Reasonable rules for lodgers?

breaking_free

You're complaining about your female lodgers having their not-very-nice boyfriends over so why not exclusively get in male lodgers?

Let me explain my logic.

I've had 6 male lodgers and 2 female lodgers over the course of several years. The male lodgers always, without exception, ended up getting a girlfriend and staying over at their place. My first female lodger got a boyfriend and he stayed over at my place 7 nights a week :mad:

It really does seem to me that women like having their blokes stay with them and blokes like staying with the women - the reverse is not true (in my experience).

bobwilson

breaking_free wrote: »

You're complaining about your female lodgers having their not-very-nice boyfriends over so why not exclusively get in male lodgers?

Let me explain my logic.

I've had 6 male lodgers and 2 female lodgers over the course of several years. The male lodgers always, without exception, ended up getting a girlfriend and staying over at their place. My first female lodger got a boyfriend and he stayed over at my place 7 nights a week :mad:

It really does seem to me that women like having their blokes stay with them and blokes like staying with the women - the reverse is not true (in my experience).

Interesting post! Thanks.. makes sense! Unfortunately most of our lodgers so far have been female because the male ones displayed a lack of consideration for everyone in the house- destroying things, generally having a bad attitude or making noise, spending 3 hours on the loo so no one can use it (on iphone), and leaving door wide open to street at 3am all night .. it seems only the males behave like this so far. While we've also had bad female lodgers, the good ones we've had were also all female. Their bfs were the primary issue. Just to repeat, we don't mind them having bfs over- it's when their bf is unpleasant to live with that it becomes a problem. One female lodger had a perfectly normal bf - both cleaned up after themselves and didn't create noise or do anything unreasonable, so it was great. That however is quite a rare thing.

bobwilson

markin wrote: »

If room and you intend to do it long term would it not make sense to have a kitchenette in the room, at the very least i would expect a sink to brush teeth get a glass of water at night.

How did 'rules for lodgers' thread turn into suggesting having a kitchen in their bedrooms. What world are u in :rotfl:

Mojisola

markin wrote: »

If room and you intend to do it long term would it not make sense to have a kitchenette in the room

That could change their status from lodger to tenant - not a wise move.

FreeBear

breaking_free wrote: »

You're complaining about your female lodgers having their not-very-nice boyfriends over so why not exclusively get in male lodgers?.

Alternative suggestion - Advertise for gay lodgers. Based on my limited experience, they are certainly a lot less trouble.

markin

bobwilson wrote: »

How did 'rules for lodgers' thread turn into suggesting having a kitchen in their bedrooms. What world are u in :rotfl:

Then you would never have to care if they leave it in a tip! And if its got a toilet/shower there's no worry if they spend 2hr on the toilet! or 30min in the shower.

The less you see of them the better.


But rules about status from lodger to tenant would need checking.


This from an insurance website looks like its still a lodger.
"exception to the rule: If you’re a live-in landlord but don’t share living space with the person renting from you (apart from a shared hallway), they’re actually classed as a tenant and not a lodger."


I can't find a definitive answer apart from a lock means tenant, and "self contained basement" means tenant, but if no lock and he still shares living space, just not a bog and kitchen???


The laws are from 1985 before we all had en-suites bathrooms....


Would this rule below mean every time they locked the toilet door they become a tenant

"The lodger shouldn’t be allowed to put a lock on their door, to keep the landlord out."

Honeylife

This has been an interesting thread. I have both male and female lodgers. All students on a Licence Agreement.

Initially absolutely no overnight guests. My adult children told me I was in the dark ages and to lighten up. Ok first time I agreed my male lodger could have his girlfriend over, she came on Friday morning and stayed until Monday every weekend. Besides the loud sex, they took over the kitchen. I finally had to say something and he was fine about it and left within two months. I then adopted the two night only rule, eventually reducing that to one night and that seems to work. My biggest headache is because I am in central London my Lodgers usually from out of town, out of the country, from somewhere else, friends and family seem to think they can stay here regularly for free whenever they want to come to London! I have had requests for both parents to stay in the lodger's room for a week or so with my suitably aghast face giving the response. I even charged a small fee for more than three days stay and when they wouldn't pay I took the fee from the Deposit.

Finally after several years exasperated by this overnight visitor thing written in my rules the following:

Day visitors should leave by midnight as the house winds down.

Unless discussed and agreed with me in advance, am reluctant regards overnight guests as it puts pressure on the house facilities as it is not fair on the other residents e.g. if they have to wait for your guest to finish using the bathroom. It is highly unlikely to be for more than one night and I can say No. Should a guest stay overnight they must leave when you leave the house.
No House Keys should be given to your Guests.
Please do not ask for a “friend/partner/brother/sister/parent” to stay for a week or more. This is just not appropriate.

Please do not ask for someone to crash/stay in your room when you are away on holiday or similar. This is not appropriate at any time.

