On 17 Nov 2004 16:07:32 -0800, (Conrad Edwards)
wrote:

I was watching 'Working Lunch' where it featured a guy turning his
modelling hobby into a business. The business was based in his attic
which was accessed solely by a pull-down ladder.
How illegal is this?

I'm not sure that you can have degrees of 'illegal' - seems to me that
something is or it isn't, although I suppose one measure is 'how
likely is the person to get caught?'


How much use can you put an attic to that only has a pull-down ladder
as access?

It shouldn't be used as a habitable room for sure, and this would be
that.

However, it would be very difficult to detect unless he had done
structural modifications like the guy who pulled out roof timbers and
caused the roof to sag.

In practical terms there are three ways that I can think of that he
might be detected.

- There's a fire and he gets toasted because he can't escape

- Somebody finds out that he's running a business and reports him the
the local authority. This may be contrary to a covenant or planning
condition of when the place was built and they decide to investigate.

- He wants to sell the house - although then he could probably remove
his little den.



--

..andy

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