Problem lodgers!

Miss_Mary12

Hello everyone! I am not really sure if this is the right place to post, but I hope someone has some advice on this situation!
I am a tenant landlord and I have two lodgers in one of the rooms in the house. In the past couple of months we had all sort of missunderstandings and issues that we ended up not barely speaking anymore. I kept telling them if they’re not happy, they can always leave as no one is forcing them to stay. They kept on making trouble and I gave them verbal notice on the 14th of January and agreed to let them stay a week more on their deposit money and that I will pay them the difference I owe. Still nothing so I saw myself in the position of changing the lock on the door. They called the police and they were told I am not allowed to evict them just like that, that I cannot change the lock and that they can arrest me if I do it again and that they can stay as long as they want from now on without paying rent.. Please help as I don’t know what to do anymore in this situation!
And also a question.. can a lodger become a tenant after they spend a certain amount of time in a property?
Thank you!

Cakeguts

Did you speak to the police of did they say that they had?



Lodgers do not have the same rights as tenants. If you all live in the same house I assume you live there as well?



Give them notice to leave and then they have to go.

Miss_Mary12

I did that and it didn’t happen because of the police..
The police never gave us the chance to say anything and what we did say was wrong. They said we are illegally subletting their room and we can only evict them through court..
I know they don’t have the same right, but apparently everyone else including the police doesn’t agree with that. I was also told by a solicitor that if they spend more than a year in the property they become tenants.. I’m really confused at this point

Wanderingpomm

The police havn’t understood the issue. And i’m Surprised they got involved with a civil dispute.

The lodgers are now trespassing. Their agreement has ended, they have been given reasonable notice and are not paying rent.
Bare in mind that they do not have exclusive use of the areas they rent. You can enter and inspect to check they are not wreaking the room without notice.

You can also change the locks. You cannot however threaten them with physical violence

Cakeguts

Miss_Mary12 wrote: »

I did that and it didn’t happen because of the police..
The police never gave us the chance to say anything and what we did say was wrong. They said we are illegally subletting their room and we can only evict them through court..
I know they don’t have the same right, but apparently everyone else including the police doesn’t agree with that. I was also told by a solicitor that if they spend more than a year in the property they become tenants.. I’m really confused at this point

You say that you are a tenant landlord is that correct? As a tenant landlord you live in the house the whole time do you? You aren't letting two rooms in this house and then living for most of the time somewhere else?



The people who live in this room are only lodgers if you and they live in this house the whole time. They have to be living with you in your house. Do you and they live in this same house all the time and you do not have anywhere else to live?

Miss_Mary12

I’m sorry I didn’t mentioned we don’t have any written agreement with them, everything was settled verbally when they moved in..

We did chenge the locks and then the police did what they did. We’re afraid to change them again since they might call the police again and we get the same treatment.

Also their verbal notice would normally end on the 12th of February considering the deposit period they paid for. But they are still refusing to go after that. They said to us that the whole situation is very amising for them and they are very curious how are we going to make them leave.. :-(

Miss_Mary12

Yes, I do live in the house all the time with my sister and other friends. It is a 4 bedroom house and the it is the only place I’m living in!

chunkytfg

Miss_Mary12 wrote: »

I’m sorry I didn’t mentioned we don’t have any written agreement with them, everything was settled verbally when they moved in..

We did chenge the locks and then the police did what they did. We’re afraid to change them again since they might call the police again and we get the same treatment.

Also their verbal notice would normally end on the 12th of February considering the deposit period they paid for. But they are still refusing to go after that. They said to us that the whole situation is very amising for them and they are very curious how are we going to make them leave.. :-(

You make them leave by changing the locks when they go out and when they call the police you point out they are wrong from the outside with the door locked behind you. If the police decide they will arrest you they will have to tell you why and they wont be able to come up with anything. but if they do the lodgers still can't get in as you changed the locks.

My guess would be the police somehow got the impression they were more than lodgers and had the rights tenants do.

Miss_Mary12

Can their status change from lodgers to tenants because they have more than a year living at the address? And also will the fact that they receive mail at the adress changes anything..?

Bossypants

I suspect they may have misrepresented the situation to the police, the police wouldn't get involved in a dispute like this, nor would they know the rules relating to it.

Have a read of this and stop letting them push you around: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/renting-a-home/subletting-and-lodging/lodging/what-rights-do-lodgers-have/

If it would make you feel more comfortable, you can have a solicitor draw up a statement of your legal position, which you can stick to your front door or show to the police should they come round again.

Slithery

Miss_Mary12 wrote: »

Can their status change from lodgers to tenants because they have more than a year living at the address?

No.

And also will the fact that they receive mail at the adress changes anything..?

No.


Wait until they next leave the property and change the locks.