Lodger problem

Joanthebone

My lodger, who moved in on 27th July, gave me notice to quit, by text, on Monday. Her 2nd months rent is due on Thursday. On Tuesday she announced that she would not be paying the rent due for September as she could not afford it and I 'had' to use her security deposit.


What would you do?

BrassicWoman

no rent = no room

HappyMJ

Joanthebone wrote: »

My lodger, who moved in on 27th July, gave me notice to quit, by text, on Monday. Her 2nd months rent is due on Thursday. On Tuesday she announced that she would not be paying the rent due for September as she could not afford it and I 'had' to use her security deposit. Then, less than 5 minutes after she told me this I heard her on her phone telling a friend that she was buying a new mobile and ipad!!!


What would you do?

Ask her to leave straight away. Give her a weeks notice and refund 3/4 of the deposit less any damages to the room which there shouldn't be any. If she refuses to leave then change the locks on your front door and remove her stuff from the room as soon as she leaves the house. Take the cost of the locks from the deposit and give her the old lock cylinders and keys back with the deposit.

If she quotes contract law such and such then quote back she's in breach of the lodger agreement and you can terminate the agreement with no notice if she's in breach. If she wants to stay she has to pay for September's rent.

Re-let the room on a weekly agreement with just 2 weeks rent as deposit. There's not much damage a lodger can do to a room so a months rent isn't required and as you live there you can ask for the money for any damages straight away rather than finding out at the end of the tenancy.

Joanthebone

Thank you, I was going to tell her to go at the weekend, but I can hear packing noises coming from her room! The atmosphere is awful!


I asked for rent monthly as I wanted the money to go straight into a savings account by direct debit. Getting the money weekly might be a bit of a faff? Although I can see the benefits when you have a dodgy lodger!

anselld

Joanthebone wrote: »

I asked for rent monthly as I wanted the money to go straight into a savings account by direct debit. Getting the money weekly might be a bit of a faff?

Presumably you mean Standing Order, which can equally be set up weekly.

HappyMJ

Joanthebone wrote: »

Thank you, I was going to tell her to go at the weekend, but I can hear packing noises coming from her room! The atmosphere is awful!


I asked for rent monthly as I wanted the money to go straight into a savings account by direct debit. Getting the money weekly might be a bit of a faff? Although I can see the benefits when you have a dodgy lodger!

You can still collect rent every 2 or 4 weeks...but it's just a weekly agreement. One weeks notice by either party is considered reasonable.

moneyistooshorttomention

A lodger may not be able to do too much damage to a room - but they could muck up washing machine/cooker/etc.

Re damage - I've had two bits of damage lodgers didn't let on to. One was comparatively minor - a cheap bedside light that they had broken (it still looked normal - but when I switched it on I got an electric shock:eek:).

The other bit of damage that hadn't been mentioned was that another lodger wet the bed. Now I hadn't realised - as there was a mattress cover on the bed and they had obviously washed that. However, when I took the cover off - it was clear they had ruined the bed.:mad:

moneyistooshorttomention

Right now - ignore that "awful atmosphere". I know what you mean - but she is the one that created it (not you). So - she can feel it...but you should "block it".

Bright music on/make cup of coffee/open windows to nice sunny day outside (if it is a nice day that is....) and generally be obviously busy (ie rather than tiptoeing around nervously).

Joanthebone

Great advice, thank you all.... I admit I have been a bit worried about going out as she could come back and 'do' anything... She has been in her room for 1 1/2 hours and I could hear bags being stuffed... She has now gone to work. Rent is due tomorrow so I am just keeping quiet until then. I will ask her to leave on Friday night if she does not go before then. I intend to hang on to the deposit until I have checked absolutely everything (including the mattress !) and changed at least one door lock .. one door always has the keys left in and is due to be replaced anyway. I appreciate all the help and HappyMJ, I will certainly do the weekly agreement next time!!


You are a lovely lot, I feel so much more confident now!

HappyMJ

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

A lodger may not be able to do too much damage to a room - but they could muck up washing machine/cooker/etc.

Re damage - I've had two bits of damage lodgers didn't let on to. One was comparatively minor - a cheap bedside light that they had broken (it still looked normal - but when I switched it on I got an electric shock:eek:).

The other bit of damage that hadn't been mentioned was that another lodger wet the bed. Now I hadn't realised - as there was a mattress cover on the bed and they had obviously washed that. However, when I took the cover off - it was clear they had ruined the bed.:mad:

Accidental (not negligent) damage to a washing machine or cooker is usually LL's responsibility so not much you can ask for there and you'll notice straight away if they intentionally damage something and ask them to fix it or leave. It's not a tenancy where you wouldn't find out about it when they leave. You live there and can resolve things amicably straight away.

If the oven door shattered when the lodger just happened to be using it then it's up to the LL to replace the glass. It's usually a warranty repair but if out of warranty then LL pays. Now if they stuck their foot through it in an attempt to break it you'll most probably see them doing it and kick them out straight away keeping the deposit but few lodgers are that bad. If you weren't there you couldn't prove it either way so unfortunately LL pays.

Don't ever provide anything electrical in a lodger's room. To protect yourself you really should PAT test anything portable whenever you change lodgers so provide nothing electrical and you won't have a problem.

The mattress won't cost much to replace and as a mattress has a lifespan of 6 years you can't claim for betterment so if the lodger has been there for a year you can only ask for 5/6th's of the cost of a new mattress. You can't expect the full cost of a new one.

Regularly check the room. It's your house you should regularly go into the room and check everything is still OK.

I've been a lodger, had lodgers, now both a LL and a tenant. Had my problems with lodgers/tenants and reported problems as a lodger/tenant. Some things are down to the lodger/tenant to pay for and some things are for the LL to stump up for and any reasonable LL will pay to fix.

My OH just declared the washing machine stuffed as it wouldn't drain and wanted to report it broken just one week after the last repair but a simple clearing of the filter fixed it. It was filled with lots of little bits. LL could have asked us the tenants to pay for that as maintenance issues are generally for the tenant to sort. Washing machine only just last week had to have carbon brushes replaced. It broke whilst I was using it...that's the LL's problem. If your lodger/tenant was using it at the time it stopped would you blame the lodger/tenant and get them to repair it or expect to fix it yourself? You really should just fix it yourself.

So yes I understand as a landlord of a lodger you'd like a month's rent as deposit but I really just wouldn't bother. I'd prefer to let them go in a week so a couple weeks rent as deposit and a week rent upfront and a weeks notice if I want them out amicably and immediately if they're being awful.

moneyistooshorttomention

Accidental damage is still the lodgers responsibility - if they are the one that created it. Its not "fair wear and tear" or an accident the landlord/landlady had. Its happened purely and simply because the lodger was careless - so its down to them.

One of the better lodgers I had couldn't be careful to save her life and was distinctly clumsy. It was not infrequent to find her saying to me "I've broken something else" - but, give her her due, and the next sentence would be "I'll pay for it" and she did and I didn't even have to arrange for it to be done - as she would (even down to when she cracked a windowpane of mine - which she only told me about after the event - ie to say that she had already had someone in putting it right).

JOAN

For tonight - she will doubtless create another "atmosphere". Can you arrange to have a friend or two round for a meal? She would find it difficult to "do an atmosphere" on you if theres a few of you laughing/chatting/listening to music or whatever-else you do on a sociable evening in. Could be a good time for summoning help to deal with a bit of garden clearing or something you have had in mind to do for a while?

I doubt she's the sort of person who would set out to deliberately harm you in any way - but just immature/irresponsible in her attitude to money and you will be doing her a favour helping to "grow up" a bit and put first things first (home before luxuries).