy owners of a house with a garage at the rear are again seemingly renting out said property and cramming people into it.  This happened around 5 years ago and LBE sorted it out.  This started up again last year but seemed to stop and now we've seen a double mattress go in with other furniture. It caused huge problems with fly-tipping and refuse scattered everywhere, not to mention it housed a few women with children (really, really not a place for children for heaven's sake).I've now reported it again to LBE.  I do hope they come down hard on these greedy "landlords".  I need Nicola to stake the place out and take some photos!  ;-)

Angela White ● 5251d23 Comments

Is it just the garage they are letting out ? I would have thought the council would be down on that like a ton of brIcks

Sara Nathan ● 5251d

It's hard to proveAccording to a report on the BBC a month or so ago, "sheds with beds" are very common in West London, and apparently the law requires that councils give 24 hrs notice of an inspection. Enough time to clear the place out.

Roy Gillett ● 5250d

I'm presuming these people have no toilet or washing facilities. Woulden't this be a matter for environmental health ? They usually make same-day visits I think....

Ellie Rose ● 5250d

Angela, take photographs, labelling the with dates/times.  Then have the Council inspect.

Dee Cook ● 5250d

I really cannot understand why a Council would be required to give 24 hours notice before visiting a property! Surely this would be sufficient time to remove any evidence that it is being used as a dwelling.It is the same with so called 'spot checks' on restaurants, hospitals and so on. What is the point in warning people in advance?Having said that, I do hope the Council come down on this greedy landlord like a ton of bricks!

Jean F Fernandez ● 5250d

I've  had alot of experience with this, the council have stopped it once but now it's starting all over again can't face another 2 year battle so we have decided to move it's just not a pleasant place to live anymore.Contact your local councillor I have had lots of help from Hitesh Tailor the  councillor responsible for housing he has been so helpful with our problem next door.

Sarah Gates ● 5250d

Have you informed the Ealing's Council Tax Department and the Income Tax people?

Dee Cook ● 5250d

The problem with moving as a solution is that don't you have to disclose if you have had any trouble with neighbours that involved engagng with police or council?

Sara Nathan ● 5250d

Let's hope Sarah's only renting.

Susan Kelly ● 5250d

Hi Sara.  By neighbours and reporting them to the Council or Police, is that immediate neighbours or neighbours in your street or behind you, etc?  Hi Dee.  I've emailed LBE and they've already answered my complaint and referred the case to the Outhouses team.  Do you know what they do per chance?  I think this may be a new-ish team?  Today there is a fly-tipped bed base on the corner near the garage where yesterday they moved lots of new furniture in.  Great.  It was 7 years ago this began and the Council addressed it but obviously this greedy landlord isn't deterred, unless it's a new landlord.  LBE have said it's a London-wide problem.  It's not fair on any of us.  It's stealing from us all and disrespectful as well as almost certainly being a death trap would be my guess.

Angela White ● 5250d

I just recall that the law changed about five years ago and you had to declare when selling a property if you had any disputes with the neighbours - I am not sure the sort of neighbours was defined. But a dispute was something that required some outside agency - not just not speaking or hurling rubbish at each other

Sara Nathan ● 5250d

Purchasers' solicitors will ask if there have been any disputes with neighbours. If you lie about this, then you could be sued for damages.

Susan Kelly ● 5250d

Surely trying to get one's area cleaned up and trying to stop (distant) neighbours from abusing everyone's environment cannot be held against a person selling their property?

Angela White ● 5250d

The Outhouse Team will be the new initiative funded from this years budget by the Labour Council. A dedicated beds in sheds team. I have mentioned this before on a similar thread.....

Iain Muir ● 5250d

Thanks Iain, I knew you'd know.  That sounds like a good idea, if they aren't fire-fighting, that is.  Do you have an answer to my other question regarding reporting whether you've had outside influence brought in to deal with beds in sheds, be them distant neighbours?  For example, if I reported fly-tipping from a house 5 streets away, would that needed to be logged by the solicitor before selling my house?Many thanks.

Angela White ● 5250d

As I said, Angela, anybody buying your house will ask, via their solicitor, if you have had any disputes with neighbours. If you have involved the police or the council and you lie about this, then you will be liable to pay damages to your purchasers when they belatedly discover that they have the neighbours from hell.

Susan Kelly ● 5250d

Thanks Susan.  So, if I tried to clean the neighbourhood up, and in my mind that's not a dispute, does that count?  It's unclear.

Angela White ● 5250d

I think the rules only apply to immediate neighbours don't they ?.....ie: neighbours either side.

Ellie Rose ● 5250d

Hope so, otherwise I would NEVER sell our house!!!  Blimey, that's probably the only way someone could shut me up!!  ;-)

Angela White ● 5250d

Does that include Streetwatchers I wonder?

Jean F Fernandez ● 5250d

I am sure Ellie is right, immediate neighbours only. The question is on the 'Enquiries before contract' form, used for asking general info about the property, boundary ownership, what fixtures and fittings are included in the sale etc. Some owners just say 'not known' to all questions. I think if a non disclosed dispute led to a court case there would be a test of 'reasonableness' so how serious and what real impact on the purchaser, but I am not a lawyer. I think a guarded honesty would be the best approach but take advice of both agent and solicitor before completing the form....when it happens!

Iain Muir ● 5250d

Thanks very much.  If it is immediate neighbours, or even near neighbours, then we're very lucky (so far) in that we have model neighbours and have done for years.  It's the others!!!!  ;-)

Angela White ● 5250d

And I am sure it is only specifics - so obviously not streetwatchers. My understanding that it had to be a serious engagement involving local agencies. So if you called the noise patrol to parties next door three times a week for a year, that would be in. If it's a couple of times ever then not. But I am not a lawyer either. And, apart from my late parents in law's bungalow where there was no problem, I haven't sold a property in living memory either - so not an expert.

Sara Nathan ● 5250d