Lodger situation

paduk

Hello,
This is the dilemma: we have a spare bedroom in our flat with an en suite which we rent out. For ten years things have always worked pretty well but with the last lodger I am at a loss.

He is a nice guy, no problem with the rent but he NEVER goes out and he has not realized that sometime it would be good to let us enjoy the living room.

I am aware that having a lodger comes with a loss of privacy; all the other lodgers in the past got it so without the need to state that out some days they would let us staying in the living room and vice versa and sometime we would share it maybe watching a movie and/or having dinner together. This guy has not really got it as he is always in there plus in three months he has gone out only once.

I have tried to have a chat with him asking whether he is experiencing difficulties with living in a new city and he said that he is just an introvert and when he goes out it takes him a week to recover. On the top of this he said to me that now he will be working from home at least twice a week.

I honestly don't know what to do: I feel bad in kicking him out but his presence in our flat has become very intrusive.

Any thoughts on how to handle this?

pinkshoes

paduk wrote: »

Hello,
This is the dilemma: we have a spare bedroom in our flat with an en suite which we rent out. For ten years things have always worked pretty well but with the last lodger I am at a loss.

He is a nice guy, no problem with the rent but he NEVER goes out and he has not realized that sometime it would be good to let us enjoy the living room.

I am aware that having a lodger comes with a loss of privacy; all the other lodgers in the past got it so without the need to state that out some days they would let us staying in the living room and vice versa and sometime we would share it maybe watching a movie and/or having dinner together. This guy has not really got it as he is always in there plus in three months he has gone out only once.

I have tried to have a chat with him asking whether he is experiencing difficulties with living in a new city and he said that he is just an introvert and when he goes out it takes him a week to recover. On the top of this he said to me that now he will be working from home at least twice a week.

I honestly don't know what to do: I feel bad in kicking him out but his presence in our flat has become very intrusive.

Any thoughts on how to handle this?

Stick to the "working from home" thing and say you weren't looking for a lodger that would be at home during the day.

(Don't forget he will be using electricity, heating on when colder...)

Best just to be polite and firm but give him plenty of time to find somewhere else.

KiKi

I wouldn't use the working from home thing - as he may come home the next day and say he's arranged to work full time in the office. Then you have no get out!

Simply say that as a couple you've decided you need more room, and give him the correct notice, and leave on friendly terms. You're not 'kicking him out' - you're giving him the right notice according to his living arrangement. Being a lodger isn't usually a permanent thing, and life changes happen.

ilikeoolongtea

am i wrong in thinking that he's well within his right to stay in the house as long as he's paying? unless theres something in the tenancy agreement stating the tenant can only be in the house during certain hours but that in itself is a bit odd

Jox

Make up an excuse that a family member is coming to stay and give him his notice if it is causing you an issue.

PasturesNew

paduk wrote: »

....when he goes out it takes him a week to recover. ...

That's me to a T. It might be "common or garden" introvert, or he might be somewhere on the autistic/high functioning scale.

We don't go out.

It's why it's not ideal to be a lodger as you feel peculiar as you know they'll notice you don't go out

If you kick him out, without any actual "good reason" .... and he is autistic .... is that a disability hate crime?

Working from home, as a lodger, though, is something else. He really needs to be living in a studio flat, alone... so he can do that. Working from home, when you're a lodger, isn't really "playing the game".

nyc_451

I would come up with a convincing excuse and ask him to move out, then find someone else. You can't change the way he is.

Also, wouldn't he be spending most of the time in his room if he was an introvert? That's what I used to do as a lodger, some landlords thought I was too quiet.

He's too much for you already, imagine how annoyed you'll be when he starts working from home...

melanzana

Strange, I would have thought that a person who says they are introverted and need recovery time, wouldn't constantly sit in your company in the lounge area.

Hmm. He has his own room, and a bathroom to himself, presumably has tv and internet too. So why is he constantly in your company?

Anyway doesn't matter. He is making you uncomfortable, so the time has come to let him go.

A polite, this is not working for us/family need the room from xxx week. Byeee.

You are lucky in the sense that as a lodger he does not have many rights, and presumably he also knew this from day one.

Best of luck. It is your house/flat, enjoy it and whilst I know you do not wish to be cruel or anything, give adequate notice and move on.

G_M

ilikeoolongtea wrote: »

am i wrong in thinking that he's well within his right to stay in the house as long as he's paying? unless theres something in the tenancy agreement stating the tenant can only be in the house during certain hours but that in itself is a bit odd

Yes.


You are indeed wrong.


Unless we are talking about Scotland ofcourse...........

zagubov

If he's getting on your nerves now, it'll be unbearable when he's working from home. You've got to end this.
It's not working out, you need the room for a family member, whatever.
You'll happily give a reference and will get his deposit returned to him.
Give him the month or week(s) noticed agreed in the contract.

Next lodger, make it clear the living room is for occasional use at most.

babyblade41

He's a lodger, you have been very lucky in the past but now it doesn't suit.. he can and obviously does use his home as he so wishes without contravening any of the house rules unless otherwise stated.

As it doesn't suit you I hope you will give appropriate notice, no need for an excuse just the notice and accept this may happen again