Andy Hall wrote in message . ..
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.

I thought habital meant sleeping up there. How would you differentiate
between this guy working up there in an office and the plumber fitting
a new water tank. Surely you don't have to install a fixed staircase
to have a new tank fitted.
I am in the process of building a model railway and the council
weren't intersted, as far as they were concerned it was storage. As
soon as you put a velux in though it is an entirely diffrent matter.

Kevin