Divorcing and needing a lodger...

Honeylife

KeeperOfTheMarsh wrote: »

As a lodger myself, can I ask why people are advising against giving lodgers lockable bedrooms?

You don't want to create a tenancy.

If it is a Houseshare or HMO without Resident Landlord then you can have a lock on the door, but not in a family home with an RL.

After one of my lodgers had the mother of all nightmares and the rest of the house had to get in his room and restrain/reassure him whilst trying to wake him, (checking under the bed there wasn't an axe murderer) fortunately, he hadn't put the night latch on, am glad we don't have locks on rooms.

zagubov

If you're not going to be present for much of the week, it's doubly important that you make it totally obvious that the lodger is sharing facilities with you and has no exclusive possession.

If it all goes wrong you don't want them to be able to claim to be a tenant, but it would be very useful for them.

That's why only your bedroom should be lockable, and why there needs to be at least some shared use of kitchen facilities such as fridge or freezer or dishwasher, especially if they have their own ensuite. In fact it would probably be better if you had the ensuite yourself, but kept some toiletries in the general bathroom.

Going in to emptying their rubbish bins regularly would be useful (or having a cleaner do it).