Money Moral Dilemma: Should I tell my lodger he's using too much water and energy or increase rent?

Tinker0880

How does anyone shower for 45 mins, I’m in there 5-10 mins tops, I would have a word with them in the first instance and explain due to the bills going up they need to be mindful of the waste, if they don’t take any notice after a couple of weeks then I would give notice that their rent will be increasing to cover the cost of their excessive usage. 

Ramouth

Ath_Wat said:

Dizzybird_22 said:

Just wondering how a human being can spend 45 minutes in a shower. I've got a teen daughter who doesn't take that long!

People turn it on then faff around doing other stuff for 15 minutes before getting in.  Hard to believe, I know, but not uncommon.

This is why I think a shallow bath is more energy / water efficient sometimes.  I will often use the bath to warm up or relax muscles after exercise.  This would take longer in the shower as you have less water contact with the water.  And you are letting the heat escape down the drain.  As a student I had very long showers, as a bill paying adult I have learned the error of my ways!

Perhaps the first step is to explain the issues to your lodger and see if they change their behaviour?

crmism

I assume you already have a tenancy agreement in place, which should lay down very clearly who pays for what. Your present lodger is evidently taking advantage of you, however, so a fresh agreement by which he pays for water and heating is in order. If you have no recourse to that, then perhaps you should arrange separate supplies, ie one for you and one for your lodger, the latter being coin-operated. It will obviously cost something to install, but in the long run will be worth the expense, which you should be able to set-off against his rent for tax purposes.

FreeBear

EnvoyCDX said:  Also, having a lodger, is there any clause in there stating that there is a rolling review of said rent, or is there a set period, ie 6 months, 12 months etc.

I have a clause in the Licence to Occupy contract that states usage of utilities in excess of a reasonable amount will trigger a requirement for extra payments. Made it clear that things like fan heaters are not to be used, and hair driers & curling tongs should never be left on for long periods of time. Electricity consumption is monitored (smart meter plus Owl type device) and recorded every 30 seconds - Gives me a pretty good picture of what & when things are being used.

Ed264 said: If you didn't have a lodger and otherwise lived alone, you would get 25% discount from your council tax, which of course you lose by having a lodger.

If it is a Mon-Fri lodger and they are registered elsewhere for council tax, you'd still get your 25% discount. Full time students are also exempt.

Alex_71787

This sounds like the classic British inability to raise "difficult" issues, whether in personal life or the workplace! The MoneySaver needs to talk about the problem with the tenant, not just hint at it, with clear explanation of what the issue is and what needs to change to resolve it. Maybe take a look at YouTube videos on how to do this assertively, as opposed to in an aggressive or confrontational manner.

Lollipops67

I had something similar, my lodger used the washing machine and dryer excessively. One day he put a single item on an hour and a half wash then in the dryer for the same to shrink them at which point I had to say something, he took it reasonably well and has changed his ways. By the time I mentioned it I wouldn't have cared if he left, plenty of lodgers out there but lesson learnt best to mention it sooner and put guide lines in place at the beginning. You need to say something now, you're not being unreasonable. 

Ringo90

I would definitely tell him whether in writing or in speaking, whatever you feel more comfortable doing. I know it's not easy to do. The proposed solution is either he tries to waste less or you raise his rent but this is up to you and what's important to you. Personally, while I hate extremes and would not make a fuss if someone taking a 5 minutes shower doesn't stop the water while using the soap (for example), I would hate the other extreme of wasting water for a whopping 45 minutes. It's not just about money, it's an unbearable waste in my eyes. It's way too much for anyone. So if my lodger wanted to keep having 45 minutes showers and even if they wanted to pay more, I would not accept something like that and would prefer that to find another lodger. But this is up to you and how much you care also about the planet. 

LKAY

Do both... tell him he is using too much water and energy and that is why you are increasing the rent.

TerryMSE

Unfortunately I have been in a situation like this, I let a room out but it was to a Friend ( which made it more difficult ) they left lights on even when they went out, took ages in the shower ( shower did not really bother me ) then there work pattern changed this was where things got bad, they started work later in the morning 10am so they started staying up later at night watching TV or doing what ever they did, they did not disturb me but this resulted in lights being used more TV plus games systems being used more, at first I thought nothing of it until the dark evening drawn in and that was when my bills showed an increase.
I had a chat with them and they were very good about it or I thought, nothing changed so I had a second word with them but this time more firm and explained the bills have increased and I do nothing different but they do, I suggested I do a comparison and they pay the extra on the bills, but they paid rent all inclusive so I could not get this over to them, so I said ok I will put them on a rolling rent and review it every three months, if my utility bills increase there rent would.
They did not like this situation so I suggested I increase there rent all year round to reflect the difference in utility increases, they complained but they would use less in the summer.
Unfortunately we are no longer friends they have moved out and I had to find a new lodger who was not a friend and set the rules out from the start, they now pay rent and half the utility bills. They may use more than me but I found this worked better for me as if my utility goes up so does the amount the lodger pays.

LP53

My daughter takes ages in the shower shaving legs etc or leaving conditioner on hair 5 mins leaving shower to run 5 mins before getting in. It drives me mad! 
I would Tell your lodger they spend a long time in shower and if that’s how long it takes that’s fair enough you don’t want to stop them but Point out that gas/elec has gone up massively and you’re going to have to increase their rent accordingly.