lodger problems 31 May 2013 at 10:22AM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Boost Your Income 18 replies 1.6K views

love_lifer

Hello all

Not sure if this is the right place? But here goes. I took on a lodger last august- for 3 months, via spareroom site. Fisrt time Ive done this- previously friends have lodged and it has been fine. I have seen this as a learning experince as Ive made some basic errors.

He is still here, his contract keeps being extended. generally he stays elsewhere 3 weekends out of 4- he has a property and family in another part of the country. Howvere it is bothering me for a few reasons- we had a row about toilet paper- he doesnt buy it, doesnt see why he should, or do any cleaning or buy any products. I did not draw up a contract so its my own fault, I realise that.

I got my utility bill for last month and it is over £300- normally its £150. He uses a fan heater and electric blanket and electric heater. I raised it witrh him but he does not see it as an issue and frankly Ive been pretty unassertive- when he was only staying 3 months, then 5 months, i let things slip. Again, my own daft fault

Now he wants to stay til end July. Im torn. I dont like him. But hes not around much so not a major problem. Also the money is useful- he pays £320 a month all in. If i'd known he was staying over winter I may well have charged more- ii knew the room would cost more to heat, hadnt realsied just how much. My water bills ahev also more than doubled, almost trplied- im extremely careful with it, he isnt. Again, when it was a short term arrangement I accpeted it and didnt raise as a problem.

So...any views? Im torn- the extra cash has been very useful, its warmer so he shouldnt be using all these high energy appliances, the end is in sight. On the other hand hes arrogant, costs me a lot and im wound up by these issues- my own fault i know.

Just wanted to see what mse folk thought. Am I being unreasoonable/silly?

alannadrama

I used to be a lodger, it's a tricky situation all round I think. The woman who's house it was was a nightmare, she made it clear it was her house and HER rules. I couldn't use the kitchen until she was finished, couldn;t watch what I wanted in the living room etc etc...

My advice? Take a hard line, I think you're being too nice. Tell him you don't want him using all those appliances. Hide the loo roll. He'll soon either change his ways or like me, move out.

love_lifer

Thanks for that. Ive let things slide and made a rod for my own back I think. 3 months is very different to a year

culpepper

Tell him he must leave and the date you wish him to be gone by.
Give him something like 2 weeks to be out so that you can say it is reasonable notice for him to find somewhere else/move his stuff out etc
Put it in writing too and keep a copy of the letter.
Once he has been told to go, he is trespassing if he remains in your house after the date you have named.

love_lifer

isnt that a bit extreme? we verbally agreed 4 weeks notice either way at the start. would you not suck it up for the sake of the extra cash?

alannadrama

No matter how much of an a$$ he has been, 2 weeks is really unfair. I think 4 weeks is a fair enough time for him to get a new deposit together etc.

As I said, just be firm. It is YOUR house at the end of the day.

It might just be better for all concerned to say that you no longer require a lodger and so you are giving him his 4 weeks notice. A week before he is due to move out, get on Gumtree etc and find someone else. You've learned your lesson the hard way so at least you know what to look out for now

funnyguy

Whats the point of hassling.If he,s going at end of july anyway,a months notice would be end of June.Just start looking for someone else ,so he wont extend again.Buy basics toilet paper,and takeyour own iin with you.

Hudson1984

give him 4 weeks notice, boot him out, go back on the site and look for someone better - that's what I did

but this time re-work the terms

love_lifer

How about giving him a months notice that the rent is rising to cover the extra bills incurred? on reflection, i should have raised it when he first extended to cover winter- my own fault for not doing so.

Hudson1984

if you don't like the guy how can you raise your rent to cover the cost of stress? cut your losses matey get rid of the guy and get someone decent in - if you can live without the extra cash while you search I'd just cut him loose.

I've done this a couple of times and now have a great housemate who I consider a good friend - she even buys loo roll

culpepper

The thing is ,he isn't listening to the 'end of agreement' date is he?

He just keeps extending it ,so if you wait until the end of any verbally agreed date, he 'should' already have made arrangements to be moved out, but he isn't because each time, he 'knows' he just has to name another date in the future and the OP will say okay.

He has had months and months though to arrange something else hasn't he? Why has he not done so?

What if the OP had already arranged with another lodger to move in ?
Is it still unfair to name 2 weeks as the notice?
I don't think so, all the time this lodger is ignoring the land lady/lord he is taking advantage .

He isn't a friend or family after all and he ignores the OP when they request he buys his own toiletries .
He uses the utilities to excess and the OP must cover the cost out of the rent, however much that is ,so he has no concerns about using as much as he wants to at no extra cost to himself.