Can you sleep in a garden room?
If you’re looking for garden room extension ideas, you may have thought about using your garden room as a spare bedroom or annexe. At Pegasus Garden Rooms, we offer beautifully crafted, bespoke garden rooms that are perfect for hosting guests overnight.
There’s no doubt that it would be handy to have somewhere private for your visitors to sleep. But legally, are you allowed to sleep in a garden room?
You can sleep in a garden room. However, if your garden room contains a bed, it must comply with building regulations. And if you plan to use it as self-contained accommodation, you may even need planning permission. Read on to find out more.
Can you live in a garden room?
Garden room extensions are versatile, standalone buildings that have many potential uses. Unlike conservatories, garden rooms are well-insulated. A garden room makes an ideal home office, gym, playroom or studio, for example.
One potential use for a garden room is a guest house or annexe. Your garden room can be purpose-built with insulation, electrics and plumbing – ideal for overnight visitors, or elderly relatives.
But there is one thing to bear in mind. While building regulations don’t normally apply to garden rooms, they do if your garden room will be used for sleeping.
If someone’s going to live in your garden room, it may be classified as self-contained accommodation. In this case, you’ll have to apply for planning permission, and follow building regulations.
Can a garden room be used as a bedroom?
Because garden rooms are outbuildings, they usually fall under permitted development. This means that, provided you follow certain rules, you don’t need to apply for planning permission to build a garden room.
However, one of these rules is that your garden room must not be used for sleeping accommodation. So, if you intend to use your garden room as a permanent bedroom – even if it’s for guests – then you’ll need to ensure your garden room complies with building regulations. You may also need to apply for planning permission before it’s built.
Can you have a sofa bed in your garden room?
If your garden room isn’t intended for sleeping, you most likely won’t need to apply for planning permission or follow building regulations.
So, for example, you might use your garden room as a home office or studio most of the time. As long as it doesn’t contain a bed, bathroom or kitchen, this won’t count as self-contained accommodation. You could put a sofa bed in this room for you or a guest to sleep on occasion, and this wouldn’t pose a problem.
The most important thing is that the room is ‘incidental’ to the property, meaning it isn’t a separate dwelling, or regularly used for sleeping. If your garden room primarily functions as a guest room or annexe, you’ll have to follow the rules carefully.
Do you need to follow Building Regulations for garden rooms?
To erect a garden room for use as an annexe, guest room or bedroom, planning permission may be required. This is because your garden room could be considered a separate dwelling, or “self-contained living accommodation”.
Garden rooms that are designed for sleeping will generally need planning permission and must comply with building regulations. This might also be the case if your garden room:
- Has plumbing (e.g., a sink or toilet)
- Has an aerial
- Is built close to the property boundary
- Is larger than 15m2 (internally)
- Has more than one storey, or a maximum overall height of more than 4 metres
- Takes up more than 50% of the area of your garden (with any other buildings)
- Is built within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation area, or the grounds of a listed building
If you aren’t sure whether you need planning permission, or how to ensure your garden annexe complies with building regulations, contact Pegasus Garden Rooms. We’ll talk you through the process and design a garden room for you that meets every legal requirement.
Choose Pegasus for beautiful garden room extensions
With Pegasus Garden Rooms, you can sit back, relax and let us do the work. We’ve designed and built a huge range of stunning garden rooms across the North West.
Whether you’re based in Manchester, Stockport, Liverpool, Lancashire or Cheshire, you can trust Pegasus to build your dream garden room. We offer a range of beautiful designs for guest bedrooms, granny annexes, home offices and more.
If you’re looking for something totally unique, we’ll work with you to build a fully bespoke garden room to your exact specifications. Browse our designs to discover some of the amazing work we’ve done.
To find out more and start your free quote, contact Pegasus today!
Contact Pegasus today!
Are you ready to get started on your dream garden room? If so, start your free quote now or contact us on 0755 540 7299.