Air B and B'in a room in your boat

[DHutch]

The question came up when a journalist wrote about letting out space on her narrowboat in London as way of generating extra income through AirBnB. She was rapidly reminded by CRT that this wasn't within her power to do without incurring additional cost and responsibilities. So, yes, it does have an impact on your licence, BSC and your insurance.

Fair

I think this was the original article.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/13/airbnb-ethos-property-rental

 

The changes announced in the budget would allow £1,000 profit to be generated on internet trading income without paying tax from April 2017 onwards, however I am pretty sure that CRT would continue to treat it as a trade as far as licences etc. are concerned.,

 

This is separate from the proposed £1,000 allowance for internet property rentals and the current rent-a-room allowance of £4,250 (going up to £7,500 in April) which only apply to property income (i.e. "houseboats").

 

Sounds reasonable, the increase in the rent-a-room allowance is excellent in my book, not least as it mean I will typically no longer have to fill in a tax return for £500! As one of my two rooms is empty for a period between lodgers, I have just taken my first AirBnb guess also, it worked well, really nice bloke stopping two nights having come over from germany to be there for the end term after his son got a 6month scholarship to go to Denstone Academy.

You'll need a landlord gas safety inspection and certificate too.

('Rent-a-Room scheme landlords are not excused this requirement.)

 

Not sure about that.

[DHutch]

 

Not sure about that.

 

But have just looked it up, and you are right.

- Not sure it applies to using airbnb, but I guess technically it might?

- Anyway, I have one already for piece of mind, so happy days.

 

https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/your-landlords-safety-responsibilities

 

 

Daniel

[cheshire~rose]

 

But have just looked it up, and you are right.

- Not sure it applies to using airbnb, but I guess technically it might?

- Anyway, I have one already for piece of mind, so happy days.

 

https://www.gov.uk/private-renting/your-landlords-safety-responsibilities

 

 

Daniel

 

 

I am almost certain it will be correct. If you are taking money from anyone who is going to spend time on your boat then you need a landlords gas safety certificate.

 

This even applies to trip boats where people do not sleep on board so I fail to see how AirBNB will be any different

[mrsmelly]

I very much doubt that. Just because it's afloat does not mean that it isn't a dwelling. In any case, even in the event that it is so, no one could object to your renting out part of your dwelling, because you wouldn't have a dwelling, so there would be no case to answer.

 

You can doubt it all you want. If you dont have a residential mooring you are homeless. Try registering to vote with your boat as your home address and see what happens and how you register.

 

Tim

[WJM]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35871064

[Athy]

 

You can doubt it all you want. If you dont have a residential mooring you are homeless.

Not if you live on a boat. It is your home, ergo you are not homeless. The same applies to gypsies who live in caravans: the 'van is their home, so they aren't homeless.

[Mal in Somerset]

"Nowhere to put your houseboat or caravan

The council should consider you to be homeless if you live in a moveable structure such as a houseboat or caravan and there is no place where you are allowed to keep it or live in it."

Part of the defenition of homeless from the "Shelter" website

Edited March 23, 2016 by Mal in Somerset

[Athy]

"Nowhere to put your houseboat or caravan

The council should consider you to be homeless if you live in a moveable structure such as a houseboat or caravan and there is no place where you are allowed to keep it or live in it."

Part of the defenition of homeless from the "Shelter" website

I rest my case. People who live on boats are not homeless. Oh, and since when do Shelter make the laws of the land?

[Mal in Somerset]

I rest my case. People who live on boats are not homeless. Oh, and since when do Shelter make the laws of the land?

Shelter don't! The website just happens to lay out the legal definitions (or at least their interpretations) of homelessness quite clearly.

 

A boat is not a home per se but becomes one through you choosing to live in it permanently. It doesn't need to be on a residential mooring but you would need to comply with the conditions that are in place for your right to moor at any particular location or to CC. If you lose the right to moor it for whatever reason and were unable to find alternative moorings, then you would be classified as homeless.

[Athy]

Yes, plenty of "ifs" there, eh?

[valrene9600]

You can doubt it all you want. If you dont have a residential mooring you are homeless. Try registering to vote with your boat as your home address and see what happens and how you register.

 

Tim

There is a way. Contact electoral office and make a declaration of local connection.

[ditchcrawler]

Or just this https://www.bristol.gov.uk/voting-elections/register-to-vote-with-no-fixed-address

[Alan de Enfield]

Air BnB Thames 'slumboat' fire risk.

 

Are your doors 'fireproof' ?

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35871064

[David Mack]

Air BnB Thames 'slumboat' fire risk.

 

Are your doors 'fireproof' ?

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35871064

 

I don't think fireproof doors are a requirement of the BSS, for private boats or for hire boats. So the Chartered Surveyor is applying he wrong standard.

 

That said, I doubt that this boat complied with either.

[MtB]

 

I don't think fireproof doors are a requirement of the BSS, for private boats or for hire boats. So the Chartered Surveyor is applying he wrong standard.

 

That said, I doubt that this boat complied with either.

 

 

It must have some sort of ticket to have a licence. And if no licence, why have the EA not taken action?

[valrene9600]

Fireproof doors are usually set in a brick wall to stop fire spreading between rooms in houses. On a boat the fire would just travel past the door via the ply lining the walls. I would expect a floating hotel would need sprinklers or metal dividing walls.

I think most people using overnight accomadation on any high Street rarely give a thought to fire precautions. This boat needs closing down completely before someone dies.