What's it like having a lodger?

[BeaumontLivingston]

I've only really heard horror stories. What's good about it? Share some great lodger experiences?

I had one lodger for 6 years, absolutely brilliant.
I’ve had a few others since that one but they’ve all been a bit odd but I think I just didn’t think about them enough before I said yes.
I don’t think I’d ever have a bloke again, I found it uncomfortable and 2 were just plain weird.
I think you really need to make sure that you will feel relaxed with them. Really think about it before you say yes.

My parents have had the same lodger for nearly 30 years now. A quiet single lady who is no bother.

I've done it twice, with family members who were nice guys. But i found it very tough tbh. It depends on your tolerance tbh.

I was the lodger. I was quiet, friendly and respectful but kept to myself. Often ate in my room, watched TV in there and treated it pretty much like a bedsit.

On the other hand a guy I lived with ate in the lounge, spent hours cooking in the kitchen, left his shit everywhere and was very sociable. He was nice but I left because of him!

Depends exactly what you're looking for. Some adverts were seeking someone like me, some wanted more of a community house that suited the above guy.

I had a lodger for 5 years. She was a young hospital doctor. It was pure luck but we became such great friends. She left England for Australia to work there, and around the same time, I met a man got married. They were my happiest most carefree days. We laughed for 5 years. It was lovely to share everything with her. Like marriage but without all the BS 🙂

The £££ and the freedom that goes with that.
I feel safer too.

It's not you as a lodger tbh it's people takimg on a lodger who aren't able for it.

Hated it. Even when they were nice I hated it. M

One of ours ended up on bail for assaulting his ex girlfriend and we had the police turning up at all hours (including 2am) to check to make sure he was where he was supposed to be. Absolute nightmare.

I’ve accepted that I’m not meant to live with any other adult who is not related to me, but even that is hard enough.

I liked it, I had good ones and got on well. The money was very handy.

In my experience there are good and bad points, and good and bad lodgers. Current lady has her own entrance and although 'allowed' to use kitchen, since covid she has chosen to cook in her room (mostly). She has an en-suite, and a large room so more like a bed-sit. She drives me potty with little pecadillos but she's quiet and pays her rent. To be honest without her rent I'd find it a struggle to live in such a lovely house.

We’ve had about 4 lodgers over the last 10 years- mostly for around 1 year and then they move on (their circumstances dependent). They were all mostly fine, but they were all single women who we knew through family or friends. One was totally insane though, she was a divorcee from an abusive husband in Spain and she did all sorts of odd things. Possibly the strangest thing she did was have a secret cat in her room that we only found out about when she left, but overwhelming it was fine. The money was handy, and they mostly helped out, helped babysit, helped clean and stuff so life was made a bit easier (especially with 4 small children). I don’t like people in my space though so I was always happy when they left…

we charged pretty notional rent, something like £80/week in London so very cheap and they had a comfortable warm space to live. The last two we were less structured about (so we charged more, about £100/week) but then just included all food and they generally ate dinner with us as a family, things like this. It became more like having your little sister living with you.

we still see them all to be fair- one of them still comes around to see our girls, and sometimes she takes them to her house for the weekend.

We had the perfect lodger. He was very considerate and quiet. Despite our urging him to use the shared spaces in the house - sitting room and kitchen - he almost never did. He was willing to stay on even after we had a baby, which I think most people wouldn't want to do. The only remotely bad thing he did was to smoke in his room though we'd asked him not to; he did always throw the window wide open but still... we turned a blind eye to that because he was such a great lodger.

The rent money he paid us over the seven years he was with us worked out at about 1/3 of the total cost of our house! Granted that was long ago when house prices were cheaper. Still, that is a LOT of money. It enabled us to make regular overpayments on the mortgage and pay it off a lot faster.

