Getting Rid of Difficult Lodgers - Please Help!

Honeylife

CVP wrote: »

Hahaha I did think about that, but sadly I don't know any 'big Dave' types. Luckily it didn't come to that.

Re the bills: I guess this is my own fault because my original lodger was always on about how we were "friends" and that she didn't see me as a landlord anymore. I don't so much as sleep on a friend's sofa for a weekend without repaying the kindness, so I would never dream of living somewhere for months without paying anything. Lesson learned. I guess I'm aggrieved because this is her first place away from home and she has been stroppy and entitled the entire time she's been here, so I feel I've been pretty accommodating with no thanks in return. Hopefully the next landlord will have a different relationship with her.

My tuppence worth
Lodgersite.com everything you need to know about being a live in landlord.
Never ever be friends! It's business. That way nothing like this will happen again.
Take your expenses ie the cost if changing the lock, out of the deposit, refund the rest.
Chalk it up to experience and move on You weren't on the ball, that will never happen again. In future Make sure you have proper paperwork in place that's signed. If it's single occupancy stick to that, much easier to deal with one person than two... two against one...practically bullying so avoid in future.

You say the current lodgers were planning to leave giving you only three days notice. If your paperwork ie your Agreement, says a months notice then you would be entitled to take the appropriate sum from the Deposit. No haggling! I have done this. I also remind them I can legally do this at the point if signing paperwork. Its business, put your business head on.