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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if this is reasonable (money related)

60 replies

skylerwhite · 09/08/2013 15:10

My DH is commuting for work from October, about 2.5 hours away. He has arranged to share a flat with a good friend of ours. Rent for the flat is 600 per month. DH will be there three nights a week, probably for 26/27 weeks of the year. We have been discussing the financial side, and I thought it might be a good idea to ask the denizens of MN if you thought a 400:200 split in terms of rent was fair? DH will pay this for 10 months of the year, but will split the payments over 12 months, so friend will have money coming in every month.

Is this reasonable?

OP posts:
QueenStromba · 09/08/2013 15:33

I think your proposal is perfectly fair given the circumstances. The friend is saving money over getting a one bed for himself and your husband won't be there for half the week - friend gets the place to himself for the whole weekend.

Alwayscheerful · 09/08/2013 15:36

I think slightly less than 50%.

Presumably your DH will still be paying council tax on your joint home and be registered on the electoral roll at your joint home, as long as he will not be changing his address and will retain his bank account at your home address surely he will just be a visitor 3 nights a week.

A part time lodger and my home to myself all week-end and bank holidays/Christmas time sounds great, your DH will use less gas, water and electric far less than a full time sharer.

50/50 is not a fair deal, it needs to be weighted slighly in your DHs favour.

Original poster
skylerwhite · 09/08/2013 15:36

What difference would it make if friend had the place first? He didn't. His current lease is ending as his flatmate is moving away, he was going to take a 1 bed for 550, but changed his mind when DH said he would be looking for somewhere to stay in the same town.

OP posts:
Original poster
skylerwhite · 09/08/2013 15:40

Re council tax, would friend be able to claim single person given how infrequently DH will be there and given that he and I will be paying in our home?

I'm not really familiar with the council tax system at all.

OP posts:
Beastofburden · 09/08/2013 15:43

Well I would say...

Your friend would have rented alone and is now paying only slightly more for the 2 bed flat. I get that. OTOH s/he might be really looking forward to having a bit more spare cash, and be really pleased, ot just to have DHs company, but also to have a bit less financial pressure.

You say s/ he isn't expecting 50 :50. Nonetheless, that's what I would offer, and let the friend counter it with something else if they feel they ought to.

ImperialBlether · 09/08/2013 15:45

So your DH is only there for half of the year? And he'll be staying 4 nights per week?

So the friend is staying 365 days
Your DH is staying 108 days

Put like that I'd say 400:200 would be fair with the other guy responsible for the council tax. I'm not sure how that should be paid (ie singler person's allowance) if he's on his own for half of the year. He should probably get advice on that.

Beastofburden · 09/08/2013 15:47

On council tax, I don't know. It looks as if you would owe on both properties here, but you could email to ask.

ImperialBlether · 09/08/2013 15:48

Sorry, he's there three nights a week?

So it's 365/81?

400/200 with nothing to pay towards bills would be fairest, I think. He's not going to use the washing machine etc, is he? It'll be three showers and heating in his room for the nights he's there.

hellsbellsmelons · 09/08/2013 15:48

Well my mortgage is £600-ish and I have a lodger who pays £350 to rent a room Mon-Fri.
All bills are included though and that's pretty much the going rate in the SE.
Could he maybe suggest 50/50 but with bills all included?

Original poster
skylerwhite · 09/08/2013 15:49

Yes, DH is an academic, so 2 x 12 week terms, plus another couple of weeks for exam boards, induction etc.

OP posts:
Beastofburden · 09/08/2013 15:49

Worth checking, though, if a 40:20 split would be good evidence to support a claim for single persons discount on council tax, that would be a good reason to do that. The friend would recoup 25% single persons council tax rebate that way.

If, otoh, the fact that DH is there means the friend loses out on the single person discount s/ he would otherwise have got... DH ought to pay so etching to recognise that.

ImperialBlether · 09/08/2013 15:51

That's pretty good, hellsbells, having half your mortgage paid but getting the weekend to yourself!

SniffAndMoomintroll · 09/08/2013 15:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
skylerwhite · 09/08/2013 15:53

No, Dh unlikely to use machine. Showers plus heating, and he'll obv be availing of Internet text when r's there so will contribute to that as well. I think friend plans on getting Sky tv (he's addicted) but i would be v loath to pay towards that.

OP posts:
UniqueAndAmazing · 09/08/2013 15:53

i think £400/£200 is fair in this situation.

but he doesn't need to pay bills, but should offer to pay the difference in council tax

allmycats · 09/08/2013 15:55

Full council tax will be payable as it is not just 1 person living there. If the friend is happy with 400/200 then I actually think this is fair as the friend will be saving on the rent overall BUT I do think that there should be a similar split in the running costs as your DH is using the full facilities, just not over a full week and this will help towards the loss of the single person council tax - you see I think that there should be a split in the council tax between the 2 of them and it should be that your DH pays the amount of single person reduction lost, regardless of how many days he is there.

ImperialBlether · 09/08/2013 16:01

It's a weird situation with council tax. When he's away, the OP should get the single person's allowance and when he's home the landlord should get it.

Perhaps look into that, OP?

NatashaBee · 09/08/2013 16:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MonstersDontCry · 09/08/2013 16:14

I would say 50/50 split with all bills included.

Original poster
skylerwhite · 09/08/2013 16:18

Imperial sorry I don't understand. Do you mean the friend should get single persons allowance when DH isn't there?

OP posts:
Original poster
skylerwhite · 09/08/2013 16:19

I should say that DH is planning to contribute towards council tax as well. But we hadn't thought of making up the difference for the single persons allowance. Must look into that.

OP posts:
ImperialBlether · 09/08/2013 16:21

Just saying: basically you have three people living in two homes. When your DH is with you, the landlord (friend) should get the single allowance and vice versa.

It's not fair that both of your households should get the allowance or that both of your households don't get the allowance!

whois · 09/08/2013 16:23

I think less than 50/50 is totally fair. Friend gets a nice compromise of company and still gets space when DH isn't there.

Plenty of people charge less for a 'week day only' lodger.

Original poster
skylerwhite · 09/08/2013 16:23

Oh ok. I didn't understand who you meant by landlord. I suspect both households will have to pay, somehow.

OP posts:
MissStrawberry · 09/08/2013 16:35

I think 3/7th of the weekly rent on the basis that the other guy is taking advantage of having company and doesn't need the rent to be able to rent the flat. If he wanted or needed 50/50 he should get someone to move in full time.