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Original poster

Lodger wont let me show her room

55 replies

PayingGuests · 09/03/2020 13:35

Lodger/flatmate Im not going into it too much. Anyway shes been smoking skunk outside the flat its been blowing in after about the 10th time of us “going on” about it she offered to leave. The final straw came when she started going out with someone who she hasnt introduced us too but who spends an awful lot of time down our back alley passing things into car windows. And she brings him in every night when we are in bed. I suspect hes paying her rent in skunk.

Well she goes in two weeks and her room stinks to high heaven. She used to clean it twice a week she was really houseproud. Not any more.

We have no contract for her but shes telling me that she does not consent to us showing anyone her room. Shes googled and sent various statements saying this. Thats fine but how can we wait for her to be around?

I dont recognise her anymore. She owes me £350 as well. Im never going to see that again, am I? Shes promised to set up a DD but theres no saying that she will follow that through.

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 09/03/2020 13:38

As horrible as it is, she has the right to privacy, and therefore you cannot force her to show the room if she doesn’t want to

Original poster
PayingGuests · 09/03/2020 13:44

Thats fine as long as we know that

OP posts:
katy1213 · 09/03/2020 13:46

If she's a lodger rather an a tenant, I don't think she has any rights. Show the room if you want to - but I'd chuck her out on her ear, especially as I doubt you'll see the rent. I hope you took a deposit from her?

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Original poster
PayingGuests · 09/03/2020 13:55

Yes i have the deposit shes paid the rent this month. I lent her the odd tenner here and there which has added up to £350. She genuinely was a nice person so I didnt mind she was proper desparate for the room.

OP posts:
Honeybee85 · 09/03/2020 13:57

I can understand she doesn’t like strangers walking around in her bedroom. On the other hand, it’s your home.

It’s a tough one, OP.

everythingcrossed · 09/03/2020 14:00

If her room is a mess and stinks of skunk then there's probably not much point showing it until she has moved out and you have aired it and cleaned it.

starfishmummy · 09/03/2020 14:02

From the CAB site (my bold)

If you rent a room in your landlord’s home and share living space with them such as the bathroom or kitchen, then you might be what's commonly known as a lodger. You might have your own room, usually a bedroom, but normally you don't have exclusive use of that room. This means your landlord can enter the room without your permission. If you’ve agreed with your landlord that you have exclusive use of the room you might have more rights

Reginabambina · 09/03/2020 14:03

I’m surprised that she’s not tying harder to keep you happy what with the drug dealer boyfriend that you know about and all.

Whatsnewpussyhat · 09/03/2020 14:03

If no contract, what's to stop you dumping her stuff outside and changing the locks?

Whatsnewpussyhat · 09/03/2020 14:04

Make sure you are around when she actually leaves too

MyOwnSummer · 09/03/2020 14:12

I'm a Landlord, and have been both a lodger and a tenant in the past.

She has a license to occupy, not a tenancy - this means she has almost no rights whatsoever. You can absolutely show someone around her room without her permission.

Furthermore - she is in breach of the T&Cs. She is bringing a stranger into your home without permission, who you have reasonable suspicion is dealing drugs from your property.

If you have any children in the house, you need to take action NOW before Social Services get wind of this. Personally I don't give a toss what people do in their own time/home but it isn't her/his home it is yours - she is literally bringing a dealer into your home. If there are kids there, that is a very serious issue indeed if you know about it and do nothing.

You need to stamp down on this shit now, very hard. You won't ever see that £350 again so write it off and keep her deposit. Frankly if someone was doing this with my DD in the house, they would find the locks changed and their stuff on the kerb, but that's just me. If you want to be nice and reasonable, tell her (a) to get out by the weekend and (b) if dodgy boyfriend makes an appearance you are calling the cops because he has no permission to be in your home.

Original poster
PayingGuests · 09/03/2020 14:18

Theres no children and I have no proof hes dealing just what Ive observed from my balcony. Obviously I have to live here so dont want any trouble after she has gone.

OP posts:
IntermittentParps · 09/03/2020 14:28

As horrible as it is, she has the right to privacy, and therefore you cannot force her to show the room if she doesn’t want to
Rubbish.
She's a lodger without a contract. She has basically no rights.

Further, she owes you money and brings someone in every night without permission.

Keep her deposit and get rid. If you're feeling generous give her a fortnight's notice; if not, a week's. Have someone there with you both when you give her notice and when she's due to leave.

Then you can clean and air the room and show it to people.

Betterversionofme · 09/03/2020 14:30

Just give her a notice to leave. Just scribble in on a piece of paper and stick on her door. Take a photo of it before giving it to her and email it to her too. Also text it to her. So you have a proof you gave her a notice. And tell her you WILL call police if she will not move out by given date. Morning after given date (because she can move any time until midnight), if she is still there, call police. If she uses any drugs there should make her run very fast. Don't let anyone know you know about drugs, you know NOTHING about it, so you are not a complicit in anything involving drugs.
Done. Life moves on.

Betterversionofme · 09/03/2020 14:35

Or what IntermittentParps says

Original poster
PayingGuests · 09/03/2020 14:42

She gave herself notice by offering to leave two weeks tomorrow.

OP posts:
Elouera · 09/03/2020 14:55

Its an uncomfortable situation for you it feels like. What do you mean she gave herself 2 weeks notice? I'd go back to her to say no, you need to leave by x date (this weekend?) and write on down with a record for yourself. why let her control the situation even further?
The sooner the room is cleared and aired, the sooner you can get a new lodger. best of luck.

MrsTerryPratchett · 09/03/2020 14:57

I lent her the odd tenner here and there which has added up to £350.

Are you cut out to be a landlord? Because that is not OK. In any way.

Derbee · 09/03/2020 14:58

She doesn’t need 2 weeks. Give her a week, and kick her out. You’ll be surprised at how few rights a lodger has

IntermittentParps · 09/03/2020 15:02

She gave herself notice by offering to leave two weeks tomorrow.
Yes, but SHE doesn't get to give notice. You're the landlady and YOU give notice and the notice period.

GrumpyHoonMain · 09/03/2020 15:03

Lodgers have no rights. I would just chuck her stuff out the window and tell her she’s gone now

CuriousaboutSamphire · 09/03/2020 15:10

Yes, but SHE doesn't get to give notice. You're the landlady and YOU give notice and the notice period. Not if she is a lodger, and OP has said she doesn't want to go into that... so we can't really advise on that aspect of it!

Lodger = almost no rights and can be put out with 'reasonable' notice. Reasonable = effectively whatever the landlord thinks it is at the time

Tenant = whole heap of paperwork, restrictive to both parties but, once legal notice has been given by a tenant it cannot be rescinded without full agreement by the landlord!

GabsAlot · 09/03/2020 15:12

Just say since we have no contract and you dont want to give access you can leave in a week(or whateverdate you choose) she doesnt get to decide

Original poster
PayingGuests · 09/03/2020 15:12

Am I cut put to be a landlord? Its not my professional job. I flat share thsts all. Like I say she was really nice up until there was a sudden death of a close family member and it went down hill from there. Which is probably why we let the first couple of wifts of gear go. Then she needed £20 to get a black top for the funeral, £10 for the widow a bottle of wine etc over 6 months then she had the cheek to ask me to be the cleaner and that I pay her! I know I wont see it. She said shes smoking so much over her bereavement but ive told her to ge5 counsell8ngvand do it somewhere else.

OP posts: