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Original poster

Anyone rented out rooms in your family home? Students, etc.

23 replies

Gem13 · 16/02/2005 15:59

I've seen a house which we can't afford but which has a number of rooms. So my idea for the afternoon is to rent-a-room.

We used to have a house which we shared with lodgers but that was back when we were young and childless. Some of them were great, others less so. None of them were completely awful though.

Should I dismiss the idea immediately?

OP posts:
noddyholder · 16/02/2005 16:02

we have bought a bigger house than we need so that we have that possibility but we haven't done it yet.Will watch your thread with interest as we are quite slobby evenings and weekends and worry we would have to be on best behaviour all the time

WideWebWitch · 16/02/2005 16:13

The Inland Revenue let you earn a certain amount from this tax free. I haven't done it but would consider it. I used to know a student who lived in a family house and paid lower rent in return for babysitting a certain no of nights a week. I wouldn't dismiss the idea but I guess it depends on who you get and how you get on with them. And it all depends no where you live of course, whether anyone's interested.

WideWebWitch · 16/02/2005 16:13

rent a room scheme

Caligula · 16/02/2005 16:20

I used to have foreign students from an English language school. The advantages of them are:

They only stay for a month, so only 1 suitcase, not three black sacks of teddy bears plus half a van of furniture.

They go after a month so if you hate them, they're gone soon anyway.

They pay more than the market rate for a room.

In between students, you have your spare room back.

HTH.

noddyholder · 16/02/2005 16:21

sorry to hijack but caligula do you have to cook for them and do a packed lunch?

FineFigureFio · 16/02/2005 16:22

ni i am still seriously considering doing this

dh says we can rent it to a woman (?)

biglips · 16/02/2005 16:24

women are more reliable than men (so DP sys)

biglips · 16/02/2005 16:24

and so a family

noddyholder · 16/02/2005 16:25

i would like a young french bloke dp wants a swedish girl!

Original poster
Gem13 · 16/02/2005 16:49

Fio tell your DH that the men we had were the good ones, the women were the not so great! DH would agree too.

We also found that the men used to go their girlfriends at weekends (= good), so that meant that we used to have boyfriends visiting for the weekends (= not so good).

When we had just men in the house we were usually on our own at the weekends.

OP posts:
Caligula · 16/02/2005 17:07

You have to cook for them, but as we were cooking for the family anyway, that's no trouble (they eat what you eat).

But not packed lunches.

Agree men were better. Less hassle. And the French men were appreciative of the food! The girls were always on irritating diets (or doing "drink days". Used to drive me mental.)

Original poster
Gem13 · 16/02/2005 19:07

Can I ask how much you got paid per person? I will ring the language schools tomorrow but it would be helpful to chuck it into the equation tonight.

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loujay · 16/02/2005 19:30

Just to add some thing into the mix, my sister rents out the other room in her house via the local theatre to actors/tresses.........room only, they provide their own food, are gone most of the day for rehersals and dont come back until late at night after performances.
There is also therefore a fixed time that each of them is there (the run of the play) - the latest was a panto girl who stayed from end of November until end of January. £50 per week.

Caligula · 16/02/2005 20:36

Ooh, yes, hadn't thought of actors.

I got paid £100 per week, but that was in London. In Kent, I believe it's around £70 pw.

HTH.

FineFigureFio · 16/02/2005 20:38

oh no there will be no sex in my house, not off a man nor a woman

think i might do a rent a granny scheme instead

pixiefish · 16/02/2005 21:02

when we were kids my parents used to have a couple of lodgers- they were policemen and my parents never had any trouble. i have fond memories of them as they were fun to be around (although i'm sure they thought we kids were pitas) they still pop in to see my dad when they're in the area. plus nowadays you've got the added protection of knowing they're ok around your kids

SofiaAmes · 16/02/2005 22:35

Go for it. I wouldn't rent out more than one room though as it could get a little complicated. I think the most important thing is for them to have their own bathroom so that they are not infringing on your privacy and family. It's also important to pick carefully and make sure you know what their lifestyle will be like and that it will agree with yours. ie don't rent to someone who will be up listening to rock music until 2 am unless you do too.
I rented a room in my house in la to a whole string of actresses (many famous australian ones). They were excellent tenants as they spent lots of time worrying about their looks, clothes and bodies and memorizing lines and as long as they had their own bathroom, they really didn't use the rest of the house (especially not the kitchen). They always went out to clubs at night and never brought men back with them (went to their places). I didn't have children back then, but now that I do it still works.
We've been renting a room in our house here to a colleague who is a young australian and she too is always out and never any trouble. You may need to set some ground rules (ie noise times and kitchen use).
Pick your tenants carefully.

Caligula · 16/02/2005 23:06

I had a young actress/ singer once, and she ate nothing but weetabix.

No trouble at all!

misdee · 16/02/2005 23:09

have had 3 lodgers. only one was pain, who left us with a huge phone bill, and moaned when we had new central heating installed, even tho we had given him a months notice the work would be done. never mind the fact his room was then toasty and warm and the work only took a day.

Tanzie · 16/02/2005 23:09

we had stoodent lodgers when I was in my teens. One lived with us for three years and we are in daily e-mail contact still. He is the brother I never had (sniff) - we can tell each other all sorts of crap and he gives it to me straight. eg He was the first person I sent my draft novel to and he said he liked it, but the first chapter was crap and I could rewrite it (which I knew was true, bur prob wouldn't have taken from anyone else).

Original poster
Gem13 · 17/02/2005 09:29

Thanks all. DH says there is no way I would tolerate people in my house but I know I could. We're going to see the house later today so it depends on whether I love it enough to change my personality!

The house needs work doing to it so they would need to be fairly tolerant.

I do like the idea of actresses and foreign students. Was more concerned about the police after watching The Bill last night (Gabriel Kent!)

I'm working out my wording for an Australian actress as I type!

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Original poster
Gem13 · 17/02/2005 09:30

BTW Tanzie - that sounds lovely. Could you write him into your novel? Very Esther Freud.

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honeyflower · 17/02/2005 21:24

If you live anywhere near a university, it would be worth advertising via their staff accommodation service. Academics very commonly do a weekdays-only, term-time-only commute, and are looking for comfy, homely, grown-up places to stay while they're at work. I used to have a lodger who did this, and it was perfect - she paid as much for 4 nights a week as a student would for the whole week, but we had the place to ourselves at weekends.

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