To get a lodger or not?

[schoty77]

Does anyone have experience with a lodger? We're thinking about renting out one of our rooms to a uni student or young professional. Have heard some horror stories about theft and lodgers who refuse to leave, but looking for any tips/advice?

I would bear in mind the potential issues which can arise. The most common include

Hygiene standards not matching your own...think shit stained toilet bowl and hairs left in sink. Also smells...some people stink.

Loud comings and goings at times which you might not think reasonable.

Visitors...will you allow them or not?

A lodger, as you probably know, is not the same as a housemate. You need to draw up a proper contract so they know their rights.

Do you have children?

One thing that comes to mind is to make sure you have a proper tenancy contract drawn up that covers their stay and what is expected. Also make sure you secure their deposit in the legal way (can't think what the account is)

I was a.lodger and what worked well is that I had my own bathroom and the person I lived with made sure I had my own cupboard space in the kitchen including fridge and freezer.

We constantly communicated so we both knew when there was a problem.

I decided to leave when the young son ended up being there full time and it got too much for me. He was a lovely lad but I had done my time living with kids.

When I then went into a shared house it took a while to find personalities that gelled.

I think you need to find someone that shares your ethos or has boundaries. References would help.

We used to have lodgers. Most were great, but the last one was such an entitled twerp we wouldn’t do it again. Luckily our financial situation changed and we didn’t need to have any others after we finally got him to leave. Also we have a child now and I definitely wouldn’t do it with children.

I had a lodger many years ago (well, two, consecutively). I had a 2 bed flat and rented out the 2nd bedroom. First was a friend and second was a friend of a friend. Because we were young it felt more like flat mates really with similar issues of taking bins out, noise (second flatmate used to do her washing at about 5am and the spin cycle woke me up) and awkwardness about how often boyfriends could stay over. But overall it was fine and the money was very handy. Think I’d have to REALLY need the money to consider it now (married, kids) although we would consider an au pair so maybe that’s not so different in terms of sharing space.

I have been a lodger and now have one.
I think it’s really important to make expectations clear from the start on both sides. Even really petty things like someone absolutely having to watch a certain tv show.
My current “rules”
I’m vegan so I asked them to bring their own pan/baking tray
When no ones in the house the alarm has to be set
Don’t mind visitors but do want a heads up
I’ll do the proper cleaning but expect people to clean up after themselves generally

Lodgers don't have the same rights as tenants. You don't need a protected deposit, they don't sign an official tenancy agreement. You can give 'reasonable' notice (either party) which can be a few days/week or whatever feels right, depending on the reasons for leaving.

Set out ground rules for living there before they move in and get them to sign it. This is not an official document, but it will make clear what is expected. Essentially, it's your house/your rules. If they don't like the rules, they don't sign and don't move in.

Be sure to know whether you'll accept them having overnight guests, which rooms they can use, what they'll be expected to clean, if bills are included or not, rules for loud music after certain times, if they buy all their own food/cleaning stuff or if some are included, and add this all to the ground rules list which they sign before they move in.

Be aware that it is almost impossible to ask someone to stop doing something once they've started doing it (having girl/boyfriends over, lots of mates, etc), if they didn't agree to it beforehand.

Check out Landlordzone forums. Lots of info on there.

Yes you do not have to give them a written contract as they are only licencees not tenants but it does help to have things in writing so everyone knows where they stand,. Shelter and similar have a lodger agreement you can download . Also get a rent book and take a deposit in case of damage so there are no disputes.

We are thinking of getting foreign language students in (lots of language schools near us.) It's only a week at a time so we can pick when is convenient and 2 kids sharing pays nearly £250/week. You have to give breakfast and tea but seems to be fairly easy alternative to a lodger without any long term commitment.

I've been a lodger in the past and although I haven't had them in my own house, several friends/relations have. I think it really depends on the personality and expectations of both lodger and landlord as to whether it works, if a good match it can be a brilliant, mutually beneficial situation, if a bad one it can be a nightmare all round. Common issues as others have said are expectations around cleaning/tidiness, noise, visitors, use of shared areas like the lounge and garden, timings around bathroom use if they don't have an en suite in their room, prompt payment of rent/bills, use of heating/electric/hot water (if you include bills in the rent can the lodger have the heating on as much as they want and run multiple electric devices in their room? If you don't include them what % does the lodger pay and how will you collect the money?). I think you'd have to be very unlucky, providing you are properly interviewing and vetting your prospective lodgers, to get someone who is actively violent or a thief but you'd probably have to be prepared for at least some issues with some of the above!

I would be very careful of assuming that your experiences/expectations around what's appropriate for a lodger are shared however reasonable they seem to you, e.g. my friend had a lodger who very much kept himself to himself, stayed in his room nearly all the time, always tried to avoid using the kitchen or other shared areas at the times her family used them. To me this sounded considerate but she found it deeply creepy and weird, she felt he was always a stranger to them and was expecting him to become more of a friend as they got more acquainted... On the other end of the spectrum, my brother lived in a place where he literally wasn't allowed to use any of the shared facilities, no kitchen (he had to have a hot plate and mini fridge in his room), no use of the washing machine (had to use the local laundrette), he was barely even allowed to walk up and down the shared landing, it was horrible!

The best tip is to have a friendly but clear upfront conversation with your prospective lodger BEFORE they move in on your expectations around all the above, that way everyone is on the same page and if it's not what the lodger wants (e.g. you say no visitors, they want their BF/GF over every weekend) they can choose not to live there. Do feel free also to say no to people purely based on vague ill-feeling or a vibe you get that you don't like them, it feels harsh but at the end of the day they'll be living in your home and it's much worse trying to get rid of someone once they're already there than simply saying no to start with.

Maybe (if your mortgage/tenancy allows) you could try doing some short lets with AirBnB or similar, so you can see how you feel having someone else around and then build up to a proper lodger, maybe Mon-Fri only in time?

I’ve had a few. Communication and setting expectations are paramount. All but one of mine have been fab! Trust your gut and pick someone you seem to get on well with.

We have had lodgers for the last 4 years as our house is too big for us and hence expensive to run. We have 2 rooms to rent out and have had 5 people in total, of whom 3 were no trouble at all, one was almost no trouble and one was an utter nightmare.
The nightmare one could have easily been avoided if I had listened to my instincts and not been a sucker (she was escaping an abusive relationship).
The nice ones have been an absolute delight to have in the house. Two were zookeepers and it was great hearing about their days at work
Get a proper lodger agreement, be choosy and never believe anyone who swears blind that they don't smoke despite smelling of smoke, or that they only smoke outside, unless you are OK with smoking in which case, fine.

Also, I would really recommend you insisting on rent by standing order.
When I had a lodger who paid cash it was a real faff collecting it, keeping track, reminding her she hadn't paid yet etc, and that was with someone who was perfectly honest and had no intention of not paying.

Have you looked into AirBnB?

When my lodger moves out going to give it a go as have friends who do it. May be a bit of investment to get bedding/towels, decorating but higher return. Plus can block dates if need room for own use. Also guests tend to spend less time in a property than a lodger as likely busy doing something, so less wear. You can be a lot stricter with rules and regulations and restrict access to parts of house.

I have almost always had lodger(s). When I was younger it was a more equitable 'house share style' situation (except legally they were lodgers) but now it is a much more traditional and defined lodger set up.

I actually now have a Monday-Friday lodger and this is amazing, for me the total best of both worlds. We get on very well and he is a pleasure to have around the house but he goes back to his family and 'real life' at the weekends. (he works away in london)

1. Get your legals right.

It is a License to Occupy not a tenancy. The rights of a lodger are virtually zero and you can ask them to move out at any time for any reason (with the required notice - usually 4 weeks).

Check if you need to get a gas safety certificate done. Some lodger agreement forms have this as a clause but I am not sure if it is a legal requirement - I have it done anyway much for my own piece of mind.

You do not need to protect their deposit.

1. Think about how it will work practically.

Will they have their own bathroom? If sharing a bathroom, when do you want or not want them to use it? Is it first come first served?

Do you have a weekly (or more frequent) cleaner? What kind of cleaning do you expect the lodger to do? Wipe up after themselves only or take a turn in scrubbing the loo?

Can you give them space in the fridge, freezer and cupboard space?
How will time in the kitchen work? Will they have a set time they can or can't use it?

Will they have access to the garden? Will they have access to the sitting room? I actually have a second reception room which is mine only. I have found this set up to work exceptionally well as the lodger is not confined to their bedroom but also I don't share my TV time.

Is there space in their room for a sofa and TV up there?

Do you have a tumble dryer? If not how will they dry their clothes?

Do you have a dishwasher? Do you want them to pitch in and unpack it etc?

What about their 'stuff'? Like if they have a bike, where can they keep it?

