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A landlord in Salford, Greater Manchester, has been caught out by a vigilant off-duty housing officer. The landlord had illegally constructed two wooden huts adjacent to a semi-detached property. Each was no more than 10 square meters, yet two families with young children were being charged £80 a week to live there. The properties were spotted when a council worker who lived nearby noticed a fence marked with 8A, indicating a second property out of sight.
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Unfit for Tenants
The buildings were cramped, cold and totally unsuitable for human occupation. They were also a fire risk and the housing chief was appalled when his team made the discovery. The bedsits had been advertised on an internet site as ‘self-contained’ rooms for rent. Surprisingly, the landlord is not facing legal action over the bedsits, but in the meantime, Salford and Manchester councils are taking advantage of government budget to stamp out the practice of letting out ‘beds in sheds’.
Weeding Out Beds in Sheds
Beds in sheds are very common in the south east, where rental property is in great demand, but less so up north. Landlords can make a killing by converting sheds and outbuildings into illegal rental and rooms above shops into accommodation.
Because of the nature of these illegal developments, it’s not always easy to spot they are there. Many so-called beds in sheds are hidden behind existing properties and unless a council receives an anonymous tip-off, they are none the wiser.
