On 16/03/2017 23:32, John Rumm wrote:
On 16/03/2017 21:52, Fredxxx wrote:
On 16/03/2017 20:35, wrote:
On Thursday, 16 March 2017 19:12:04 UTC, wrote:
I'm thinking of replacing a pull-down loft ladder with a proper
staircase and door. The loft would still only be used for storage,
but someone thought the presence of a staircase invoked a pile of
Building Regs requirements. Can anyone clarify whether there are
any rules around this?

I think the staircase itself will have to comply with Building Regs,
but there are some relaxations for staircases only serving one room
(or perhaps a non-habitable room) eg the spacesaver alternating tread
staircases.

If the loft is floored / walled / has any windows then adding a
staircase would I think be presumed to be using the loft as a
habitable room and the full requirements of loft conversion would
apply. If the loft isn't floored etc then it won't be a habitable
room.

You may be right, but I thought the definition of a habitable room was
one conforming to the regulations.

Storage, or an uninhabitable room, by very definition, was one that
failed these regulations?

Generally speaking sleeping or "living" in the room makes it habitable.
(although bathrooms are traditionally not habitable IIRC)

Sorry if I'm not clear.

If you want to make a room habitable then you have to conform to all the
rules to make the room habitable. It also means when you market a house,
the room can be called a 'habitable' room [1].

If the room fails in some way, such as a ceiling being 25mm too low, or
access via a ladder then the room, by definition, is non habitable.

If someone then sleeps there, it's not relevant whether the room is
habitable or not. It only matters to Building Control and when you
market a property if you want to call the room habitable.

[1] Kitchens and bathrooms excepted