There are thousands of hotels & hostels in London of a wide price range including very good AirBnB, come find me and I will recommend local ones.

The House Rules/House Notes are booklet form, they are read before signing the Licence Agreement. If they dont like them they dont take the room. Never happened yet. I have allowed the odd overnight if the friend has missed the train home or they are going to the airport early am and its easier to leave together from my place, but I know I tried to be liberal and it just didnt work. I dont have voids so never worry about filling the rooms.

Incidently, I was also accused of turning my house into an HMO by a neighbour when she saw my female lodgers boyfriend here "regularly". He was here about three times a week but not
overnight.

Interestingly I prefer males to females. You pull a guy up about something, they deal with it with a shrug. You tell a girl, she pouts, flounces and then you can hear her complaining to her friend mother on her mobile loudly

Comms69

Honeylife wrote: »

This has been an interesting thread. I have both male and female lodgers. All students on a Licence Agreement.

Initially absolutely no overnight guests. My adult children told me I was in the dark ages and to lighten up. Ok first time I agreed my male lodger could have his girlfriend over, she came on Friday morning and stayed until Monday every weekend. Besides the loud sex, they took over the kitchen. I finally had to say something and he was fine about it and left within two months. I then adopted the two night only rule, eventually reducing that to one night and that seems to work. My biggest headache is because I am in central London my Lodgers usually from out of town, out of the country, from somewhere else, friends and family seem to think they can stay here regularly for free whenever they want to come to London! I have had requests for both parents to stay in the lodger's room for a week or so with my suitably aghast face giving the response. I even charged a small fee for more than three days stay and when they wouldn't pay I took the fee from the Deposit.

Finally after several years exasperated by this overnight visitor thing written in my rules the following:

Day visitors should leave by midnight as the house winds down.

Unless discussed and agreed with me in advance, am reluctant regards overnight guests as it puts pressure on the house facilities as it is not fair on the other residents e.g. if they have to wait for your guest to finish using the bathroom. It is highly unlikely to be for more than one night and I can say No. Should a guest stay overnight they must leave when you leave the house.
No House Keys should be given to your Guests.
Please do not ask for a “friend/partner/brother/sister/parent” to stay for a week or more. This is just not appropriate.

Please do not ask for someone to crash/stay in your room when you are away on holiday or similar. This is not appropriate at any time. - That's the only one that struck me. You're still charging them rent for that period? So why not?

There are thousands of hotels & hostels in London of a wide price range including very good AirBnB, come find me and I will recommend local ones.
- aside from that I think your rule is unnecessary; here's a simpler version: "No Guests."

The House Rules/House Notes are booklet form, they are read before signing the Licence Agreement. If they dont like them they dont take the room. Never happened yet. I have allowed the odd overnight if the friend has missed the train home or they are going to the airport early am and its easier to leave together from my place, but I know I tried to be liberal and it just didnt work. I dont have voids so never worry about filling the rooms.

Incidently, I was also accused of turning my house into an HMO by a neighbour when she saw my female lodgers boyfriend here "regularly". He was here about three times a week but not
overnight. - And not a HMO anyway.

Interestingly I prefer males to females. You pull a guy up about something, they deal with it with a shrug. You tell a girl, she pouts, flounces and then you can hear her complaining to her friend mother on her mobile loudly

Think people try to be too polite, these are business decisions

Honeylife

Please do not ask for someone to crash/stay in your room when you are away on holiday or similar. This is not appropriate at any time. - That's the only one that struck me. You're still charging them rent for that period? So why not?

Amongst my small cohort of local female landladies, we have observed this as yet another new request in the past couple of years. Maybe okay for random Housesharers or Tenants but pretty much akin to sub-letting! Not part of my Licence Agreement. Primarily Not vetted. Stranger in my family house. Not enough interest or time for the two parties to invest in a relationship. Extremely Awkward. I would want the same terms for anyone staying longer than a week - a deposit and a signed licenced agreement and to be vetted. Short term room crashers/squatters don't want to do paper work. I would sooner ask my Licenced lodger to leave if they even tried to insist on sub-letting the room in my House!

Comms69

Honeylife wrote: »

Please do not ask for someone to crash/stay in your room when you are away on holiday or similar. This is not appropriate at any time. - That's the only one that struck me. You're still charging them rent for that period? So why not?

Amongst my small cohort of local female landladies, we have observed this as yet another new request in the past couple of years. Maybe okay for random Housesharers or Tenants but pretty much akin to sub-letting! Not part of my Licence Agreement. Primarily Not vetted. Stranger in my family house. Not enough interest or time for the two parties to invest in a relationship. Extremely Awkward. I would want the same terms for anyone staying longer than a week - a deposit and a signed licenced agreement and to be vetted. Short term room crashers/squatters don't want to do paper work. I would sooner ask my Licenced lodger to leave if they even tried to insist on sub-letting the room in my House!

Presumably when you say ‘vet’ it’s for your safety; what does that include?