Parking - are there any restrictions on your road and can they get a permit if so? In my area the cost of a permit increases with each additional car.

Guests - this is a biggie. Can they have 8 friends over for a dinner party? What notice / permission do they need to give/get? Can they have 2 lads over watching the football in your sitting room (if you choose to include this in the areas they can occupy)? Can they have overnight guests? How often? When? Weekends only?

1. The key to success is clear expectations on both sides. And have this documented in the form of house rules which you show potential lodgers, and get your actual lodger to sign.

Once you have decided how you want it to work, make sure this structure is communicated very clearly to potential lodgers so you can...

1. ...Find the right person.

Sit down. Have a cup of tea and a chat. Do you think you can live with this person? Do you want someone to be your friend and member of the household, or do you want a quiet introvert who will sneak downstairs to put a wash on and make a pot noodle then sneak back up?

KEY - Are you all on the same page regarding house rules?

1. Think of the money to get over minor irritations

Yes, its annoying if Steve leaves his breakfast bowl in the kitchen sink every morning... but for [£600] a month tax free income you can probably grit your teeth and put it in the dishwasher yourself if he is fine in all other ways.

1. Don't change the goalposts, but if it doesn't work you can ask them to move out.

If you said they can use the sitting room, but actually its pissing you off, you can't ask them to stop using the sitting room but you can ask (tell) them to move out so you can start again with someone who is happy not to use the sitting room.

7.Don;t be a dick.

There will be some adjustment on both sides, you have to be reasonable. Don't take on a lodger if you are the kind of person who gets pissy because someone forgot to use a coaster on the kitchen table.

Brilliant post Serbska [applauds]. You said everything I was trying to say but much better!

Thank you for all the suggestions. There is definitely more to consider than we (naively) thought. Especially about the overnight guests!

The room for the lodger has an en-suite and built in wardrobe, and is separated from the main house our garage. If we put a TV in there, is it reasonable to ask them to keep out of of family room/lounge?

Yes...a lodger doesn't usually have automatic rights to the rest of the house. Many prefer it that way too.

They live in a self-contained fashion....use of kitchen and bathroom is of course needed and then you need to consider garden usage too.

The room for the lodger has an en-suite and built in wardrobe, and is separated from the main house our garage. If we put a TV in there, is it reasonable to ask them to keep out of of family room/lounge?

Yes

This room sounds like a good set up.

Been taking in lodgers since my eldest went to Uni in 2000. Now take only post-grad students and in the summer occasionally take interns. The two let rooms are the largest in the house and I have made them into near bedsits with mini sofa, a coffee table, silent caldura fridge, a kettle and a floor lamp. Along the desk good office chair, bed, chest of drawers and wardrobe. Always underbed drawers and shelves. They can have visitors but overnight guests are negotiable. One room has a double bed and the other room has a King Single. The Lounge is FAMILY! I never have shared it because my family need somewhere private. I don't supply TVs as they all watch Netflix and iplayer.

I always have a Licence Agreement and an Additional set of House Notes. These used to be House Rules but that sounded like Boarding school so I toned it down into a more friendly language. It has useful information like Wifi password, local buses and GP practice, as well as actual Rules. So if they "break" any of the rules (smoking indoors) I reference them back to the House Notes.

Always take a Deposit (month). They never get keys until money is in my account. I don't refund Deposit for 7 days after I discovered fleas once left behind by a VET student! had already refunded the deposit so that cost me!

All bills are included. I provide all the cleaning materials and bulk buy toilet roll from Groupon three x a year. (when its delivered I feel like a bnb!) They clean their own rooms. I have given each room a laundry bag and a foldable clothes airer. Technically they are not allowed to use the washing machine more than twice a week but occasionally I ignore this.

Absolutely no personal electric heater, electric blankets or similar! That sends the bills sky high - had a bad experience with that. I encourage them to buy high tog Duvets and I have a huge stash of extra blankets.

They have use of kitchen and I provide separate basic crockery and cutlery and pots, as there is no way they are using my Denby crockery! They share the bathroom and I change the bathmat and hand towel every other day. I just gave up trying to get them to keep the bathroom room dry and the hand towel make-up free.

I recommend the site lodgersite.com/, written by Mandy Thompson for all the extra nitty gritty stuff. I don't agree with all her stuff as she talks about "it's the lodgers home too", to me that's a House Share but she has laid it out clear.

You might want to consider Monday to Friday only. Chances are it'll be a married/otherwise hitched guy in mid career on contract.

See www.spareroom.co.uk