Rights as a lodger?

V6Matt

BigAunty wrote: »

I have seen advice for landlords that recommends they don't put locks on the doors of their lodgers and tenants, other than thumb screw operated one on the inside, for fire safety reasons. I may have perhaps seen it advice against it for other reasons (HMO? Shared or individual tenancy issues?) but can't remember the purpose of that advice. I think your focus on assuming you may have stronger rights because of a lock on your door may be misplaced.

On this website, it says a live in landlord can simply change the locks on the lodgers room as part of the eviction process.

https://www.gov.uk/rent-room-in-your-home/ending-a-letting

I think it takes a particular type of person to thrive as a lodger as the power balance and vibe can be different when you live with a property owner and there are particular types of owners who shouldn't be let loose on lodgers.

Suggest you negotiate a leaving date with your landlord if the license doesn't give a notice period.

Thanks and I think this landlord is one of those, I am fair, quiet and respectful, but when rules are generated on a daily basis - it makes living uncomfortable.

I think you are also right about the lock situation, it seems that if they have a space key it's assumed to not be an exclusive room, hence she quite happily lets herself in without knocking.

Lets hope for early release from contract, I have learnt about my rights and questions to ask in this situation and I think they have/should learn to be more overt with their requirements before signing.

BigAunty

V6Matt wrote: »

I didn't think it was unreasonable to have my girlfriend over once a week but seemingly the landlord can mandate anything they want to!

If there were any rules like this, I would have expected them to be overtly stated, documented and signed!

Again, the strength of your conviction doesn't negate the quite regular practice of a prospective lodger or flat-sharer asking in advance the house rules. Why does her presence at the viewing indicate an expectation that she could stay 1 night per week?

House rules, to cover such topics as smoking, guests, noise, housework and the like rarely operate on a written basis even on flatshares. They most certainly don't require the written consent of the person staying. Perhaps some landlords/flat sharers draw up a written policy to stop disputes but I can't really see it being common to have this type of thing so formalised.

The lodger agreement is a contract that typically has a basis in housing law and to make the fundamental operation of the occupancy clear (rent, notice, type of contract, etc). House rules don't.

G_M

Look - stop focussing on rights and the law and start talking reasonably to your LL. Try to reach a compromise on lifestyle if you can (I doubt) and failing that, reach a compromise on date to end the contract.

If you have an immediate place to go but the LL demands you see out your months notice, then yes, continually flushing the loo all night might persuade the LL it is in both your best interests to end the agreement sooner rather than later, but this kind of behavior should be a last resort.

V6Matt

Modgepodge wrote: »

I do feel for you, OP. I once lived in a house like this (I thought I was a tenant, but perhaps I was a lodger? 3 tenants plus LL in the house, each with lockable bedrooms but otherwise shared facilities). I clarified that it would be ok for my OH to stay over sometimes before taking the room. Within a few months the LL had decided she didn't like him being there at weekends (she didn't mind the week as she worked long hours) - while he was there he basically just hid in my room as the other people were so anti social and unfriendly. In the end I got out sharpish!

Thanks ModgePodge, I think you may have been in a HMO and thus protected!

That's the odd thing, the house is basically silent when my girlfriend comes we generally go out for food/exploring then come up sleep and then she's gone the next day. The landlord is often not in and the other housemate is great but feels equally constrained.

Hiding in the room is basically what I do but when the other housemate is back we just have a chat in one of the rooms to keep out of the way.

Lesson learnt!

V6Matt

G_M wrote: »

Look - stop focussing on rights and the law and start talking reasonably to your LL. Try to reach a compromise on lifestyle if you can (I doubt) and failing that, reach a compromise on date to end the contract.

If you have an immediate place to go but the LL demands you see out your months notice, then yes, continually flushing the loo all night might persuade the LL it is in both your best interests to end the agreement sooner rather than later, but this kind of behavior should be a last resort.

I have tried but lets just say, not the most reasonable (and hence looking at my legal rights)!. I will try again when I see them next and try to get to somewhere amicable.

UpToMyNeckInIt

Bit of an eye opener: how few rights lodgers seen to have compared to tenants.

Matt, I think that direct negotiation with the landlord if possible is the best way forward.

If the relationship has, has broken down to the point where you get the landlord may keep your deposit, there may be some merit in withholding your last Month's rent, inviting the landlord to keep the deposit instead. Don't know how viable or legal that option is, but worth looking in to just in case.

V6Matt

UpToMyNeckInIt wrote: »

Bit of an eye opener: how few rights lodgers seen to have compared to tenants.

Matt, I think that direct negotiation with the landlord if possible is the best way forward.

If the relationship has, has broken down to the point where you get the landlord may keep your deposit, there may be some merit in withholding your last Month's rent, inviting the landlord to keep the deposit instead. Don't know how viable or legal that option is, but worth looking in to just in case.

Thanks, I mean I am a reasonable person and happy to talk it through.

Seemingly we both have different views and just not a fit, most people have seemingly grinned and bared it, with an immediate escape post contracts following chats with my current housemate but I have now been enlightened as to how little rights a 'lodger' has. Certainly an area for reform if someone is willing to open up 66% of their house up to lodgers but can't stand anyone being in the house.

BigAunty

UpToMyNeckInIt wrote: »

Bit of an eye opener: how few rights lodgers seen to have compared to tenants.

.

Yes, but you have to understand that at the end of the day, they are pretty much a guest in an owners house, which explains the lack of rights when it comes to tenure.

Unlike a buy to let property where the landlord lives out, the resident landlord has a personal investment in the property, its actually their home, and this leads to it being a much more sensitive and possibly, critical or rule bound occupation.

I was a fairly relaxed live in landlady, I spent a lot of time away from the property and I'd been a lodger in a property in the past where I was pestered by the landlord and had all my belongings thrown out on the lawn when I gave notice. I therefore think I did my best to be hospitable and hands-off with few rules and had a real drive not to be petty. I knew that I would be selling up in a year or so and it was just temporary.

But my experience of having 3 lodgers was quite miserable. It seemed to involve endless skidmarks and leg shavings in the bathroom, some kitchen goods were damaged and simply slung in the bin without an offer to replace them or apology, my post was tampered with, I would come back from holiday to overflowing bins and so forth, dirty crockery would pile up and so forth. Not one of them would do any kind of communal cleaning, it seemed I was the live in cleaner. One claimed to be a non-smoker and this was a fib.

I never entered their rooms except by giving notice and seeking permission (for example, when a roofer wanted a view of the kitchen roof from one of them) and when I did, I couldn't see the carpet floor for dirty clothes (including undies), mouldy crockery and take away cartons.

I also consented to their family, friends and partners staying occasionally with just a wee bit of notice but came back from holiday once to find complete strangers sleeping in the living room.

As I said, it takes a particular type of person to be a resident landlord or lodger and I reckon this type of tenure is the one where the relationship is most prone to breaking down.

nidO

V6Matt wrote: »

Certainly an area for reform if someone is willing to open up 66% of their house up to lodgers but can't stand anyone being in the house.

Sadly you'll never do away with the nutters in the world, but this goes both ways.
You're unfortunate that you have a bit of a crummy landord who seems to want the benefits of free cash from their house without the downside of someone else living in it, but equally this board is full of stories of landlords that have awful lodgers, and this is at the end of the day a guest the landlord has invited into their own home, albeit being paid to do so.

The instant the government starts legislating in favour of giving more rights to lodgers is the instant that many perfectly reasonable landlords who have lodgers (and i'd like to think I fall into that category) decide the risk isn't worth it any more and stop offering rooms to lodgers and no-one wins from that, lots of landlords stop getting a useful side earner in, and the shortage of affordable accomodation for lodgers gets even less, driving prices even higher.

Kynthia

There are both advantages and disadvantages to being a lodger compared to being a tenant in a shared house. If people understand then they can make a better choice about which one to be. I've known a few landlord/lodger set ups that have worked well for many years. However both set ups involve finding a good fit with the people that live there, as living with people is hard and there are lots of different types of people.