My SIL had lodgers for years, it really helped her afford her mortgage. I would say she has three main factors to consider

• Try and find someone who doesn't have the same daily routine as you, so that you're not both trying to cook, get ready etc at the same time
• Keep the agreement to six months only so that you can take a break from having a lodger if you want
• Be clear about what is and isn't included

Not sure if anyone will see this but I need to share my story And current situation as “the landlady!! Plus the lessons i learned
Im single 44f with one adult son who’s left home, I recently had to take nearly a year off from work due to health issues and decided to get a short term lodger (via house share website 4 months ago ). I thought it would help with situation while I gradually got better and started slowly getting back to work. I’ve now been back at work full time for 4 weeks (I didn’t have to be back full time until next February) but because of my lodger situation I’m actually glad I’m back early that planned lol
it’s been difficult and awkward and it didn’t turn out how I expected. I cannot wait for February to arrive (I’ve already given my. Lodger verbal notice ) but I’m covering by back and giving written notice very soon. He’s 38 single male no kids and works 2 jobs. He pays his rent on time, is a very quiet person, doesn’t make a mess and is mainly in his room. BUT I didn’t ask the right questions or clearly explain certain expectations I had as a live in landlady. He irritates the hell out of me and we are from 2 different worlds. he’s not a bad person BUT!!!! I cannot wait for him to leave! And I regret ever getting a lodger!
his personality ,lifestyle and daily routine isn’t what I expected and it’s does not align with me, my lifestyle or routine ( and probably most people my age ) it turns out his “2 jobs” total less than 25 hours per week ( he told me he worked all the time and did both day and evening shifts ) but his shifts are short, they are never before midday and he’s always back home by 930pm he’s doesn’t have a driver license so he doesn’t just pop out! , he’s has no friends he visits, he’s doesn’t talk to his family and only he’s only ever away from the house for no more than 30 hours a week and sometimes less than 20. He’s doesn’t use the TV provided in his room which isn’t my business but he doesn’t have pc, doesn’t own headphones or books lol he doesn’t have any hobbies . he sleeps all day and is awake all night I often hear him going to bed as I’m waking up at 5am and I regularly hear him Wonder in and out his room to go smoke joints in my garden the night ( I have a medical certificate myself but I don’t smoke much) and I recently realised he secretly drinks a lot casks of port ( a very strong cheap wine) in his bedroom ( I saw them in the bin outside ) but he’s also told me he’s on anti psychotic meds that he takes before bed because of there sedated effects .
my walls are paper thin and I constantly hear him coughing, opening closing the doors, using the microwave at about 4 am every morning, and then he’s sleep all day. I also need my space and living areas to myself sometimes especially now I’m gone from my home for at least 50 hours a week for work and about 10 /15.hours for life/shops /family/friends ect, and he’s has my house to himself most of the time but he’s seems to aways be around and annoying me at inconvenient times or I when I have guests/family that have come to see just me. My subtle hints don’t work so I now clearly explain and remind him of my expectations which I constantly have to repeat because he “forgets things I tell him”
I cannot tell when he is drunk or sober when I talk to him, His conversation level is limited and he lacks self awareness. ( he probably on the spectrum slightly ) but it in no way effects his intellect or cognition.
he has the mindset of naive 18 year old.
it easily shows when im frustrated with him and I make sure I’m direct with my communication, but he was so
shocked when I said I wanted my home back and somehow forgot that I definitely said i only intended a lodger for 6 months and my ad did mention it too. I’ve now got this feeling he’s really hoping I change my mind with the eviction and he’s has started making nice gestures ( in a awkward cringe way) and finally doing things I repeatedly have to remind him to do ( like close/locking the back door at night)
so I’m going to make a very clear in writing that m not negotiating on his mid February eviction lol
believe me I take full responsibility for not asking more specific questions about his life ect…
but he definitely led me to believe (and believe himself) he was a busy person who would wouldn’t be a problem
and does understand the definition of short term mature lodger

lol there way more reasons and uncomfortable stories from the last 4 months but I hope u get the gist

I was a lodger when I was first a student. I and another young woman had a room each at the very top of a big house with a shared very small kitchen. I really liked it there and we were both very quiet and considerate. But the family had 4 DC and only one bathroom and separate toilet for all 8 of us to share. I started to begrudge paying rent to have to wait until 10pm for a shower. I only gave one week's notice (we paid weekly) and they were upset I was going.

My friend has had good and bad experiences. One of her lodgers was perfect. A professional man who only stayed Monday night until Friday morning. Might that suit you better?