Renting out rooms in my home while I live abroad for a short time.

[permana]

I been offered a job opportunity in Europe (I realise Brexit might prevent me from being able to take it up and making this thread pointless, but please indulge me) starting in 12 months time, so I've got a while to think about it.

I currently own a home (with mortgage) and as I live there alone I rent out a room to a lodger, under the rent a room scheme.
My house is really close to a large employer of the town, and I know I could rent out the 2 other rooms (which includes my bedroom) to another two lodgers/tenants for the year or 2 while I'm in Europe (I definitely plan to come back).

I don't want to rent my whole house out in the normal way because I would like to leave all of my possessions/furniture here, although would move personal stuff/clutter into the loft. I also have an amazing long term lodger, who looks after my elderly cat (my cat prefers her to me!) as I have to travel frequently with my current job.
I think I would probably prefer to leave my cat behind as she is a real homebody and I would be moving to a busy city, she would hate that. (Please can I state, I think this is best for the cat, not me as I bloody love that cat!)

I was thinking if my lodger was happy to stay, could I rent out the other 2 bedrooms in a similar way, but all as individual tenants? I will be able to cover the mortgage and bills and tax (I think) with 3 people renting, and I wouldn't have to clear the place out or move the cat as it's such a short period.

I will be back to see the place and friends etc several times a year, and to take the cat for her annual checkup and jabs etc.

Have I missed something glaringly obvious why this couldn't work? I would tell my mortgage company, would they be likely to refuse?

would the house the become an hmo? check with your council.

regarding your stuff: it will get damaged, that's just the way it is. can you live with that?

would you consider keeping one bedroom for yourself for home visits?

That sounds like a good plan OP. One thing I can think of is you might unwittingly create an unregulated HMO so you can check if your local authority (if you’re in the UK) regulates this and what their criteria is. Different areas have different policies so may not even be the case. That is if you want to go down that route of everything being official.

Yes the house would become a hmo. I will check with the council, but I think that will be ok.
I wish I could afford to keep my bedroom as is so I could come back to stay when I'm back over, but not sure I could afford that.
I know my stuff might get damaged, but most of it is secondhand from eBay anyway!

An HMO where I live requires approval from the council because we are a student city and they are very unpopular with residents. There are a range of additional requirements for HMO, different fire safety and such like I believe over and above standard rental requirements.
You would need to notify both your mortgage lender and your house insurance and change your house insurance from domestic to rental.

yes, do you have fire doors, hard wired smoke detectors in each room. carbon monoxide detectors?
curtains/soft furnishing with flame restistant coating (and do you have proof of that)?
tall furniture bolted to the wall?
an agent able to act o your behalf in the borough (mandatory in my council)?

Yes, even if it isn't an HMO any soft fabric furniture left will need to have attached fire retardant labels. We left ours non furnished for that reason.

Red do you mean smoke alarms wired into the electrics? No I have 3 battery operated ones around the house and 1 carbon monoxide alarm in the downstairs hall currently (battery too).

I probably have removed fire retarded swing labels from my sofa, but I could buy a new cheap sofa if needed. Can the curtains be treated with a spray?

No fire doors.

Maybe if I kept my bedroom and didn't rent it out I could avoid having to make all these changes? Sounds like putting fire-doors in etc would cost me and be hassle that would make renting the whole place be a false economy?

Or could I rent out the place furnished to a family?

What about my lovely lodger and my lovely cat?

Only one tall piece of furniture and that is bolted to the wall, so I'm not living in a total death trap as is!

Would mattresses need a fire label too? They are all fairly new, but if it's that paper label, it's been cut off.

How do intend on managing it. Would it not be difficult to deal with issues from abroad. Or are you employing someone to manage it for you?

I would advise you to join a specialist property letting forum, such as landlord zone as some of the 'facts' you have been given here are absolute rubbish.

If you let three, or even two bedrooms to lodgers you will probably exceed the rent-a-room tax exemption

Speak to a letting agent in your area, they will understand the specific situation where you live.

Thanks not i will, trethew, yes, I know and am happy to pay tax on the income, I just want to cover my mortgage/the bills, while I'm away, it's not to make money as such.

Just had a quick look on my local council website, they seem to class HMOs as 5 people or more. Will ring them tomorrow for some advice.

You went get the rent a room tax free allowance if you don't live there I don't think.

If you are not living there you are classed as a normal landlord. The renters are then tenants, not lodgers.

Check that the numbers still work for you?

Should say 'you won't get the rent a room'

Don't do this. You will probably be creating an assured shorthold tenancy with your lodgers once you are absent from the property for any period of time. See this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/3423964-Help-please-friend-cannot-get-these-lodgers-out-of-his-home-do-they-have-a-tenancy

Of course if you don't mind creating assured shorthold tenancies its fine. Make sure you have epc, gas safety cert, most recent edition of how to rent, and protect the deposit and serve the documents BEFORE the commencement of the tenancy. If you dont do this any s21 notice will be invalid. Also serve a notice in writing, before you go, advising your tenants you may need the property back in order to live there. This means if you have a problem with a s21 you can use s8 ground 1, and get the property back. Inform your mortgage company as they will have some small print with which you need to comply, including advising your insurance company.

My son's mortgage provider put his interest rate up after 6 months after he let his flat.

Yes, that's because buy to let mortgages are more expensive and normally on an interest only basis.

I know, but he moved out to live in a different area when he paid rent. It wasn't a second home bought to rent out.

I know he's lucky to have a property.

'WHERE he paid rent'.

I would just leave the lodger on her own, don’t charge her anymore, and in return she looks after you cat and house.