Any single mums taken a Mon-Fri lodger in a 2bed flat?

[Flowersbeebee]

Hi all
Am considering getting a Mon-Fri lodger to help financially. Does anyone have experience of this and have any advice? Have run out of options to help with money, really struggling and this is really a last resort, have no family help. We are a friendly small family but obviously I am nervous as we don't live in a huge house and the bathroom and kitchen would be shared.

I am a single mum with a 6 year old daughter and we live in a 2 bedroom flat in zone 2 London. Very convenient for the City, near stunning parks, 3min from the tube and train lines etc. My daughter and I would share a room (as often she sleeps in my bed anyway) and the lodger would have the larger room. I don't think we would overlap a lot due to my working hours etc but would obviously want someone who is fine with a child in the house and the type of hours a child keeps.

I work fulltime, often have to work late and would ideally want a female professional but on most Mon-Fri websites it is men so am not sure a female would be possible.

I am mainly looking for advice about this - if anyone has done this before when you have a small place, please let me know your experience and any thoughts to keep in mind.

Thanks in advance

I tried to get a m-f lodger and it's really hard. There are lots of ads but not many takers. It's a have your cake and eat it idea, and everyone's on to it. Put an advert on for full week and people will be beating your door down, but not always the right people.

What is better is a nice female postgrad. Try university of london housing service, they act as an agency.

I suspect you may struggle with a female Mon-Fri lodger. Most of those arrangements are made by men, who are working in town (away from their families) during the week.

So, just in case you do struggle with that, one other option you could consider would be hosting with AirBnB. You make the room available on nights that suit you. There a a bit more admin involved that having the same Mon-Fri lodger, and you'd probably only want to do it when you're going to be at home. But it's a simple way of making a bit of extra cash. Works for me - I put my spare room on there when it suits me, when the kids are with their Mum, and it's pretty easy money.

Just a thought, that you may not have considered.

Agree that a female postgrad would be a better bet, especially if you can find one who will be away on fieldwork a lot.

Does it have to be mon - fri and are you near an airport commute? A couple of friends have long haul cabin crew as lodgers so it's a few days on then a few days off depending on their rotas

Thanks very useful advice everyone. I will look into it and see what is the best option. I noticed a few on spare room and will look into it. I would prefer some consistency in income as I will be moving out of my room and sharing with my daughter so want to ensure it is enough income to justify that. Quite depressing really as our place is not huge as it is - but feel as I am already working really long hours and constantly exhausted, there are no other options re generating income to make it through the month.