Practical advice on taking on a lodger

missymoneypenny

I've had lodgers for years and no real problems - usually with a lodger agreement and now always as others have stated. We behave as housemates, but I always end up cleaning more which I think is payoff. Just works out that way. Be clear about guests, working from home, very important. Also, might be worth considering Airbnb these days as well as Spareroom - as you could have a short term person as a trial and they'd have no "rights' and would be a guest. I've used both, and these days, well, before Covid, a lot of people used Airbnb for longer 1-3 month lets, and then became a lodger with an agreement (final year student who thought they'd move in with a friend but then didn't/person with a new job unsure of how long it would last stayed for 4 months/someone working on a TV production that ran on for months). You get a slightly higher rate too, in my experience, and you get a chance to see how you get on. Good luck, I think it's worth it, unless you only do it for money and have no interest in people - in that case, you may struggle with it feeling a chore or intrusive and it's not great for them either. 

[Deleted User]

This is a much better idea with large bedrooms and a small lounge, than if you've small bedrooms and a large lounge.

Often all the lodger looks at, so far as inside the property goes, is the size of their private space.  A box room with a 5m by 4m shared lounge would be hard to fill. A 5m by 4m bedroom but no lounge would fill very easily.

Just as private gardens in flat conversions are more valued than communal ones.

Hannimal

Poster_586329 said:

This is a much better idea with large bedrooms and a small lounge, than if you've small bedrooms and a large lounge.

Often all the lodger looks at, so far as inside the property goes, is the size of their private space.  A box room with a 5m by 4m shared lounge would be hard to fill. A 5m by 4m bedroom but no lounge would fill very easily.

Just as private gardens in flat conversions are more valued than communal ones.

Well this is great advice for someone who is looking to buy a property with the sole purpose of finding a lodger (?)

Hannimal

missymoneypenny said:

I've had lodgers for years and no real problems - usually with a lodger agreement and now always as others have stated. We behave as housemates, but I always end up cleaning more which I think is payoff. Just works out that way. Be clear about guests, working from home, very important. Also, might be worth considering Airbnb these days as well as Spareroom - as you could have a short term person as a trial and they'd have no "rights' and would be a guest. I've used both, and these days, well, before Covid, a lot of people used Airbnb for longer 1-3 month lets, and then became a lodger with an agreement (final year student who thought they'd move in with a friend but then didn't/person with a new job unsure of how long it would last stayed for 4 months/someone working on a TV production that ran on for months). You get a slightly higher rate too, in my experience, and you get a chance to see how you get on. Good luck, I think it's worth it, unless you only do it for money and have no interest in people - in that case, you may struggle with it feeling a chore or intrusive and it's not great for them either. 

Thank you - this is really helpful. I think I will look at someone short-term in the first instance and see how it goes.