Anyone got a lodger?

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Just that really. DD and I will be returning to the UK from Belgium in July and DH and I were thinking about maybe renting a room out in our house.
He won't be coming for another year, so it will just be me and her.
I wondered if anyone had any views on this, pros cons etc.
TIA

I've got one at the moment. The money is useful (though it's a friend and he has a VERY good deal)

He's OK - though ever so slightly irritating on occasion. I have to not giggle when he says exactly the same thing every day at the same time: - when eating he says "mmmm, delicious" every 10 seconds, then afterwards he announces he is making a "cheeky coffee - and would anyone like one". Then he goes off to Skype his mum.

Pro-s: extra cash, free babysitting on occasion (Yay), he takes his turn to cook, load the dishwasher and will make me a cup of tea when I get home. He ensures that my wine glass is topped up when he goes to make his cheeky coffee. He does cat sitting/fish feeding duty if we go away. He has a tea fixation so is always happy to pop to the British Supermarket for milk - and other items I "remember" we need... He spends a lot of time in his room.

Cons: It feels a bit weird having a stranger in your house. Especially one with vaguely annoying habits. When he cooks, he comes home early to start. This mucks up my routine as the kitchen is my "office" - I check dd's homework, write notes, make her a sandwich - and it is a pain to find him there - usually with every dish in the house spread over the work surfaces. I don't feel very comfortable having him unload the washing machine when all my pants are in.

You need to agree all the rules up front I think. I would probably find another woman much more relaxing to live with than a 35 yo mummy's boy. You wouldn't have to watch Top Gear or feign interest in the Newcastle United score for a start.....

My mum has always had 1,2 or 3 lodgers at a time (30+ years) and has only once had to sue and change the locks!!

She is quite strict though about bathroom use and washing machine use etc. She provides a little fridge, a microwave and an electric cooker ring in the room so that they tend to mostly cook/stay in their rooms. She also provides a TV/DVD - again to encourage staying in their rooms!

People of 30-50 who don't yet have a family/house of their own do tend to be a bit 'loser-ish' so you may also want to encourage a bit of separateness.

The lodgers she's had who want to be 'part of the family' have sometimes been a bit wearing. Several though are still lifelong family friends.

Take lots of advice ... from experienced landlords.

The money she gets paid for all our food bills, her clothes, our uniform etc. while we were growing up. £££££

Sounds OK then. I definitely don't want a man, not because I think that all men are predatory paedos, I would just feel a bit happier with a woman.
With regard to the house, is it the norm to give the lodger the largest room? We have two decent sized rooms and a tiddly box room. Presumably she would have the biggest, DD the next one and me in the box room.