To get a lodger when renting

[PaperdollCartoon]

Mostly posting here for traffic, posted in chat a while ago and didn't get any answers. I would be so grateful for any input. I'll try to get as much info in as possible without rambling.

DP and I rent our house, it's currently just us (and two cats). We have two large bedrooms. It's a fairly roomy house, including basement 'man den' as well as living room, dining room. So plenty of space for more people. Eventually children is the plan, but not for a couple of years.

We've been talking about essentially renting out our spare room to bring in some extra money, to pay off some debts, save and have some spare cash. Which would be lovely as at the moment we have basically none! I wouldn't want just anyone but we have discussed it with a close friend who is keen on the idea. If he hadn't been open to it we wouldn't probably have shelved the idea, I wouldn't want just anyone living here. He's a very close family friend I've known at least a decade, and we could quite happily all live together, and the house has space for privacy if needed. It would also do him a lot of good for various reasons.

However I'm not quite sure how we should broach the idea with my landlady. DP and I would still have full legal and financial responsibility for the tenancy, and can afford it without anyone else so no concerns there. Friend would be paying us some money directly and would have no legal recourse to the property. It would be a casual arrangement which we are all happy with, no deposit, any unlikely damage would still come out of our deposit. Basically he would be our lodger, not a joint tenant. It sounding remain our house in the strictest sense. I've checked our tenancy agreement and there's nothing that seems to be against the idea, only thing it mentions is anyone living here would need to be named. Everyone we speak to says why do we need to tell her at all but I don't really want to do it convertly and lie if we don't have, our landlady is lovely and we want a good relationship with her for many years to come.

Any advice on what we should say/how we should bring this up with her? Thanks so much.

[blublutoo]

I genuinely thought it was illegal ... I must be wrong! Why can't he just move in and pay rent properly which would save you money ?

[PaperdollCartoon]

Sparkling: I have it set up to email me when someone posts on a thread I've started. I also usually get emails for ones I've commented on.

Millie you make very fair points, all of which have been considered to more or less extents. The cost we've discussed includes everything but most food (we'll have a proper discussion about what if and when we get the go ahead) and I've done the calculations on bills. It takes into account the virgin media, the utilities, the council tax etc, down to things like loo roll and washing tablets because I shop at Costco and it doesn't make sense to buy separately! He is considering a job move at the moment, but he has a lot of savings in the bank as he's saving to buy (one reason he's been back with parents, but he's too old for that now!). He also wants to increase his salary first to get a better mortgage, we live in an expensive part of the world. So I know he has money in the bank to keep him going should there be a job less spell for some reason. He's worked for his current company for 8 years. But it would be a clear that if he couldn't pay anymore he'd need to leave. If a surprise baby came along we'd have a good 8/9 months to sort out him moving. He knows when we're thinking, he will hopefully have bought by then but if not he would be able to afford to live somewhere else. This would be mutually beneficial but no one would be completely relying on the other and would have other options.

Walter - I'm not certain but I'm pretty sure this house doesn't have a mortgage. If it does and this situation would cause problems with that or insistence we wouldn't do it. My friend's finances etc are all fine so should there be a need for referencing I don't foresee a problem.

[walterwhitesgf]

My tennent wanted to do this and I found it impossible to get landlords insurance under these circumstances, so I could not agree to it. It's also a condition of the buy to let mortgage that I have that I ensure all those living in my house have a right to be here in UK , have jobs and references etc so if my tennant had been able to have a lodger, their finances and background would have had to be verified.

[milliemolliemou]

OP you've clearly been advised different ways to approach your LL for permission to take a lodger in - and I'm sure she'll be happy to grant it, subject to checking whether she's liable for more insurance, multiple occupancy, needs to redo deeds of tenancy either for joint tenancy or getting a lodger authorised under your current agreement.

However you also need to have some sort of cover yourself. You trust your hopefully incoming tenant implicitly and I'm sure you're right, but have you already agreed about council tax/food kitty/bills/rental? What does happen when s/he breaks the shower? If their job breaks down, Lord forbid, how will s/he cope? Or if you decide it's not working, what would you do? If you've gone the joint tenancy route if the LL demands it, it wouldn't be easy even if suddenly you had kids on the way or they didn't want to move on in the two years you mention. You clearly trust this friend who is keen to come in and it sounds like win/win providing LL agrees, but truly think it through.

[Sparklingbrook]

A notification email?

[PaperdollCartoon]

To the PP who said they replied to my previous post - so sorry I missed it! I did check back a couple of times and I didn't get a notification email? Thank you for taking the time.

