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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get a lodger when renting

184 replies

PaperdollCartoon · 21/06/2016 06:46

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.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 21/06/2016 08:27

You had one reply on your other thread about this but didn't return to it.Confused

Original poster
PaperdollCartoon · 21/06/2016 08:27

Thanks Plenty, my thought was all I can do is ask as well. You don't ask, you don't get and all that. If she says no that's fine. Happy if she wants to meet him, or anything like that, not a problem

OP posts:
eddielizzard · 21/06/2016 08:27

i would phone her up and say that a very good friend of yours has asked if he can sleep in your spare room for a few weeks while he looks around for more permanent accommodation. you wanted to make sure that she was happy, because obviously you wouldn't do anything without her approval, and of course, he must be named. make it clear that if she says no, you're fine with that and you hope asking won't affect your good relationship.

see what she says. don't lie about anything, be upfront.

whois · 21/06/2016 08:29

Yes subletting and taking in a lodger are different. But it's not your property to take in a lodger!

It's just a massive minefield for the LL and she should say no. Or do it properly, credit check, references, passport etc and you all to a new fixed term tenancy and up the rent. Oh, but then she would also have to through the HMO process.... So yeah, if she has half a brain cell she should just say NO.

Egosumquisum · 21/06/2016 08:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MadHattersWineParty · 21/06/2016 08:30

Well I'm sure she would want to meet him, as you know, he'd be living in her house!

BeBopTalulah · 21/06/2016 08:31

I think someone who is living with you full-time is more likely to cause damage/break something/set fire to something, they have the same chance of doing so as anyone else living there.

There aren't enough houses out there, so if your landlord agrees and you're happy have a credit check done and alter the tenancy agreement I don't see a problem with adding your friend to the lease. The rent will probably go up, to cover the landlord's insurance premium going up too.

EBearhug · 21/06/2016 08:34

There could be an effect on your contents insurance, too.

Laiste · 21/06/2016 08:34

Oh my goodness will people read the OP!!

''I'm not quite sure HOW we should broach the idea with my landlady.''

Not IF we should tell her.

The OP wants advice on how to broach the subject with her landlady. But so many posts here demanding to know what she's going to do when this secret lodger blows the house up, sets fire to it and squats in the bedroom refusing to come out! Grin

He's not going to be a secret people. The OP is going to tell her land-lady. That's the point of the thread.

Overtiredbackagain · 21/06/2016 08:36

I rent, initially it was just me and DC. When my partner moved in, he was added to the lease as a Permitted Occupier as I wanted to keep financial control. I've been married twice and still have ridiculous amounts of debt from my DC father following our divorce. So although my DP now pays money towards living expenses, I have sole responsibility towards so rent and household bills.

KittensandKnitting · 21/06/2016 08:36

He shouldn't want his name on the agreement because he will then be liable for the rent if you don't pay, and responsible for any damage caused. They would expect him to have a credit check pay to be added and pay to be removed when he leaves.

KittensandKnitting · 21/06/2016 08:37

Laiste very true indeed :)

scaryteacher · 21/06/2016 08:39

laiste I don't think the OP gets to tell the landlady, but to ask. We are just pointing out that she may well be refused, and the reasons why, as the OP may not be aware of some of these.

whois · 21/06/2016 08:40

He's not going to be a secret people. The OP is going to tell her land-lady. That's the point of the thread

And people are rightly pointing out why any sensible LL would say no.

Shantotto · 21/06/2016 08:43

Why not just put him on the tenancy? If he's as trustworthy as you say you don't need to worry about 'losing control' of the tenancy.

Save the money that way.

Shantotto · 21/06/2016 08:43

I mean by him paying his share of rent directly!

Spermysextowel · 21/06/2016 08:48

How was the original gist, but the later inference was 'why should I?'.
Why argue about the negatives for the l/l if all you wanted was to ask how to ask her if she was happy to allow a random to live in her property?
I suggest asking her. There are several methods available.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es · 21/06/2016 08:49

Laiste - I have RTFT. I said "what if he sets the house on fire" meaning this is a reason that the landlady will either say no or insist on him being named, I have not suggested that I think she isn't going to ask.

IndridCold · 21/06/2016 08:51

Mostly posting here for traffic, posted in chat a while ago and didn't get any answers.

You did get a reply, I answered you!

I think what you want is for everyone to say 'yes, it will be absolutely fine', but it isn't as simple as that. If someone pays you money to live in your house then there is a contract between you (as I understand it). The fact it is very 'easy' and informal is irrelevant, and if anything could make matters more complicated later if things went wrong. As PPs have said, sub- letting is a big no no as far as landlords are concerned for this reason, and if you have a proper tenancy agreement with your landlady I would imagine it forbids it. In which case she would be mad to agree.

LillianGish · 21/06/2016 08:54

Is the potential lodger your friend? If so I'd mention it to the LL in these terms: A good friend of ours is coming to stay in the spare room while he looks for a house in the area hope that's OK with you. Just letting you know as a courtesy - not sure how long he'll be here, it's just a temporary arrangement.
If you rent a house (I have been on both sides of the coin as a tenant and a landlord) you surely can have a friend to stay? If it is over an extended period they can pay for their keep without that being considered sub-letting? He won't have a contract anymore than you'd draw up a contract for your mum if she came to stay for an extended period. I think if you are advertising a room to rent and getting in someone you don't know from Adam that's a bit different.

Stillunexpected · 21/06/2016 08:59

"We're not profiting really. He would pay us some rent which would give us some spare money." - so having spare money is not profiting from this arrangement?! Come on OP, you're not doing this to give a home to some poor tramp. Of course you're profiting from it!

Truckingalong · 21/06/2016 09:01

You lost me the minute you said you wouldn't be profiting from it.

Spermysextowel · 21/06/2016 09:10

Maybe you could consider moving to somewhere with a lower rent that you didn't need help with?

Needmoresleep · 21/06/2016 09:15

Landlord here.

Two approaches:

  1. Tell/ask the landlord. To protect their investment, they would have to insist on having the extra person on the tenancy agreement. They would probably increase the rent slightly to account for the extra wear and tear, and would almost certainly charge you the transaction costs (referencing, new contract etc.) In short they would take a share of the additional rent...because it is their property. But equally they might say no. Obviously if they say no they would be on the look out for the lodger moving in anyway.
  1. Don't tell the landlord. Then the landlord cannot be held responsible should the lodger claim tenancy rights. However landlords tend to find out, especially if they know neighbours or when a boiler needs an emergency repair.

I would ask. A proper tenancy agreement would protect you as well should your lodger prove to be difficult. And it means they are referenced. The landlord might well prefer a bit of extra rent and the peace of mind of knowing that you are better able to afford your portion of the rent.

As for HMOs, your landlord should look up the regs if you are not married ie tenancy could become three households, AND if the building is more than two storeys. Otherwise you should be fine.

dowhatnow · 21/06/2016 09:18

As a landlady I wouldn't mind being asked but I would want to ring my insurance company to make sure I was covered. I would then work with you to do whatever had to be done legally to facillitate this.

If you did it without my knowledge then I wouldn't be happy at all and would probably give you notice to leave.

Just talk to her. She can only say no.

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