Have you had a lodger?

Red-Squirrel_2

This is starting to sound like a script workshop for a very amateur adult film.

sevenhills

blue_mango wrote: »

Comms69, the butcher isn't having sex in my flat while I'm in the next room.

HampshireH, fair enough if you don't care who comes to your house while you're away...I do.

If you are not keen on kicking him out, put his rent up by £10 per week; either you will have more money or he will leave.

Aced2016

Maybe you just aren't suited for a lodger ?

It's not something I could or would ever do ! I would absolutely hate it.

Weigh up the pros and cons, your next one is unlikely to be Monday - Friday and not cooking etc.

Work out if you could possibly go it alone ! If it's a small flat outgoings shouldn't be too high.

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nyc_451

Aced2016 wrote: »

Maybe you just aren't suited for a lodger ?

It's not something I could or would ever do ! I would absolutely hate it.

Weigh up the pros and cons, your next one is unlikely to be Monday - Friday and not cooking etc.

Work out if you could possibly go it alone ! If it's a small flat outgoings shouldn't be too high.

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Yes, I'm starting to think I might not be suited for a lodger... I lived in a shared accommodation for a while and I was fine, but it feels different when I own the place... This is my first experience as a landlord, perhaps it's a learning curve. My current lodger is happy and is planning to stay for a year, perhaps I should try and learn to accept other people better, and if I am not happy with a low maintenance mon-fri lodger, a full time lodger probably won't last in my home...

I had high expenses as some work had to be done plus I had to buy all the furniture. I also took out a loan...

G_M

Typical prices for a British Standard mortice deadlock for a front door are £14 - £40. Providing you buy the correct replacement size, fitting takes 5 minutes. If you know what a screwdriver is and can use one, it's easy.


https://www.locksonline.co.uk/Locks/Mortice-Locks-/Dead-Locks/British-Standard-BS3621-Mortice-Dead-Lock.html


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VHm_QhWlMQ


For a yale-type latch lock it's even cheaper and easier:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXAo7zSN-9o


Keep the old lock and next time you change lodger, put the old one back on again.


As for your dilemma, no one can advise you! You must decide if the money over-rides your irritation or vice verse.....

Herbalus

They don't have to be your friend, but that doesn't mean you need to accept sharing a space with somebody you don't get on with.

There's people at work that I definitely couldn't have as my lodger, even though we're perfectly polite and share a desk/stationary cupboard. The main problem is probably that they talk to much and don't seem to have much of a filter. Is that a problem for a lodger? No, not at all. They're tidy and conscientious, but I'd hate going home and having to listen to them natter on.

I don't think it makes me intolerant. There are some people where there is just no chemistry and talking about women in a certain way would make me feel slightly awkward about living with them.

Yes, lodgers are business, but I don't think you're necessarily "high and mighty" if you look for somebody aligned to your interests to go into business with.

FreeBear

blue_mango wrote: »

Thanks... This was a very odd thread, went from cooking to domestic violence?

The op doesn't seem to have a very good judgement in my eyes, so her experience feels irrelevant, although somewhat entertaining.

Lesson learnt - No more couples !

Got the room back up for rent, and am being much more selective. Already rejected one female because she needs a bath & shave (also suspect she is an alcoholic). Going to limit my selection to well educated professionals, preferably female. Or failing that, mature students.

Novice_investor101

I had one for a short 3 months (felt much longer...). She was a friend of a friend who was going through a bit of a rough time. It was an awful experience!

She was incredibly rude & sullen. The worst bit was that I'd let her have the first 3 months for £50pm til she got herself financially back on her feet. But after living with her it became clear she was just a selfish, ungrateful, self pitying & lazy sponger who created her own mess.

I gave her a month's notice to leave. She's lucky she got that. It put me off having a lodger again. I'd rather do without the cash & have a private & peaceful home.

PasturesNew

Some of us simply aren't cut out to be "people persons". If you're alone and somebody's in your space, you probably feel awkward - and that's not good in your own home.

Those with others, "somebody on their side", wouldn't even notice the lodger as they're wrapped up in their own life etc .... but if it's just you, in your home and you're sitting there fearing the next interaction ... mulling over the things he might've done wrong "did he lock the door when he left after me?" then it's not good.

Maybe you're just not cut out to have lodgers.

Not everybody is the same.

I'd be perturbed by his existence/presence too .... I'm not comfortable around anybody at all.

The whole "renting out a 2nd room" ideal may be more your version of hell. Hell is other people.

Getting another one won't solve the problem; a new one will have new annoyances you are yet to discover and despise.

moneyistooshorttomention

When it comes to someone that is going to live in your own home with you - then I've learnt from experience (ie I used to have lodgers for some years myself) that, if I dislike them then there's probably a good reason for it. My intuition is probably telling me something about them - in advance of them doing whatever-it-is I wouldnt like.

I had that experience when taking on a middle-aged student retraining for a new career as a lodger. He had a change of circumstances (unbeknown to me) prior to moving in and decided unilaterally to change our agreement. He should have told me about that change of circumstances and given me the option to say "Agreement over/deposit back/I'll find someone else instead" and he didn't and just proceeded to try and pay me rather less than we'd agreed. He will have spent years since then having found out how karma operates (not me yer honour - my father decided to "take matters into his own hands" and then tell me afterwards).

On the other hand - there can be people who move in and make you feel possibly a bit "uncomfortable" but you can work out logically that it's down to a different way of thinking that won't impact on you at all. Thinking here of a lodger I took in that turned out to be a fundamentalist Christian and that did make me wonder whether I was being "judged" somewhat by her. But she did nothing wrong and she was one where I knew I could have left money lying around and it would had stayed put just where I left it - so that one was just me feeling "uncomfortable" having someone rather different to myself living with me. I left it at that and she stayed the time we had arranged - as she had the sense not to try and convert me:rotfl: