how to be the perfect live in landlord?

caulfield

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Hermia

You sound very considerate!

My landlady used to buy the loo rolls and laundry detergent and add a little bit of money on to the rent. We didn't use to share anything else.

Have you thought about the television? Is your friend going to want to watch yours or has she got her own?

If your chum is asthmatic you might want to see what else she has problems with. I am asthmatic and have bad reactions to aerosols and sprays. My landlady once gave the living room a going over with Febreze and I keeled over as I soon as I walked in the room!

jojo9239

Hermia wrote: »

If your chum is asthmatic you might want to see what else she has problems with. I am asthmatic and have bad reactions to aerosols and sprays. My landlady once gave the living room a going over with Febreze and I keeled over as I soon as I walked in the room!

Also sounds daft but items like feather duvets or pillows used to give me a harsh asthma attack and products such as shake and vac ha ha

jojo9239

Yeah and ventilate the rooms after. You sound very considerate x

00ec25

Hi
interesting topic and one I have 4 years experience of in a house of 3!

- be very clear in your own mind are you in this for the money or are there social considerations as this influence your attitiude to getting on together and how you cope with having to rectify things which niggle you about their behaviour.

- house rules are esssential,:
- who does the cleaning of common areas (see note)?
- bathroom and kitchen ettiquette (leave it as you find it, fine, but who's cleaned it in the first place)
- whats your attitude to washing up? - does each person do their own (doubles the running costs) or do you do a rota,
- who launders the shared items? (teatowels etc)
- how many friends can stay over, for how long and what will you fell like if they arrive Friday, camp out in the sitting room and leave Sunday when you wanted a quite weekend in front of the TV?


- I personally have not had a kitty for paper etc (but now you have suggested it not a bad idea as our usage rate is horrendous). Don't include food unless you are looking to rekindle a student sharing atmosphere, but be clear on cooking times becuase the cooker etc will be in use twice as much of course.

- consider having separate fridge and/or freezer for each of you so if someone brings home a big shop they have the space for it and segregation of food (cooked/uncooked etc) and removal of rotting stuff is their problem :eek:

- be very clear about responsibility for the utility bills. It's human nature that if they are not paying for it themselves then they do not switch things off (make sure your margin on your rent is big enough otherwise most of your profit goes out the door) :A

- if your tenant has a TV in her own room (with or without a bedroom door lock) then LEGALLY she must have a TV licence in her own name irrespective of whether you have one in your name or not. If you get caught then you as the landlord will be liable for the fine unless you stipulate its her responsibility in the written tenancy agreement. If she only has access to your own TV then just youyr own licence is needed

- make sure your own car insurance covers "driving a car not belonging to and not hired to you", we all think we are great drivers but accidents happen between cars and immovable objects when reversing and if you're moving hers (or vice versa?) and hit someone on the pavement etc it could get very legal

NOTE - remember you're at least partly in it for the money but don't try to equate that with what you are being paid per hour otherwise when youy spend yet another day cleaning up their mess you'll explode! Keep your rent below the rent a room scheme level limit and its all tax free

Head-Out-Of-Sand

Ah, aren't you lovely!!

It's great that you're being so thoughtful about this kind of stuff, I'm sure you're friend/lodger will appreciate it.

From my own experience as a live-in landlord i would highly reccommend having a chat/meeting at the start to discuss house rules, and let her have a say in it too - get any "pet hates" out in the open so that you can both be considerate of each other's little foibles...trust me, you'll want to give her the opportunity to be considerate to you as well!

I've learnt the hard way on that one, you can assume most people have the same ideas about what's ok and what's not, but you'd be surprised, even with people you've been mates with before. Definitely best to get these things agreed on at the start.

Good luck, hope it works out well for you!

Head-Out-Of-Sand

I second everything on OOer25's reply too, very sensible.