Anyone have any experience of using Spare Rooms website?

[itsbloomincold]

Hi I have decided there is only one thing for it to stop me from starving and that is to rent out my 2nd bedroom. DC (18) stays mainly with Dad these days due to work.
Put an advert on Spare Rooms on Sunday. Initially had 2 emails which I responded to and heard nothing since. Not a sausage. No reply or anything. Now the suspicious in me is wondering if those were fake emails....
anyone else found a housemate through this company?

I used it the other way round, as someone looking for a houseshare years ago and it was a great site. I think, and I talk from experience here, that the issue is you're dealing with the general public. I do voluntary charity work, where people come to me, so I can help THEM, and they still don't reply. It's what many people do unfortunately regardless of the medium you use. Good luck, ignore the timewasters, you will get some one great.

I used it twice looking for a room to rent. When I used it, they had something called ‘early bird’ where only paid users of the site got to see the ads for the first 7 days. Most people don’t pay so if they are still doing it, you may get a lot more interest next week when more people can see your ad.

I found a lot of people just drop communication when they have what they want. In my case, it was landlords ignoring me. In yours, it may be lodgers having found somewhere.

Thanks for your responses - good to know. Reading between the lines I think they do also send spoof emails to new adverts to keep your custom

Yes I've used in the past to find lodgers successfully, it's a popular and legit site but people are just flakey.

Hi redpolkadotpot
Thanks for your message - I did find a really nice lodger who's just moved in this weekend. It's early days but fingers crossed!

@itsbloomincold I do like it when people conclude their post. It's nice to know what happened. That sounds positive, I hope it works well for you both.

Thanks Silent 😘

Keep your wits about you. I know this sounds snotty but lodgers looking for a room are not usually professional people. Next door to me rented rooms out and it quickly become a drug den. And cost the owner thousands

Both my dc have used it numerous times and not had any major issues.

They've had the odd housemate that's been messy, or a bit of an oddball but the website itself is easy to navigate.

Yes. I had a lovely lady who stayed for 3 years.

Just thought I would update and warn any lone females (or indeed males) about possible things which "may" go wrong when having a lodger......
My (nice) lodger started to get a little bit annoying with late night cooking (think 11pm), late night showering (think 1am) etc on a work night etc so the novelty of having a lodger was kind of wearing off but I let it go as some nights it wasn't quite as late (although still late) I was glad we had only agreed to a short 2.5 month contact for 2 reasons. 1 - lodger had somewhere else to live after that - which was arranged before they came to live with me and 2 - it gave us both a get out clause if things didn't work out. Anyhoo, in the meantime I was approached to host a young friend of a friend for 3 months who was coming from abroad to work. Wanted to help -they really wanted to stay with someone they "knew". Explained this all nicely to lodger who then said actually they wanted to extend their contract with me, I apologised profusely, told them this wasn't now possible but offered to help lodger find somewhere new and said maybe you can come back after 3 months when they have gone (big mistake - looking back but was feeling guilty - no contract, nothing signed to this effect) I immediately found them another place to look at (a friend of a friend) - lodger didn't like the place so said no. There was a dog there which I think may have been the reason. Lodger said its ok they were going to stick to their original place (set up before coming to me) Another week or so went by - lodger wanted to speak to me - seemed agitated - said original place was too far away for work and not convenient so can I find them another place. I was a bit surprised they had only just decided this as we were getting nearer to deadline and why hadn't they checked it out before now - seemed rather odd? Then lodger changed story and said the other place was having work done so other people had cancelled and changed their minds about having him stay - was surprised he hadn't confirmed things with them sooner but hey ho - no money or contract had been signed he had just assumed). So I asked around again and found yet another place of someone who was renting a room - lodger delayed phoning them and didn't seem keen - this time it was a male landlord (lodger is also male). Lodger told me his mother was coming over to stay for 3 weeks and she couldn't stay with another male. At this point I said where was your mum planning to stay as these rooms are single occupancy and people who advertise them do not want 2 people staying? Lodger starts to get very offended - it is his mother blah blah and she will stay in his room - etc presumably while he is at work and he can pay more money if needed? He then repeated it would be much nicer for him and his mother to stay with me. I have a small 2 bed house and I live in. I suggested he maybe needs to find somewhere like maybe a flat where he can host his mother himself. I should point out - Lodger has a very good job - no idea what his salary is but am thinking it could be 60k ? We also live in Midlands so not London prices.
Lodger now refusing to speak to me which is very awkward - sent him what's app on Monday to say - hope you had nice weekend (left him some cakes which were all eaten when I got back from being away last weekend) hope you liked the cakes and just to confirm rent is now due and I will be returning your deposit a day after you leave on x day and could you please leave by 11am on that day as I need to get the room ready for next guest - arriving next day. Didn't think this was unreasonable as I am not charging him anything for that last day. I also offered to help him move (I have a car and he doesn't). Lodger replied "please stop pushing me it is making me very uncomfortable" - first time I had sent this type of message. So I asked him what do you mean pushing you? He replied "I don't have anywhere to go and you keep reminding me about the last day - it is not necessary, right!?"
Was pissed off to say the least that he thinks he can end his message with "right?!" when I think I have been pretty bloody nice to him.
I also gave him 1 month's notice and lots of help - there are many lovely places/rooms to rent in our town. You could get one tomorrow if you wanted.
So here's the thing - I think he has absolutely no intention of leaving next weekend. I suspect he is going to tell me I am being unreasonable and I suspect he may try to emotionally blackmail me and also use the race card as he used this about his last place (he wasn't there long - big red flag I know I know!!). I am now arranging for a male friend to be here next weekend to make sure lodger leaves. In the meantime I am faced with a week of sulking, door slamming lodger in my house, behaving in the most childish way. Lodger is 37 🙄 Just a warning, doesn't matter how intelligent, professional, old some people are they can still be....

Ah. That is so sad. Hope he went ok and you are now more chilled! I’ve had lots of lodgers in the past…good and bad. You never can tell!

I had a friend who had lodgers to help clear the mortgage. One owed him a great deal of rent and another caused inordinate problems. Be careful to check their employment and housing history for the last five years.

Out of interest OP did he leave?
Complete nightmare hope you managed to shift him.

Hi Ireolu he finally did but not without drama! He announced night before “ I will leave tomorrow morning! “ as though he had decided he would - nothing to do with our contract 🙄
About 9.30 am next morning he said - I can’t go before 11 because I have to take my bags and come back and take the rest. I said if you could just move out of your room by 11 am I can get in to clean - as next person arriving next day and I need to take bedding to launderette. Told him he could leave his stuff downstairs if it helps. I had offered to drive him to new place but for some strange reason he didn’t want me to. He said “ what does it matter if I stay in my room a few more hours?!” Repeated I need to get in room and I have given you 1 months notice. He said “ no you haven’t!” Even though it is also end of his contract 🙄 At this point male friend stepped in to talk to him as he could see I was getting upset. It seems he hadn’t even set up a new place properly and had only just texted new landlord the night before and room wasn’t ready or he hadn’t gone to see it yet - despite him spending whole weekends in bed avoiding me in lead up to end of contract. I believe he did all of this on purpose out of sheer arrogance - he sulked and eventually called a taxi - and stood on pavement with his belongings. My friend offered to help and drive him etc etc He wouldn’t speak us despite sharing my small home for nearly 3 months and didn’t say goodbye. If I had been alone I don’t know what would have happened - I’d prob have threatened to call police🙄

So glad he has left - how frightening and it must have been really upsetting for you. Sounds like you handled everything brilliantly and thank goodness for your friend. I've been thinking of getting a lodger after I move. I think now I'd only accept a woman lodger as I'll be a woman on my own myself. Not foolproof I know but there are just too many dodgy men about. Fewer (but not zero!) dodgy women.

We have found several successful lodgers via spareroom and DD found a room in a house share just recently.

Absolute tosh!

I agree! Best of luck, OP.

Ooops. Just saw your update, OP. Sorry to hear that it didn't work out.

I’d certainly only get a female lodger as well unless it was a friend if a friend or on recommendation. He wasn’t threatening me physically or anything just arrogant and difficult. There was also a cultural difference and opinion towards women which he masked very well till towards the end. I would l recommend you having a signed contract for a short period to begin with - say 1 month - so you both have a get out point if necessary. However a live in lodger can’t stay in your home if you don’t want them to. They don’t have squatters rights like a tenant (it’s all to do with locks on doors etc etc - spare rooms website is really useful for this and you can download a contract there too) My new female lodger is lovely - very friendly and helpful too. Fingers crossed - good luck!

That’s why I took a work reference from him and saw his work ID - as a last resort if things got v bad I’d have phoned them up. Prestigious company locally with many employees working for them from all over the world. Don’t think they’d want the bad publicity if I’d posted it somewhere.