Proving ID as a lodger

[IamalsoSpartacus]

Can anyone with a bit of experience help me sort my ID problems out? I've moved six times this year for a number of reasons. Now I'm a lodger.

I have money in the bank to buy a house.

I tried to offer on one today but of course I have to provide proof of address.

I'm renting a stranger's spare room on an ad-hoc basis.

As a lodger, is it OK to ask if I can go on the electoral roll or similar? Has anyone had a lodger ask for this? How did you feel about it? I don't know how to raise it without landlord feeling put on the spot.

Do you have another address? If not that's the address where you are eligible to vote - I don't think you need to "ask".

no, and I don't have family I can ask either.

Have you a driving licence with up to date details?

Or do you have an up to date rent book ?

Or can you ask your landlord/local council for a copy of the council tax form - you should be named on it?

Each individual is now required to register to vote, it's not the "head of the household" any more. You can do it online, and change and update as needed, also online.

www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

i don't have a rent book, it just goes out of my bank to landlord's.

I've had lodgers. A couple just resistered themselves at my (our!) address. Others didn't (either didn't bother or registered at parents/partners' addresses). All fine with me (after all, I don't even need to register with tax unless earning over 7k per month from renting rooms). The ones who registered here just did it themselves on line and i only know from once a year when the form comes through from the council to check it's up to date

What about your place of work - will they have your address details?

passport maybe?

Sorry if i wasn't clear- you can absolutely register yourself online. You don't need permission or proof.

thanks - but did it piss you off when you found out?

Also, secondary question after some more research online - why is the Estate Agent asking for my ID? Surely that's for the conveyancing solicitors?

No not at all. Unless I was doing something wrong- like sublet a room or hiding money from the tax-man- there's no need to be pissed off. Everyone has the right to vote and if my house is someone's only home then that's where they need to register.

In my (limited) experience of buying a house, everyone needs everything from you! I guess they jyst want to do their own checks so they know they're not wasting their time

It's standard for the EA to ask for ID IME, I had to take our passports in when we were selling. Probably to do with money laundering regs, which seem to need all the proof in the world of your identity and the source of your dosh!

DH used to lodge when he worked away, but everything was registered to our home address tbh. I don't think he ever needed to prove his address at the lodgings.

Ican I hope that was a typo otherwise I'm going to be the bearer of bad news because 7K is the yearly limit, not the monthly!

That's just my guess- it could even be they have a legal obligation to check???

Sorry- just read back- that's 7k per year for landlord s of lodgers to register to pay. I think even London landlords would do well to reach 7k per month (let's blame the )

the law changed in July - they do now have to check buyers as well as sellers. Bugger.

will have to withdraw offer until I get things sorted out.

It's Friday Ican so it's definitely wine o'clock

OP, can you really not prove your address at all - even your previous one? What a pain to have to withdraw your offer! Is there anything registered to your lodgings such as insurance or council tax (or is it all online statements).

Is it that they are asking for fairly recent stuff, I think if we wanted to use bank statement/utility bills they had to be 3 months old (or def under 6 months old) which would be an issue for you if you've been moving around for a year.

A bit of both, Strife. I'd really hoped to get something bought quickly so I could just notify everythign to a new permanent address. I've only been in this place a couple of weeks but the ID requires "current address." I think I will have to wait a bit and hope that we get on sufficiently for me to raise it with them.

previous address was also 'bills incuded' so nothing from there either.

Seriously- don't raise it with him. Just register yourself. Get a few addresses changed to there- bank, driving licence, mobile, etc. All completely normal for a lodger.

OK - thanks! I wasn't sure what was normal, and I think landlord is new to this too.