Money Moral Dilemma: Should I ask the neighbours staying with us for rent?

REJP

No, same as other comments.
If you charge rent I assume you will declare the income to HMRC and read up on responsibilities of a landlord to tenants?  
One day you might be in their position and need their help.

Lambethdad

Not necessarily, but reassess the situation via an adult conversation. You agreed to a month. It has been longer already with no clear end date. Talk to them and work out what works for you all. This might be them paying you. It might be them finding somewhere else to stay in the meantime. It might be something else. But you and your neighbours are the only people who fully understand the situation and the dynamic between you. Sort it out like grown ups. 

al223

What on earth are they having done that renders their house completely unusable for months? I think it's fair to charge them, not for wear and tear, just for the fact that they are there. People like to have their own homes and pay lots of money for the privilege, I assume they are impeding on your life and therefore you aren't getting the full enjoyment of your own home. If you wanted people living with you, you could have lodgers paying you money. You agreed to have them for a month and now it may be much longer, whoever is at fault for this should be paying for accommodation for them, whether it's them or their builders.

Either that or once their house is ready you cancel all your bills and move into theirs for an equivalent length of time. I'm surprised they aren't offering anything more without you having to raise it with them.

Fleeting

REJP said:

No, same as other comments.
If you charge rent I assume you will declare the income to HMRC and read up on responsibilities of a landlord to tenants?  
One day you might be in their position and need their help.

The Rent a Room Scheme allows you to earn up to a threshold of £7,500 per year tax-free from letting out furnished accommodation in your home.  You can let out as much of your home as you want.

cyber_lady1

Why is everything always about money? 

During a pandemic I would not allow anyone outside my bubble to even visit me due to self isolation otherwise I would welcome them with open arms and we would all pull together with household chores etc, build a friendship for the future and be KIND! Nobody knows our future and it would be priceless to think they could help us one day if we ever fall on hard times, there is always hope!

Mark_Stephens

At first I thought, no of course not be a good neighbor you never know when you will need their help But now not so sure I think you better quietly check legal situation ASAP with regards to inviting someone into your home and letting them stay rent free, there are also probably all sorts of legalities to do with insurance and duty of care etc Remember wether we all like it or not we have imported one most unpleasant aspect of the USA and that's the litigeous environment, what if one of them has a life changing accident in your property 

t14cy_t

nope. paying towards utilities is enough i think

John_Gray

I think we should be told what the neighbours are doing to/on the carpets to cause additional wear and tear...

7849Wendy

No, if you have a mortgage you're possibly going to breach its terms if you let out a room, once it becomes a business different rules apply. You're already at risk of having invalidated your home insurance, policies are assessed on the basis of who lives in the property.
As others have said, good neighbours are hard to find, I would hope that when they get back home they'll do something lovely as a thank you

Emerion

messiahontrial said:

This sounds...fabricated.

On the one hand, the writer appears overly accommodating.

On the other, they appear petty and penny pinching.

Major works next door will have a positive effect to average house prices in the street.

This will more than compensate for 'wear and tear' on carpets and household appliances.

Can't believe I've responded to this...

I don’t think it’s odd. It’s got the authentic ring of an offer made in haste to good neighbours, with whom they were friendly. Maybe a bottle of wine was involved?  And then when it drags on, and on, irritation sets in. It’s easy to tell other people to be assertive, and just say what you feel, but  in practice it’s hard to actually do it, especially if it’s with people who will still be living next door if you fall out over it.  So they’ve waited, probably telling themselves “ just another week or two, it’s worth it for the gratitude, and we do like them”. Eventually pettiness will set in, just like in a failing non-communicating marriage.