On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 12:16:10 +0000, Marcus Fox wrote:

"legin" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Feb 13, 12:28 am, "Marcus Fox" please-reply-via-newsgroup...@-i-
posted-to.com wrote:
"tim....." wrote in message

...







"Marcus Fox" wrote in
m...
I am a student renting a room in a house with five other students. I
have
been there for a while now, however, the problem is noise from the
room
adjacent to mine. It is clear that the landlord has partitioned one
of
the
rooms, half of which is now mine - with a single sheet of
plasterboard
which
joins across the window. Is such a partition complying with building
regulations?

No.

It is clear that this is insufficient to stop noise transfer
from the adjoining room and has led to falling out between myself
and
the

It's also not an adequate fire break.

The Building inspector will not be pleased.

What are the HMO rules in your area?

If the property needs a license for the numebr of people
in it, then this will lilely cause it to be invalid.

tim

occupant of the other room. I would much rather give the landlord a
month's
notice to leave the property, because of the noise nuisance and not
cause
further falling out between me and the other tenant, after all, I
have
to
put up with living with him, however, the landlord is trying to hold
me
to
the full term of the contract.

On second thoughts, it can't be a single sheet as there are sockets on
it.
However, the partition is attached across a window and the noise
transmission through it is as such as it may as well not even be there.

How long is the contract? How long have you been there?
HMO's that I operate are done on a licence and not a tenancy and hence
different criteria apply. If you have signed a tenancy then
technically you are signed up for the duration. Presumably you looked
at the accomodation on offer and signed accordingly. If technically
the accommodation breaches building regs then you might be able to
barter a walk away agreement or force it to be put right.

Have been there exactly six months, with six months left to run. I did look
at the tenancy and was expecting to want the house for the year I would be
at university. However, there wasn't music pounding through the wall when I
signed.

Marcus

Is there a break clause in the contract?

The reality is that you can leave at any time and only lose your deposit.
(Usually around one months rent).
Of course you have to find alternative accom. and you may be hindered
slightly by not having a reference.
In theory the Landlord could come after you (small claims court) for the
remaining rent but it would cost him/her and your mitigating plea of
grievous noise nuisance might count for something.

Depending on where you live the Landlord may or may not have difficulty on
finding a replacement for you.

If you came across this accommodation through a university lettings
service/agency then they would be _very_ interested to hear about a
building defect like this...

--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html
Gas Fitting Standards Docs he http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFittingStandards