Mum in law wants a lodger

Jagraf

lincroft1710 wrote: »

"Ah, Mrs Wilberforce, I understand you have rooms to rent. I am Professor Marcus".

You are not far off the mark!

Jagraf

Okay, update.

Mother in law has had agents round and they are taking photos this week of the room. SHe has told us that she will have a trial period of a month if they can find someone.

She said she knows they won't be company as such but its someone else in the house.

She has also been told she doesn't need to do any alterations or updates, even though, for example, she doesn't have a smoke alarm and the bathroom door doesn't close (Im insisting she gets a smoke alarm for her own safety anyway, but I thought the agent would give her some kind of list etc).

Her two kids (my husband and sis in law) say we should just go with the flow. It probably won't happen anyway.

I love the Mrs Wilberforce name for her and may lovingly adopt it!!

AFK_Matrix

Hey there Jagraf,

Some valid points raised here but your MIL seems intent on doing this which you unfortunetely can't stop. Not being horrible but tbh I would be suprised if she actually got a lodger. Its all very well putting and advert up but that doesn't mean she will get a lodger!!

Is the house near any good rail or bus links as that is something lodgers look for? Most want broadband services, does she have this? If the facilities are basic ie no tumble dryer that will put people off. Just something to think about. I think she will struggle getting someone and if she is paying the Agents then she will just waste her money.

Oh and she does have to get a Gas Safety certificate if she has any gas in the property (heating/gas cooker) and this costs around £60 a year.

Mojisola

Jagraf wrote: »

and the bathroom door doesn't close

:rotfl:

So she doesn't mind if her lodger walks in on her while she's on the toilet!

Jagraf

AFK_Matrix wrote: »

Hey there Jagraf,

Some valid points raised here but your MIL seems intent on doing this which you unfortunetely can't stop. Not being horrible but tbh I would be suprised if she actually got a lodger. Its all very well putting and advert up but that doesn't mean she will get a lodger!!

Is the house near any good rail or bus links as that is something lodgers look for? Most want broadband services, does she have this? If the facilities are basic ie no tumble dryer that will put people off. Just something to think about. I think she will struggle getting someone and if she is paying the Agents then she will just waste her money.

Oh and she does have to get a Gas Safety certificate if she has any gas in the property (heating/gas cooker) and this costs around £60 a year.

It's not in a bad location for a local rail line which then services main lines north and south.

She has a tumble dryer, we organised broadband for her so,she has this. The house is tired (the kitchen is mostly free standing old units) and she does her best but the bathroom is not always very clean, we tend to run over it privately when she thinks we've gone to the loo!

I'm wondering if the agent is actually telling her she doesn't need to do anything yet as they have doubts too.

The house is structurally sound. Not having complete privacy is going to be a shock for her. The room she's letting out is quite nice and bright.

Mojisola

Jagraf wrote: »

we organised broadband for her so,she has this.

If a lodger uses her broadband for something dodgy, will that cause her problems?

When I was looking at live-in care for my parents, the companies insisted that the carers had to provide their own connection and weren't allowed to use the home one. It made me think that there had been problems with stuff that carers had downloaded or bought over the internet.

Jagraf

Mojisola wrote: »

:rotfl:

So she doesn't mind if her lodger walks in on her while she's on the toilet!

Probably not she never closes the doors in case she gets stuck :eek:.

When she stays with us she leaves the bedroom door open and needs a light on. She's like Florence nightingale

Mardle

Jagraf, your local fire station may be able to fit smoke alarms for her.

She'd probably enjoy having a couple of firemen visit

Jagraf

Mardle wrote: »

Jagraf, your local fire station may be able to fit smoke alarms for her.

She'd probably enjoy having a couple of firemen visit

She certainly would. I knew you could get free smoke alarms I didn't know the fire brigade could fit them? That would make her birthday!!

It would give the ipad man a break ( the one she talks to quite a lot who helps her with her spelling ... )

AFK_Matrix

Yeah I was kind of trying to avoid the bit about the house being tired tbh as for me that would put me off wanting to live there. Although I did live as a lodger once in a room that had lovely brown wall paper etc and had an old lady as the landlady so it is possible. But if she is leaving the toilet door open when going then umm urrr yeah I don't think she will keep a lodger very long if she does that!