Is lodger a CF?

[Ladiva1971]

I have a lodger his rent includes all bills, however I went on holiday for 2 weeks and on my return he presented me with a £25 top up bill for the gas which he used for heating when I was away. I told him there is no way I am paying for the gas he used when I wasn't here. He says gas and electric is included, but my argument is that if I was on holiday the gas would not have been used so he has to pay it. AIBU?

For 25 quid during the coldest spell in a long time, I'd just use my brain and pay it.

Unless you want rid of the lodger and this is a way to do it. I dunno.

Anything else is quite unreasonable IMV. But I see you have realised this now.

why should I reimburse him for that if I wasn't there?

Because he’s living there under the agreement that bills are included.
Because unless you also reimburse him when he overpays for your lower heating bills in the summer, it’s your responsibility to cover the higher bills in the winter.

YABU.

If I were him I'd move out. ASAP.

Thanks Mumsnetters for the replies I shall do the honourable thing and reimburse.

I don't think you should pay anything & disagree with everyone else.

You do need to tighten up the rules about what's included and whats not though.

Agree knickerelastic

glad you've seen sense

you would be the CF if you didn't pay up. It says "bills included".

You are being a CF.
His rent includes all bills. This is a bill. Pay for it.

Agreeing with people who agree with your view for the sake of it isn't a reason! It's an opinion. So stop being a CF!

YABU. Bills included.

knickerelastic

He’s a lodger, he pays £xx for rent AND BILLS

Can you explain why you think his payment should not cover the bills because the OP isn’t there?

what does CF mean?

Well of course you agree with the one person on the thread who thinks you're being reasonable, op
If you've said "bills included", how can you tighten up on what's included and what's not?? Heating is a bill.
You're sounding more halfwitted as the thread goes on.

CF = cheeky fucker.

Bloody hell OP, I cannot believe you still believe you are right about this when one person agrees with you. Roll on your next thread where you want to charge the lodger a supplement for having used all the electricity consumed in the house whilst you were away.

I agree that I should revise the contract but thanks for the help

oh x post
didn't see OP is standing by her view
crazy.

TBH your lodger has saved you a very expensive repair bill. If he hadn't used extra heating when you were away your pipes will almost certainly have frozen and you'd have returned to a flooded house.

You can't change the goalposts after the fact. The agreement was bills included so you should honour that even if the concept confuses you

For the future if you wish to channel your inner scrooge I suggest drawing up new conditions of lodging that make it clear your lodger is to pay for any energy used in your absence...although you'll need to be specific as to the duration of your absence eg greater than 24 hours otherwise you'll soon find it difficult to keep a lodger for more than a week or so!

Had you have been there, you’d have paid 15/week, so I’d half the additional amount and reimburse him half what he spent above that.

Assuming you left the meter topped up when you left?

I don't think you should pay either. It has to be bills included as it's impossible to work out who used what but with you away for a set time it's easy to work it out. As a gesture maybe half each but really he's the CF

Can someone please explain how the lodger is a CF.

He agrees to the place INCLUDING BILLS.
OP goes on holiday during a particular cold spell. Lodger asks for reimbursement for topping up utilities. Why on earth would he not be refunded? If the place was let with shared bills then yeah he should pay... But it isn't!

It’s not ‘the honourable thing’. That implies that it’s a matter of discretion, which this isn’t, it’s just following your contractual obligation.

You’ve made the right decision OP, in reimbursing the lodger.

YABU his rent includes bills !

I would like to point out that if I am here lodger will ask if he can put the heating on, as he is always freezing where as I am not, so ofc I say he can, and he normally just puts heating on for an hour to heat the house I just feel that looking at the amount he spent on gas while I was away was way more than we would have used had I have been here

OP do you know how freezing it's been in that time period? My flat is one of those heavily insulated new builds and it was even cold in here, which is rare.

So you provide a room to a lodger, and you charge him rent including heating and electric, and then don't even provide a warm home.

There's only one cheeky fucker here and it's not the lodger.