Finding a property for friend to stay, found advert is it legal (lodger or tenant)

dekaspace · 11 October 2016 at 10:59AM

It advertises itself as a bedsit, but says landlord lives in property and its shared facilities.

However it then says each bedroom has a card meter installed and lodgers have to pay for themselves.

Its Scotland by the way.

ST1991 · 11 October 2016 at 11:05AM

I remember one of my friends was desperate for somewhere to live and moved into something similar. It was a large house divided into bedsits, with a communal bathroom. So, everyone had a electric meter in their room (accepted pounds...) and each room had a bed, sofa (barely fit in there) and a very small kitchen station (oven with hob on-top). So i guess it is legal.. but i'm not sure about Scotland...

kathrynha · 11 October 2016 at 11:25AM

I lived in something similar for a year back in my just graduated skint and single days. Lots of places like that around.

One little tip is for them to fill up their washing up bowl in the bathroom, rather than using the water heater in their own room.

PasturesNew · 11 October 2016 at 11:31AM

I lived in somewhere some years ago where the house had belonged to a woman that'd died and her daughter inherited it. She converted it so the grandson had the whole of the ground floor and there were 6 bedsits on the two floors above. We all had our own electricity meter in the room, with a kitchenette/sink and room for a microwave. On the first floor were two shared bathrooms/loos and a cleaner came in once a week. There was a gas meter for the boiler in the bathrooms and we additionally had to put 50p in the meter every 2 baths.

I never once saw the chap on the ground floor .... but his mother was omnipresent, living just over the road, she was always out and about cutting the hedge/whatever.

You really need to go and see it and see what the layout is, what the offer is for.

Pixie5740 · 11 October 2016 at 11:41AM

What facilities does the landlord share? Whose electricity supply powers the shared facilities?

I'm not entirely convinced that these are bedsits. To me it sounds as though the landlord is trying to claim that those living there are common law tenants (lodgers) rather than assured tenants or short assured tenants. The landlord is also possibly trying to get round the HMO regulations. If in doubt contact the council and clarify.

G_M · 11 October 2016 at 1:12PM

How many units?

Sounds like an HMO (rules the same in Scotland?) - check with council website.

dekaspace · 11 October 2016 at 2:04PM

G_M wrote: »

How many units?

Sounds like an HMO (rules the same in Scotland?) - check with council website.

HMOS I think are similar in Scotland i.e locks on indivudual doors fire exists etc.

In that case I am a little unclear it says 3 bedsits and landlords property in same house so 4 rooms total not including kitchen and bathroom also not including if the LL's area is a flat with own cooking and bathroom (advert just stays landlords private quarters)

scottishblondie · 11 October 2016 at 2:37PM

Sounds like an HMO to me. There is nothing illegal about it assuming the LL is complying with the regulations. Check with the local council if the LL is registered and has an HMO licence.

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Finding a property for friend to stay, found advert is it legal (lodger or tenant)

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