getting a lodger

123oleary

hi
i'm thinking about getting a lodger, and i was wondering bout other peoples experiances, i know there will be some horror stories out there, i am looking for comments on how to find a good lodger and how i can be a good housemate. also how do people go about sharing kitchens and bathrooms , who goes first, do people usually expect to hare meals. how do you decide who watches what on tv. do lodgers usually do there own food shopping or do they expect to help themselves. are bills such as heating , leccy and phone usually charged seperately , and are there any problems with sharing my wi fi connection
tips on aquiring and checking references would be helpful.
from my research already i've found out that i must inform my mortgage company and insurer and any tenant will need to arrange their own insurance- is this correct ? and would any deposit need to be in the protection scheme?

jolouise1904

Hi, I have had 2 very sucessful lodgers and one not so! I decided to rent my spare room to help pay the bills. The first two people I had were very nice, and I am still good friends with one of them.

However, the third, a student, who didnt want to live in student house whilst on placement, was not so good. She wasnt a horrible person or anything, but she left the room in such a state! she never opened the windows, and so a lot of damp appeard on the walls as she used to dry her clothes in there. She never thought to tell me and all ways kept the door locked. It wasnt till she moved out that I found out!

Anyway, my advise would be:

allways take a damage deposit.
get referances if you can,
get a contract written up between the two of you,
have rent paid directly into your bank,
include bills with the rent,

With my lodgers, I emptied out two cupbords in the kitchen for them, and they brought their own food.

Hope that helps.

Browntoa

theres a long running thread on this subject here

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=577269&highlight=lodger

jolouise1904

I used the website www.easyroommate.co.uk to find my lodgers.

123oleary

thanks, that raises another question , is it usual to put locks on bedroom doors?

jolouise1904

well there were already locks on the bedroom doors in my house when i moved in. I did find I felt more sercure being able to lock my bedroom door when i left the house, as at the end of the day I didnt know the people that well!

jolouise1904

I would also sugest putting a TV in the room! Means they are more likely to spend there time in there, leaving you with more space!

roses

123oleary wrote: »

thanks, that raises another question , is it usual to put locks on bedroom doors?

No because your contents insurance doesn't allow it. If you put a lock then legally you will need seperate contents insurance for that room plus tv license.

I have a lodger. If you include bills then put a clause in the contract that "bills are inclusive providing the combined gas and electric does not exceed £100/month". That will stop them abusing the heating. My first lodger took the mick. She had an electric heater and used to put the thermostat on at 32'C. I booted her out after 6 weeks. After I replaced her with a normal person, my electric bill dropped from £60/month to £30 and the gas went down significantly too.

BitterAndTwisted

Yep, separate food cupboards and make space in the fridge for them. Please do not underestimate how much extra electricity and gas another person can use. I had a flatmate who'd run the washing-machine on a hot wash for a single item. Beware of sharers who have just moved out of home with their folks: they will have no idea how bills can run away with you.

Get a note of their NI number, a copy of their passport if they're a stranger and find out who their employer is and see if they're willing to give you a reference. If you can find out where they were living before try to get a reference from them as well, even if it's only over the phone. Don't forget that you're considering opening your home and all your valuables to what could be a total stranger so you don't want some thief, drug-addict or lunatic in there with you.

Make a list of all the things that are important to you about the way you want to live in your home, like how often the cleaning is done and who is going to do what once you're sharing. Try and figure out fair use of the bathroom in the mornings: it's maddening if you're on a tight schedule and you've a bath-hogger.

Arrange to have a kitty which you both contribute to on a regular basis to buy things like cleaning materials, lavatory paper, tea-bags and milk, Some people will not put their hands in their pockets, ever, even for things they actually need themselves. Been there. Done that. Bought the T-shirt.

It's the tiny little things that can drive you bonkers about sharing a space with someone else, so try and appear reasonable even if you don't feel like it

00ec25

roses wrote: »

If you put a lock then legally you will need .... tv license.

it is irrelevant if there is a lock on the door or not - if the lodger has a TV (does not matter if it's their own or one provided by the LL) in their own room then legally they must have their own TV licence. The house will therefore need 2 licences, the lodger's and the LL's

the LL can be fined if discovered, you must word your contract accordingly

see TV licence website for proof here

tommy75

Can I stay, i'm sick of the missus...