Lodger now Works From Home

Homeowner17

Grumpy_chap said:

I think if I was that lodger, I'd be looking for another room elsewhere.

Oh, Grumpy_chap! Actually my lodger is very happy and looking forward to Christmas! 

Homeowner17

onwards&upwards said:

You might find your insurance is actually cheaper as the house is occupied all day rather than empty. 

This is a fair point. I can't guarantee the presence for the full year and the hours per day varies sometimes so at this point I wouldn't list that.

Homeowner17

TripleH said:

Here's a thought, as she is now working from home, she can claim a working from home allowance can she not (via her tax return)? Suggest an increase but counter with her being able to claim for that perhaps?

Maybe if it was more formal employment - they are paid in cash.

Slithery

Homeowner17 said:

AdrianC said:

Homeowner17 said:

I have chosen to write an addendum to the original contract... 

You do realise that doesn't affect the existing contract unless and until the other party agrees to adopt it, right?

I also realise that I don't have to have a contract at all but that it all helps to make it professional and clear. All my lodgers have been happy with this. 

You completely missed the point. You can't change an already existing contract without the other parties agreement.

NameUnavailable

Interesting thread. As I am going to have to rent somewhere soon and work from home at present I have wondered how 'house share' places would see it. I would rather have my own place and this thread reinforces that.

I'm not sure it's fair to rent out part of your home and then want to treat the lodger as a guest or child, laying down rules etc. If I rent somewhere to live I expect it to be my home and to do what I want (within reason of course).

elsien

Homeowner17 said:

TripleH said:

Here's a thought, as she is now working from home, she can claim a working from home allowance can she not (via her tax return)? Suggest an increase but counter with her being able to claim for that perhaps?

Maybe if it was more formal employment - they are paid in cash.

They can be paid in cash and still be legit and going through the books.

zagubov

A minor point; if your broadband ever has problems, and your supplier gets to hear that it's needed for work, they may want you to switch to a business contract.

FreeBear

NameUnavailable said: I'm not sure it's fair to rent out part of your home and then want to treat the lodger as a guest or child, laying down rules etc. If I rent somewhere to live I expect it to be my home and to do what I want (within reason of course).

I have a lodger (lovely young lady), and constantly remind her that this is her home too. Aside from a few basic "house rules", she is free to do as she pleases. Want to decorate your room in wild colours - No problem, I'll give you a hand. Want friends over and possibly stay the night - OK, just give me a little bit of warning first...

I may not be the typical live-in landlord, and I know some would rather never see their lodgers, but I like the company.

As for bills, having a lodger around 24/7 hasn't made much difference to the annual bills. All the lights are low energy LED, heating is driven by a smart control, which just leaves cooking - That hasn't been more than I budgeted for, and the rent more than covers the minor increase.

numbercruncher8

Much depends on the place, doesn't it?

I've been a live-in landlord before. Had this situation happened to me, I wouldn't have a problem with anyone working from home. I would probably even have invested in a desk and office chair for them and/or any other inexpensive things they may need that could remain in their room should they leave (ie shelves for files). For one, sitting at regular dining room chairs for extended period is no good for your back, secondly it provides an incentive not to use the communal area for work. Then again, their rooms were plenty big enough to accommodate this.

Gotta say from a rough poll of people that I know is that working from home is not exactly 9 to 5.... it can be spread out over a slightly longer period. 

I was quite a laissez-faire landlord, but the phrase 'ok for now' seems familiar to me - there are things that a quite tolerable for a while but if it were to happen permanently would annoy me, and this would be one of them. More money would not solve that.

It is fair that lodgers pay rent and they should regard it as their home, but it shouldn't extend beyond that. I would regard me sitting in the kitchen all day as quite unfair to them, so the reverse also applies.

Nothing wrong with an agreement, but in a strict sense it isn't enforceable (just conflated with the ability to give a lodger notice at any time). The same thing could be achieved by simply having a chat and saying that the communal areas should be clear of work-related stuff when you are both in the house.

csgohan4

OP have you considered that having lodgers is not for you in this current climate?