Lodgers boyfriend using our address

[cosmobrown]

We have an annex which we rent out.
Our lodger, (lets call her Mary) asked if boyfriend can stay over every so often. We said yes, as long as he didn't add significantly to electric bill or wear and tear etc. All happy.
Mary's post gets delivered through our main door and we pop it into the annex. No problems from anyone.
BUT, for the second time, I have received post for boyfriend. I assume it is the boyfriend, as the initial is correct, but I do not know boyfriends surname.
I feel as though boyfriend shouldn't be using our address.
AIBU?

It is against the law to open post addressed to someone else and they can press charges.

I wouldn’t even mention to lodger, I would just return to sender, not known at this address.

No it's not. As long as there is no malicious intent for opening it, then it is not a crime.

I would mark it as "Return to Sender, not known at this address", and pop it back in the postbox. I wouldn't even mention it to Mary.

Can you talk to lodger and just say he letter have arrived marked for X but you're not sure why he is getting post delivered as he is not permitted to live there.

He may live with parents or someone who snoops through his mail. They might not approve of this hobby.bwouldbt burger me to much but they should've checked first.

God, excuse typos, bumpy car.

It isn't.

If a letter is posted to your door you can open it even if it isn't addressed to you.

The only time fraud occurs if you use the contents to the person's detriment.

Years ago I opened someone's letter which contained a debit card at the request of the bank, and then destroyed the debit card inside. The bank then stopped sending letters to the address.

I found out a year later that the person had left the country but continued to use the address. Unfortunately they hadn't bothered to tell any of the new occupants and as I was one of the two occupants dealing with the mountains of junk mail that was being sent to the address they were a victim of the clear up....

Sounds dodgy to me...

Yep nip it in the bud. Say he needs to remove your address from any companies and stop giving it to others or else you will need to terminate her as a lodger.

I would just return to sender not known at this address

Not terminate her though…IFSWIM

I would be concerned that he is using your address to get credit perhaps because his real addressses will flag up payment problems.

Definitely return to sender. And check your own records on credit scoring services to check whether an association has been made on your records between you and him.

Maybe... just ask?

This is the crux of it isn't it?

No idea why the OP started a thread instead of just asking 'Mary'.

I used to run a pub where several people had registered their cars. Every time they broke the law, got a ticket, etc. the fine/summons/bailiff would be sent to us and we would have to prove they didn't live there and we didn't know them. The police were the worst to deal with as they assumed we were in cahoots with these people and had allowed them to use the address so must know them. They would regularly call and pop in to harass us. It was a nightmare.

I think that those of us that have had our addresses used (or someone want to use them) when they don't live there, or are on the run from those chasing money, are probably now in the overly cautious camp. Given the amount of fraud today, I think nipping casual usage of our addresses, for anyone other than a resident / family member, has to be a no go imo.

Is your lodger also a scuba diver? From their website it appears cheaper to get a joint membership if you live at the same address.
Yes I need to get a life.

But yes it could hypothetically affect your credit rating.

@WhimsicalMoth because he doesn’t live there!

Why are people finding it so hard to understand that it is not desireable to have someone who doesn’t live in your house using your address as a postal address?

@MumblesParty I'm not finding it hard to understand. I am just asking why it's a problem for his mail to be directed there, but not the original woman.

Because the 'original woman' actually lives there and pays rent!

Otherwise, let's all tell everyone they're welcome to use our homes as a mailing address at their leisure.

@KissMyArt so she is a tenant. Not a lodger. Which goes back to my original question.

OP doesn't even know this man's surname I doubt she could easily chase him if he's up to no good, her lodger on the other hand she knows loads about, including her address.

@WhimsicalMoth the lodger lives there. She presumably has some sort of contract with OP, which will cover insurance, liability, council tax etc. That will be her registered address for her bank, job, council tax, electoral roll, credit card, car registration and so on. Anything she’s involved in, any crimes she commits, and debts she runs up - it’ll all come back to her at that address. But OP won’t be negatively impacted because there is a contract proving she lives there legally.

The boyfriend is a random. He has no contract. He could do any number of things and it would be traced back to OP’s address, but OP would have no protection from liability because there would be no contract or agreement.

You can’t just pick an address and tell people you live there!

She's definitely a tenant but for some reason the OP is hell bent on calling her a lodger.

Even though they don't live in the same building.