Advice wanted - thinking of looking for a 5-day week lodger

Sentinal73

Hi all

I currently have a lodger and am thinking of getting a second one, but only for 5 days a week.

The room that I am thinking of renting out, is really a box room. Isnt too bad really as i have been sleeping in there for the past year, whilst i have been renovating the rest of the house.

You can fit in a single bed, chest of drawers and a small wardrobe, plenty of storage for a 5-day week lodger.

The room is about 9feet by 6 feet

My question is, is that too small to think about renting out ? Would it be unfair to expect someone to sleep there, even if its for 5 nights only?

Thanks!

paul5046

I'd say you need a young person who is maybe on an apprenticeship/ student away from home and who go's home at weekends. Cost will be everything.
(and if they go straight home after fridays work, its four nights.)

longtimelurker_2

whereabouts are you based?

Sentinal73

I'm based in the Surrey/Hants area

What I'm thinking is, they would just treat it as a room, rather than a full time lodger who would treat it as their home

With them only being there 4/5 nights a week, they wouldnt need much room for storage etc,

00ec25

I have stayed in just such a place on a 4 night basis due to temporary work relocation. What I was looking for was a cheap rate, with free parking and use of the rest of the house. I ended up with a room I only ever slept in because the rest of the time I was either in the kitchen/dining room or the sitting room (or I was out enjoying the locale!)

You can but try an advert, but I would not be expect my LL to require me to remain in my "cell" once I got home. Unluckily for you I live in Surrey and will shortly be doing this again, but this time down in Kent.

Its all down to price and how you treat them. You already have a lodger so can you cope what that?

Sentinal73

My current lodger is also a friend, and works evenings/nights, so i ever see him during the week, also, i wouldnt expect any lodger to remain in their "cell", never did it myself when i lodged, would rather have a socialable lodger than an anti-social one anyway !

00ec25

PS - if you have a second lodger you will have 3 unconnected, unrelated persons in the property and therefore will need to check with your Council what their HMO regulations are. Although the Housing Act 2004 allows them to set up a "selective" licence scheme, many Surrey councils have in fact not (yet) done so, but you should check nonetheless

for example see Woking Council http://www.woking.gov.uk/planning/envhealthservice/housing/hmo/licence

before_hollywood

might work out as a pain in the backside as you are allowed a certain amount of income from your home but it gets to a point where it becomes taxable.

i have a box room and a lodger, i've considered it a couple of times but i want to rent to someone i know like i do now and all the people i know round here have full time jobs and full time lives round here

Sentinal73

my current lodger and previous one have both been friends of mine, both been a pain the rear, as they tend to take advantage, so think i would rather have a "stranger" next time.....

cattie

If you are doing it because you need the money then can't you stay sleeping in the small room yourself & give your own bigger room to a lodger?

This is what I chose to do a couple of years back when taking in a couple of students to help pay the mortgage.

It seemed unfair that one student would have a really nice spacious bedroom & the other be cooped up in a room that was cell-like by comparrison. So I decided to move into the box room myself & give up my bedroom for the paying guest.

PasturesNew

I used to stay in places Mon-Fri (4 nights) when I worked 100-200 miles from home. It was better/cheaper than staying in a cheapo guest house - and I'd get sheets/towels provided.

Here's a website where you can hook up with short-timers.
http://www.mondaytofriday.com/

I'd be more than happy with a 9'x6' room - that's probably bigger than many guesthouse single rooms. I even stayed one night in a room where the drawers were full of their stuff and I had to make my own breakfast in their family kitchen ... and this was a regular house (full of tat and clutter), so not a salubrious option.