Have you had a lodger?

sevenhills

trailingspouse wrote: »

It's so hard to know how you'll get along with someone - viz the fact that OH and I are splitting up...

I have paid for the year on spareroom.com and I am hoping that I have found a lodger this week. I get messages enquiring about my room, but the ones that I warm to are those that give me information about themselves.
Where they live now, what work they are doing and a little bit about them being quiet and respectful. Even if its not quite true, at least they realise that they should be.

snickersbars

I am going to be taking on a lodger in the next couple of weeks, but until then I have been letting the room for between 2 and 7 days on AirBnb to professionals working in the area. So far I would say that these very short-term lodgers have been good, as a) they come with physically less stuff, b) they tend to cook less, c) more easily placed restrictions/ground rules, and d) - if you don't like them, they are only there for a few days! On the downside, you need to clean more often, but I think the trade off can be worth it.

trailingspouse

sevenhills wrote: »

the ones that I warm to are those that give me information about themselves.
Where they live now, what work they are doing and a little bit about them being quiet and respectful. Even if its not quite true, at least they realise that they should be.

That's interesting. As a middle-aged woman, I would probably prefer to rent to another woman rather than some random bloke - but at the end of the day I'd rather have someone quiet and respectable/respectful of any gender. Also, I suspect there are more men who need temporary accommodation like this than women? Could be wrong.


We're a two minute walk to the train station, and trains to Leeds run every 30 minutes (20 minute journey time), so hopefully that'll suit someone. There's only one way to find out!!

sevenhills

trailingspouse wrote: »

That's interesting. As a middle-aged woman, I would probably prefer to rent to another woman rather than some random bloke - but at the end of the day I'd rather have someone quiet and respectable/respectful of any gender. Also, I suspect there are more men who need temporary accommodation like this than women? Could be wrong.
We're a two minute walk to the train station, and trains to Leeds run every 30 minutes (20 minute journey time), so hopefully that'll suit someone. There's only one way to find out!!

I think most men/women would prefer to share with a women, I could be wrong.
I have shared with a woman before, but I think that is because my room was cheap and local. Age is maybe more important than gender.
Leeds is a 5 minute journey from my local train station, but most want closer to the uni, unless they have found work in my area, which my potential lodger has, a foreign male.

CarrieVS

trailingspouse wrote: »

I suspect there are more men who need temporary accommodation like this than women? Could be wrong.

You could be. I don't have any statistics, only anecdotal evidence, but I've been a lodger for a total of 4 1/2 years at different times in three different places. Two were female landlords each letting several rooms to female lodgers: they've never seemed to have a shortage. The other was a male landlord letting two rooms with no gender preference: in the year I lived there the other room had three occupants, only one of whom was male.

sevenhills

CarrieVS wrote: »

You could be. I don't have any statistics, only anecdotal evidence, but I've been a lodger for a total of 4 1/2 years at different times in three different places. Two were female landlords each letting several rooms to female lodgers: they've never seemed to have a shortage. The other was a male landlord letting two rooms with no gender preference: in the year I lived there the other room had three occupants, only one of whom was male.

I am getting messages all from males, that maybe because I am a live-in landlord with one room; houses with multiple occupants maybe different., cities may also be different.

Comms69

It varies; often males may be those who's relationships have ended - especially with kids involved as the immediate costs can be high.

FreeBear

sevenhills wrote: »

I am getting messages all from males

Found I was getting a mix of messages from both male & female. The vast majority were from younger people (under ~30 or so).

nyc_451

Lodger #2

A young professional who stays only Mon-Thu and goes back to his family on the weekends, so I basically have the flat to myself four nights per week. Clean and tidy, it doesn't even feel like someone else lives with me. Has very basic needs, takes his belongings with him in a suitcase so the room could be used for my guests if needed. Has a family so he's not flirting with me and doesn't try to be my friend, only an occasional chat. I love it.

I remember how anxious I used to feel on my way home and even on weekends, just thinking about my ex lodger coming back... I convinced myself that it was my problem, my antisocial nature. I'm glad I took a chance with another person. I will not have someone I dislike living with me ever again, I'd rather not have the extra income.

James_Green_1982

I know a few people who let rooms to lodgers.
They prefer to take men as lodgers, because they have found that an unknown girlfriend tends to be less of a risk than an unknown boyfriend.

Those who have let to single women have often found that a new boyfriend (who they haven't been able to vet) doesn't take long to turn up.