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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Do lodgers have fewer rights than tenants?

18 replies

electra · 30/07/2010 19:58

My friend has bought a house and she's letting out one of the rooms. She's had an argument with the lodger because the lodger agreed to let my friend's friend stay in the room while she (lodger) was away and my friend told her she hadn't cleaned her en-suite bathroom and she wasn't happy about it.

Now, I think it's understandable for the lodger to be annoyed because she's paid for use of the room and surely should be left alone with it as long as she isn't damaging it?

However my friend thinks that 'lodgers have few rights' it's her house and she can do what she likes.

I said to her that she really ought to check her legal position about everything - what do you think?

OP posts:

Original poster

electra · 30/07/2010 20:19

OP posts:

Acanthus · 30/07/2010 20:23

Think it's right that lodgers have hardly any rights but sorry I couldn't be specific.

toccatanfudge · 30/07/2010 20:35

yes lodgers have fewer rights

Myleetlepony · 30/07/2010 20:37

Even if you are a tenant, you aren't entitled to let other people use the property without the permission of the landlord.

LittleMissHissyFit · 30/07/2010 20:40

i think lodgers do have fewer rights that tenants. Have a look on landlord zone, and shelter websites for more info.

SomeGuy · 30/07/2010 20:48

lodgers have got no rights at all.

echt · 30/07/2010 20:51

Sorry, have I understood this? It's the landlord's friend who's staying in the lodger's room in their absence?

If that's the case then the landlord should thank their lucky stars the lodger agreed to this use of her room, for which I assume she's still paying rent. And STFU.

She, the landlord, should have made sure her guest left the lodger's room pristine.

And yes, lodgers have fewer rights than tenants, but then the lodger is probably better off not living with your friend.

Original poster

electra · 30/07/2010 20:51

It was my friend who was using the room while her lodger was away. I think she is getting very stressed about the whole thing!

OP posts:

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 30/07/2010 20:52

Lodgers have no rights when it comes to evicting them, but they have at least a "moral right" not to get a bollocking for the state of their own en suite. Especially when said bollocking came about because the lodger was doing the landlady a favour by allowing her friend to stay there.

Original poster

electra · 30/07/2010 21:00

Yeah, that's what I thought oldlady - after all the girl is paying my friend for a service is she not?

OP posts:

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 30/07/2010 21:04

She's paying for the space and privacy; and, as you say, as long as she's not trashing the place (and it being a bit grubby doesn't trash it) it's up to her how sparkly clean her bog is.

I trust your friend has now scrubbed the en suite to her own satisfaction?

Original poster

electra · 30/07/2010 21:08

Yes she has lol, I said to her that she might have to compromise if she wants her tenants to stay happy. It's her new, beautiful house so I can understand how she feels but I think she might need to.

OP posts:

LittleMissHissyFit · 01/08/2010 21:40

if i were that lodger, i'd be looking for other accomodation. The lodger may not have any real rights, but MORALLY she has the right to have the room she pays rent for left well and truly alone. Your friend is bonkers!

Thing1Thing2 · 02/08/2010 08:28

The only way to avoid cleaning disputes with Lodgers to to get a Cleaner in (and make it inclusive in the rent)

theyoungvisiter · 02/08/2010 08:33

Well your friend is probably right in that she could evict her lodger for failing to clean the bathroom but this would be

a) unbelievably petty
b) morally wrong
c) bonkers

I think your friend sounds like a nutjob tbh. And if I was the lodger I would looking for a new room!

As thing1 says, they sensible way round this is for your friend to hire a weekly cleaner. And institute a small rise in the rent when it comes up for renewal to compensate.

fluffles · 02/08/2010 09:00

the lodger has the right to clean any bathroom for their own use to their own standards, not hte landlords.

but, i'm pretty sure that a lodger cannot effectively sublet the room to a 'friend' - who would want their lodger letting anybody use the room and have keys to the shared house!!!

if i had a lodger i would not expect them to give other people free and unsupervised access to all of our stuff.

theyoungvisiter · 02/08/2010 09:08

fluffles - the lodger was not subletting - it was the landlady using the room.

The lodger allowed her to use it while she (the lodger) was on holiday.

InTheSoup · 02/08/2010 21:31

I loathe the word lodger. I thought I was sharing a rented flat once, but it turned out I was the lodger and thus couldn't use the kitchen when I wanted and the sitting room (the only living area) was out of bounds. I suspect the character of anyone who says they have a lodger now...

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