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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Increase in utilities and lodger

95 replies

MotorGreenGrass · 04/03/2022 23:34

I’ve had a lodger for a year, generally fine but he likes the heater to be warmer than I do. Not a problem so I’ve made provisions like the thermostat is in his room, he has access to the App to change the temp/schedule etc.

However with my bill set to double to nearly £200pm for gas, when its generally £100pm for gas tops, how do I bring this up?

I already have switched of heaters like the hallway, my bedroom, dining room we don’t use. We sometimes use the lounge so that’s on low. He’s got a heated blanket for night time and an app to turn on/off. Also a small 500w heater (more about that later).

Would it be reasonable to say if he’s still here in winter next year he can contribute 50% of the gas bills?

I’m tempted to get digital valves on the radiators so can have more control over turning them on/off, eg if I’m out but want to go home to watch tv etc.

I’m sure it’s because it’s my house/bills I’m accepting my room to be cooler etc.

Current upkeep of the house is about £1k including £600 mortgage, £150 council tax, £100 internet/Insurance/water. So gas and electric costs will push it to around £950pm. He pays £400pm.

He is generally good but when he’s complaining the house is cold and two days later will come down in a t shirt, or when it’s cold I tell him to put more clothes because it does keep you warmer etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
MotorGreenGrass · 06/03/2022 19:00

@Lou98

I'm actually against the grain here but I don't really think it's fair.

He's a lodger, not a tenant, he doesn't have the rights that tenants do and he is essentially already paying nearly half of the housing costs for one room. I think £400 when the total housing costs is £1000 is definitely fair

My cost to live in the house is £1k. I can reduce that further by his council tax and his use of the heating via gas and electricity.

As my bills will now rise by 100%, (before they rose by 60%), it’s only fair I should continue to charge him 40%, hence £100pcm extra

OP posts:
Lou98 · 06/03/2022 19:00

@SpaceshiptoMars

I think £400 when the total housing costs is £1000 is definitely fair

Have a look on spareroom etc. Many areas of the country you'd struggle to find a room for just £400 all in. Student rooms in uni towns average 650/month without meals. So it depends where and what facilities are on offer. (DSCs pay around £800/month each for theirs, which include ensuite, but no meals).

You also don't know if OP put down half the price of the house in equity. She is certainly not including all her costs - breakdowns for example. Washing machine, fridge freezer, d/w, tumble dryer, hoover - these all break down faster with 2 people instead of one. (Especially the w/m and the t/d!) Council tax is more, carpets have more accidents, lodgers want better broadband, insurance is more expensive etc.

The OP hasn't said she's in a uni town though, we have no idea where she lives or what the costs would be.

Where I am, up until I bought my house 2 years ago I was renting a flat. My bills came to £500 a month - that was for a full flat, not just a room. I was also a tenant so had a lot more rights than a lodger has.
Without knowing exactly where in the country the OP is you couldn't compare costs to other lodgers (not tenants or flat shares as their rights are different).

Before that flat I was in uni accommodation - it was £470 a month for everything (minus meals). In that accommodation I could have the heating at what I wanted, run the water as much as I wanted, leave the lights on when I wanted while still paying the same amount. I also had a loan to cover this, so it's silly comparing a lodger to a uni student.

It doesn't matter how much equity etc she put in - she will get that back if she decided to sell, it's her house, she owns it.

It's fine that you disagree but I stand by my opinion that I think £400 a month is fair when her bills are £950/£1k when he only has a room

Lou98 · 06/03/2022 19:03

@MotorGreenGrass but he's paying towards that already so no use saying your bills could be cheaper without him there as you would also be getting less money without him there.

You posted asking for opinions, I personally disagree that his rent should go up when he's already paying nearly half as a lodger, not a tenant. Just my personal opinion that I do think yabu

Original poster
MotorGreenGrass · 06/03/2022 19:25

Is it fair when the gas and electric bills will be bearing £300 this winter? All because he wants a warmer house so he can wear shorts and t shirt?

OP posts:
Original poster
MotorGreenGrass · 06/03/2022 19:27

[quote Lou98]@MotorGreenGrass but he's paying towards that already so no use saying your bills could be cheaper without him there as you would also be getting less money without him there.

You posted asking for opinions, I personally disagree that his rent should go up when he's already paying nearly half as a lodger, not a tenant. Just my personal opinion that I do think yabu [/quote]
My bills will be cheaper. Council tax 25%. Less electric (he has also been provided with a wfh electric heater as he complained of being cold in a 22 degree room). I will control the gas as well.

OP posts:
Original poster
MotorGreenGrass · 06/03/2022 19:30

@Lou98 I’m in a big city. He’s not a student and he’s also not in a hmo. The hmo I lived in we didn’t have control over the heating. We could boost it for an hour but as this was pre WFH etc I’m not sure what heating was like doing the day.

OP posts:
Lou98 · 06/03/2022 19:31

I agree bills would be cheaper, I never disputed that but as I said, you would also get less money if you didn't have a lodger so they go hand in hand.

