MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Should Bob get a lodger?

robpw2

I wuld say no .. i dont think that his 3girls shoud have to share a room.

tallgirld

YES he should if it will clear the debt!! It's only temporary

Hippy-H

Hello

How about this scheme through the gov.

The Rent a Room scheme

"If you already have a lodger or are thinking about letting furnished rooms in your home, you can receive up to £4,250 a year tax-free (£2,150 if letting jointly). "

The link is
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/TaxOnPropertyAndRentalIncome/DG_4017804

We had a friend of my daughter's stay with us for a year
(and already had 3 teenagers, plus me and OH in a 3-bed house.)

You definitely need a sense of humour and preferably two loos!
Also bunkbeds with single on top & double below....(so they can sit on the edge without crouching)

trejoy

If he does, she needs to be female, but who would want to lodge in a house that has 3 teenage girls in it? Nightmare.:rotfl:

esthomizzy

Yes if that's the only way to get the debt down and ease the stress that no doubt comes with it then it is. A female would probably be best and if she was willing to live in a house with 3 teenagers (I agree that it might be a problem keeping someone) then she'd probably be patient enough to be something of a female role model for them anyway. The issue of her having boyfriends stay over is a matter to be kept in check but that could easily occur when an older teenager/young adult in the family has boyfriends stay anyway.

Besides when it's someone lodging they have very few rights (as it's your own primary residence) so if you didn't like them or their boyfriends, their attitude or anything else then you could ask them to leave.

Boonbetty

Yes, get a lodger - must be female.
If there are only three bedrooms surely two of the girls are already sharing?

tigerk1uk

If Bob is a lone parent, rents his home, receives housing/council tax benefit and any other state benefits, then he will have to consider very carefully taking in a lodger as he could lose entitlement to all benefits and end up in more of a financial mess than he is already. Then again, he could do what many do, and commit benefit fraud, risking huge fines or even face imprisonment AND have to repay back the benefits he deceitfully claimed!

If I were Bob, I'd go take a visit to CAB (or similar) and seek help to sort out my finances, forget taking in a lodger and ensure that my girls are safe and don't have to cram into one room together.

Spidersgonnagetya

A lodger is too disruptive to the family (unless of course its a friend of the family, even then, it could be difficult to all live under one roof) The root of the problem is the £20,000 debt. Arrange lower payments with the creditors, his credit score is in tatters anyway with that amount of debt... Keep the peace of the family, and to hell with the banks.

Annashine

Is this the only solution or do we assume he has already done a money makeover to maximise income and minimise spending?! If the teenagers are working, what about charging them rent? (It was a shock to me when my mum did that but I am glad she did.) I would agree that if he does get a lodger, the language school student route may be the best one to go for - he could move into the small room and have the three girls in the largest bedroom. Sharing a bathroom? No problem, it is one of the things we all have to do sometimes as adults.

armcurl

JeffMinter wrote: »

Surely Bob is getting child payments from the mother (unheard of, I know ) and is entitled to additional income support to help ease the burden?

Paula died.