I currently rent my spare bedrooms out on AirBnB on the days my LO is at her dads and I’m at work (I’m a nurse and work nights so it really doesn’t impact much on my life or hers)
It’s good money and allows me to just work my two nights a week and be around for my daughter the rest of the time and I’m really lucky to be in a position to have the space to do it.
However recently I’ve found the renting to a different person every week really stressful, people are getting more demanding with when they can check in/out (I’m not really that flexible because bc of work), the extra washing and admin, they leave the kitchen/bathroom in a state, go into my living room when it’s off limits (I rent two of the rooms out so they have a sort of living space) and this is people with good reviews on the site. It’s become a source of stress and something I really dread.
I’m thinking of taking a lodger instead, and renting those two rooms to them (they’d obviously have full access to the kitchen and bathroom, just have their own living space and bedroom). They’d do their own laundry and there’d be more of an expectation to keep the place tidy because they’re living there too.
BUT, having a lodger would mean they’re there all week, I’ve been used to just having someone in two days a week when I’m either not there or sleeping, and obviously this would affect my little girl as well.
I spoke to a friend about this and she said I was mad to consider taking a full time lodger, but the airbnb income isn’t steady all year round, there’s a bit of a boom in the August (fringe) and December (Christmas markets) but it can wane at other times and I’d like to keep being around like I am for my daughter until she’s at school which isn’t for a couple of years yet. Has anyone got any experience of having a lodger when they’re DCs were small? Am I unreasonable to give up a good thing? I don’t want to get into a contract then not be able to kick someone out if they turn out to be awful. I feel inadequately prepared to sort this out 😂🤦🏻♀️