Like I said - I disagree with you, you posted here looking for opinions, not everyone will agree

Lou98 · 06/03/2022 19:31

I know he's not a student - that was a reply to someone that replied to me comparing a lodger to a student

D0lphine · 06/03/2022 19:39

Why don't you ask what he wants to do? Say to him- hi the prices of gas are increasing, any ideas of how we should deal with this?

worriedatthemoment · 06/03/2022 19:50

@Lou98 where i live that would be a good price for a room , most would be around £140 upwards a week so it depends where OP is
Also doesn't matter if the Op does or doesn't have a mortgage anyone can charge what they like for a room, a lodger then decides if they want to rent or not

worriedatthemoment · 06/03/2022 19:52

@Lou98 would love to know where you live that it cost £500 all in for flat bills and rent , must be really cheop

worriedatthemoment · 06/03/2022 19:53

Op what is the average price for a room in your area ? If he is paying above average it may be hard to put up too much if well below then easier

Lou98 · 06/03/2022 19:53

@worriedatthemoment yet where I am, that's expensive.

I also didn't say it mattered if she had a mortgage? I agree she can charge what she likes and he can either accept or not but she posted asking for opinions on it - I personally think what he pays now is fair, that's what I was saying. Not everyone will agree and that's fine, surely that's the point of asking for opinions?

Lou98 · 06/03/2022 19:54

@worriedatthemoment I'm in a town in Scotland - not everywhere has overinflated house prices

worriedatthemoment · 06/03/2022 19:55

@Lou98 when you rent a room you rent it for the going rate it doesn't matter if your bills are £1000 or £500 its not a houseshare its a way to make money
As a lodger you pay for what you get 25 years ago i paid £50 a week plus half electric bill to rent a room? I prob covered my landladys mortgage at the time but thats life

worriedatthemoment · 06/03/2022 19:58

@Lou98 my friends rented there house in scotland and cheapish area an rent alone was close on £500 which wAs cheap compared to here and I live in a cheap place now compared to cities i have lived in
£500 incl c tax , water rates, gas , elec and rent for a whole flat is very rare for most of the country

Lou98 · 06/03/2022 20:07

@worriedatthemoment I'm not really sure what you're trying to argue about - like I said, my opinion is my opinion, that's not going to change because you disagree.

That's fine for your friend but Scotland is a big place, just because £500 is the cheapest rent in one place doesn't mean it is in another.

Since you seem interested - my rent was £365pm (that was a one bed flat in the bigger town close to me as it was easier to get to work than the middle of nowhere that I currently stay), £60pm for gas and electric, £85 council tax (25% discount and it includes water rates in Scotland) so £510 pm.

Out of curiosity I just had a look there and for renting just a room in that same town as a lodger there a couple for £350pm, one for £300pm and one for £91 a week.

Like I said, it's all relative - my opinion is my opinion. My original reply was simply saying I personally think what he's paying is fair - as I said above, surely the point of posting asking for opinions on a forum is because you know not everyone will agree. I'm also clearly not the only one as someone else replied to my original comment agreeing

ScholesPanda · 06/03/2022 20:20

You sound like you think you're doing this guy a massive favour, but he is paying you for a service, including a house that is kept warm.
If the service is more expensive due to costs increasing then you can pass as much of the cost increase to him as you think the market can bear, so if you think £500 is still a competitive rent for the room then I'd do it to help defray your costs.
If £500 prices you out of the market though and he leaves, will you need to find someone else? Typing 'nightmare lodger' into Google will probably be eye opening in that respect.

worriedatthemoment · 06/03/2022 20:22

@Lou98 I'm not arguing but you can't know if its fair if you don't know the going rate for OP area
The area you live is very cheap compared to most places in the uk

worriedatthemoment · 06/03/2022 20:23

@Lou98 is water rates included in all council tax in scotland ?

SpaceshiptoMars · 06/03/2022 20:27

You sound like you think you're doing this guy a massive favour, but he is paying you for a service, including a house that is kept warm.

He would not be setting the thermostat at 22-23 if he was renting a flat and paying the bills! And, generally speaking, lodgers do not control the thermostat - which is one reason why people aspire to places of their own.

Lou98 · 06/03/2022 20:30

@Lou98 I never mentioned anything about area - if you read my original comment instead of replies to others that replied to mine you'll see that. Me saying about living in a cheap area was merely pointing out to that poster that we had no idea where the OP lives so no idea of the rate in her area.

From the information that the OP had provided, I replied saying that in my opinion, I think what he pays is fair, that was it, it wasn't included what the going rate is in OP's area so I replied based on what she said. I personally don't think a lodger should be paying nearly 50% but that's just me, as I said, it's fine for others to disagree.

Yes it is, as far as I know. From the ScotGov website:

"The cost of water, sewerage and drainage is included in your council tax bill and collected by your local council. Any council tax discount that you receive, also applies to water and sewerage. Water charges across Scotland are set by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland."

Beautiful3 · 06/03/2022 20:32

Yes I agree with asking for extra towards energy bills.

Lou98 · 06/03/2022 20:41

Didn't mean to tag myself, meant @worriedatthemoment

WhatsitWiggle · 06/03/2022 20:43

OP, can you look into individual heating controls? We installed Honeywell Evohome just over a year ago, we're using 10% less gas just from that and there's more improvements I can make.

Essentially, the boiler is on all day but only selected radiators call for heat. So when only 1 adult is wfh, that room is heated and the rest of the house is cold. Can be controlled by an app (only 1 person) or the main unit. Each radiator can be set to different temperatures too.

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