Sorry you've had a nightmare rockchick, I'm sure my friend wouldn't dream of doing that. I also know how much he earns/how much his costs are so I know he can afford it. We would probably set up a standing order for ease though.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

You must get them to set up a standing order for the rent, no matter how trustworthy they are. It saves a lot of angst on both sides.

[rockchick78]

I'm having a bit of a nightmare at the moment... I took in a 'friend' as a lodger a couple of months ago and it was the worst decision I've ever made. He's not paid one full month yet, is messy as hell and pretty much taking the piss. I want him out! Tread carefully...

[MrsJorahMormont]

3-4 weeks for me in one sitting. That's the maximum I would class a visit.

[JeanGenie23]

6 weeks I think would be a limit.

[scaryteacher]

I think if there is no attempt made to find alternative accommodation; no end date set when they stay; where all their stuff is, is all a sign that they are living there.

I would say a couple of months tops really.

[PaperdollCartoon]

Just out of curiosity, what what would people say is the longest someone can stay before it stops being a house guest and becomes 'living there'. Say friend gets kicked out, you offer them your spare bed, and they contribute to food. A couple of weeks? A couple of months? Especially to landlords, when does it become living there?

[Pinkheart5915]

I am a landlord and there is no way I would be allow a tenant to do this and if I found out they were doing this I would be far from pleased.
Letting out a room taking money for it in a house you don't own and I also wouldn't want somebody living in one of my properties without a legal contract,.

[PaperdollCartoon]

Certainly*

[PaperdollCartoon]

Thanks scary teacher, I will certainly bear in mind and will ask LL if there are any insurance/tax/financial issues at all. I certainty don't want to cause any problems for her

[scaryteacher]

OP, it's the buildings insurance that we were concerned about. Mine is very strict about who can and can't be there.

[PaperdollCartoon]

Also we don't want to split the rent 3 ways, we want to pay more. I will see what landlady says and go from there. Didn't realise this question would cause such a ruckus, but that's AIBU for you!

[PaperdollCartoon]

Ah I was just thinking inviting our friend into our bed might be a sensible option! I'll keep that one on the backburner for now

We don't have a pay as you go meter, fwiw. The home contents insurance is ours.

I appreciate some tenants are shit and landlords have every right to be wary. I treat this house no differently than if I owned it. It's basicially my perfect house, I adore it and look after it. It's my home not just my house as far as I'm concerned. To be fair, she didn't meet us until we'd already signed the tenancy as the initial bit went through an agency who hold the deposit, but all repairs etc go through her. So she knew I suppose how much we earned and that we'd been credit checked etc. but not our personalities or anything like that.

[JeanGenie23]

I was referring to your point about are we allowed friends to stay over now? Because that isn't what's happening is it? The OP is taking somone in so they can save a bit of extra cash. Having a friend kip in your spare room for a couple of weeks suddenly becomes a very different thing when money exchanges hands.

I also do not think I expressed any nasty sentiments. I am a long term renter. My house isn't my home, it belongs to someone else, and if the LL wanted to sell, or up the rent, they would be in control, not me. Afterall if I didn't/couldn't afford it, someone else always will. That isn't a nasty sentiment it's realistic. I need the LL more than they need me.

[scaryteacher]

I lived in a married quarter in Belgium from 2006-2013. The floors in the bedrooms and study were laminate. I had a wheeled desk chair in the study. My lad who was 10-18 when we lived there, had a wheeled desk chair. We handed back the quarter in pristine condition and without any marks on the floor whatsoever. I put rugs under the chairs so there wasn't an issue. Not rocket science really. I also had cats, and they didn't mark anything at all.

In Belgium you have to hand a property back in the same state that you took it over in; tends to concentrate the mind when you can be liable for thousands of euros at march out.

The laminate floor was fit for purpose - the tenants weren't and looking back, I should have canned them sooner.

I am renting in Belgium now, rugs are down where there could be a problem.

[InternationalHouseofToast]

Depending on where you are the HMO thing might be your problem. In some cities/ towns with universities, you have to get a licence for a HMO and councils can refuse them, as a way of reducing student housing in a given area. It's usually to prevent student housing exceeding 20%. Think if you're in an area where this could be the case.

[Charley50]

JeanGenie that is a really nasty sentiment you expressed just there.

[ReginaBlitz]

Just ask her, you're getting boring now.

[Charley50]

Do I think what would stand in a court of law Jean? And surely tenant landlord is a reciprocal relationship. They need each other. Sorry for derailing OP.

[JeanGenie23]

Do you think that would stand in a court of law Charley?

There needs to be transparency between LL and tenant. That's why clear concise contracts are key. Don't forget the tenant always needs the LL more than the LL needs the tenant.