Moving in with a stranger

zippygeorgeandben

Hi everyone,

Big decisions being made in my life at the moment and I am going to be moving in with someone, i.e. lodging.  What potential pitfalls (but there will be positives I know) should I consider?  I'm not on about really from a legal point of view but more a co-habiting with someone kind of move.  I'm hoping that you might be able to give me pause for thought.

greatcrested

Couple of legal things to check

* rent (obviously!)

* what it includes eg consumables? loo rolls, cleaning stuff, salt/pepper - are you expected to provide, or share or what?

* notice period. If you simply don't get along or change you mind, are you committed for a week? a month?

Lifestyle

* where can you go? Confined to your bedroom/bathroom? Or living areas, garden etc?

* noise - can you play music etc? Till when?

* guests - can you invite? Only in your room or living room too? For meals? Overnight? How often?

* cleaning? who does what/when?

* wifi?

* smoking. Do you? Does the LL?

These link are mainly for landlords but may be useful:

LodgerLandlord (21 tips from solicitor Tessa Shepperson + General information site)

Landlordzone (Q & A on taking in lodgers)

Renting out rooms in your home (Government info)

Rent a Room Scheme (HMRC guide for tax-free income from lodgers)

Landlord Lodger Guide (legal and practical advice)

Lodger Site (sample contract, practical and legal tips)

MaryNB

I've never lodged but I've lived in house shares. In 7 years of renting I lived with about 20 different strangers across different houses. It's not easy to gauge based on first impressions but I try to look out for people who I think could be reasonable if an issue arose. When I was doing viewings for a room when a housemate moved out, if the person viewing gave the impression they could be difficult we'd rule them out pretty quickly. If you find a live in landlord who seems overly fussy might be one to avoid.

The difficultly with lodging is that there's a power imbalance there. I was always living with people who were also tenants, never with a landlord.

natasha22

Definitely consider the type of lodging.

What are the homeowners expectations? Ive lived in multiple and some were very keen on strict boundaries of it being their house eg. That you werent expected to spend any time in the living room, stay mostly in the bedroom  and cooking was expected to be brief and you eat in your room. Others have liked company and are happy to watch tv together, or for you to eat your meal/ spend time in the dining areas eg playing games.

Are you allowed any guests? 
Are there rules on things like when you are expected to use the kitchen, washing machines etc

Check who shares your space, one person I stayed with was forever having dinner parties which meant it was impossible for me to cook on lots of nights. Some people might have kids that visit frequently

What type of chores are you expected to do? Check what your money covers

My word of warning would be that some people have lodgers because they like the money but in reality hate you being in their house and sharing space. Check if you are allowed to do basic things like leave toiletries in bathrooms, as I've found if they wince at the idea of your toothpaste in the communal area it will be struggle!

natasha22

Some people are also funny about how much storage space you can have. Eg get huffy about you using kitchen equipment but also dont give you any space to store your own

I've had some really good experiences and bad.

In general I find house shares less stressful and there is less of a constant visitor feeling 

zippygeorgeandben

Hi thanks for the quick replies so far and really taking the time to answer.  I have just skimmed read but will read in detail later.

A 21 year relationship has come to an end and I just need to move on.

It's a complete 50/50 split on all rent and bills.  We work in the same field so that's how we began talking, a chance meeting at the door.  It's in the same block of flats, just 2 floors up from where I currently am.

NameUnavailable

A few thoughts.

Has your potential new landlord had previous lodgers? If not they may quickly realise that they don't like sharing their home and ask you to leave after a short while.

Some people still want 'their' home and expect lodgers to be confined to their rooms in silence. Make sure you know what their ground rules are going to be. You basically want to feel that it's your home as well, not that you're a guest (you're paying to stay there after all!).

You don't need to be best friends but you need to get on.

Ultimately you can try it and find something else if it doesn't work out, so the risk level is fairly low, as long as they will be reasonable on notice periods.

zippygeorgeandben

You've definitely given me things to think about and I will bring all these potential things up with him.  Seems pretty laid back but yes, I wonder if he has given these things thoughts!  Going back to the money side of it, I will be saving a considerable sum each month and those of you who have read this thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5567669/unsure-whether-to-consolidate-please-advise#latest

know the journey I have been on.

If it actually doesn't work out, I can always see about staying at a friends in that eventuality, whilst still paying low rent. 

The point about feeling it being my home as well is definitely something to think about.  He is going to put me on the tenancy to protect me but I guess that means I'm liable if he decides to move out in the future when tenancy ends.  However, he only just moved into the flat last year.

[Deleted User]

zippygeorgeandben said:

You've definitely given me things to think about and I will bring all these potential things up with him.  Seems pretty laid back but yes, I wonder if he has given these things thoughts!  Going back to the money side of it, I will be saving a considerable sum each month and those of you who have read this thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5567669/unsure-whether-to-consolidate-please-advise#latest

know the journey I have been on.

If it actually doesn't work out, I can always see about staying at a friends in that eventuality, whilst still paying low rent. 

The point about feeling it being my home as well is definitely something to think about.  He is going to put me on the tenancy to protect me but I guess that means I'm liable if he decides to move out in the future when tenancy ends.  However, he only just moved into the flat last year.

If you are also named on the tenancy and therefore a joint tenant you will not be a lodger.

Murphybear

I advertised for someone to share a flat in South London years ago, before the age of deposits and contracts.  She viewed the flat and we sealed the deal by going to the nearest pub.  Very quickly she became my best friend and remained so until she died prematurely 20 years later. 

greatcrested

zippygeorgeandben said:

.....  He is going to put me on the tenancy to protect me but I guess that means I'm liable if he decides to move out in the future when tenancy ends.  However, he only just moved into the flat last year.

Are you going to be a tenant or a lodger?

Who will be your landlord? Who will you pay your rent to?

A lodger (broadly) lives in the same property with a resident landlord & shares facilities. Unlike tenants, lodgers have few rights.
The Housing Act 1988 provides definitions of 'Resident Landlord' & 'same property' (S31 & Schedule 1 (10).