Viewing 38 posts - 1 through 38 (of 38 total)
  • Taking in lodgers – any experiences?
  • Sue_W
    Free Member

    Looking at a house to buy – really like it but it’s far too big for one. So am considering taking in a lodger.

    Anyone else done this? Pro’s/ con’s? (I can’t stand the thought of a return to student days and rows over who does the washing up!)

    Another alternative would be to have part of the house as a sort of separate flat – could have their own bedroom, lounge, bathroom, and I could put in a small kitchen area. But it wouldn’t be completely separate from the rest of the house (it would be one floor of it) – are there any additional regulations covering that?

    Any advice / experiences welcome!

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

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    Sue_W
    Free Member

    Hey c_g! How are you doing? I ran out of bra’s to burn, so thought I’d come back 😉

    Thanks for the link. Did you end up getting a lodger in the end?

    mudshark
    Free Member

    I rented out a room for around 10 years, mostly worked out fine but wouldn’t go back to that now as am more used to having my own space.

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    After living with a landlord I’ve vowed never to lodge ever again*!

    Just rememeber it’s no longer their money, therefore it is their home, if you can’t deal with that then don’t take the money and become a landlord.

    *I do pay the missus ‘rent’ though as it’s her mortgage/flat, which at times can be almost as infuriating!

    philconsequence
    Free Member

    I ran out of bra’s to burn,

    *reports post for sexism and gender stereotyping*

    (dont forget many men on this forum also have to wear bras young lady!)

    matttromans
    Free Member

    Hi Sue, strictly speaking a ‘sort of separate’ flat would need planning permission and to conform to current building regs. this is likely to involve upgrading the buildings fabric for thermal, acoustic and fire performances. That coupled with adding a new kitchen may end up not being cost effective?

    As for lodgers – I was once a rented a room with a live in land lady and all I can say is that you need to be very clear from the beginning about what you expect – renting a room and lodging have very different connotations! It didn’t end well.

    TheSouthernYeti
    Free Member

    I used to rent out my spare room to a lass but she wasn’t happy with ‘naked Friday’… nor would she accept my compromise of ‘wearing each others underwear Tuesday’.

    I didn’t dare suggest sharing {CONTENT REMOVED} fluid Thursday.

    Plus she was a messy so and so…

    BruceWee
    Full Member

    I’ve been a lodger a few times over the years, generally it’s worked best when we’ve basically treated each other as flatmates rather than a landlord/tenant relationship.

    5lab
    Full Member

    I’m just about to kick mine out, and go to living with just my gf. I chose to have tenants as I had never lived on my own (went from a shared flat rented to a shared house I owned).

    Once I’ve got used to living on my own I don’t think I could handle tenants again. In 4 years I’ve only had 2 couples who I didn’t know prior to them moving in, mostly its just been my mates. My other half gets more wound up than me as she likes things clean and tidy, I don’t really notice.

    most you can legally charge without filling in a tax return (and getting taxed) is around £400/month – although I think you can charge bills on top of this (I did)

    whilst I’m looking forwards to living without tenants, the 4 years and 24k hasn’t been too bad

    Couldn’t you just buy a smaller house?

    professorfaceplant
    Free Member

    My wife and i had a lodger for 6 months and TBH it was a mixed bag really, we were thankful for the money and got on well with the lodger but it is nice having the house to ourselves and a spare room for guestes. If it’s just you on your own then i’d definilty recommend a lodger though but really it all depends on the lodger you get – i’d start by seeing if any of your mates are looking for a house to rent if not, then choose carefully, also don’t charge over £4,250 per year otherwise you’ll have to pay tax and definately draw up a contract.

    another option to consider is some mates of ours let out a room in their house monday to friday and charge per night, then you get help with your mortguage, the lodgers get a room that’s cheaper for a night in a hotel and then there isn’t really any arguments over washing and cooking as the lodgers aren’t there long enough

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    I ran out of bra’s to burn,

    *reports post for misuse of the apostrophe*

    😉

    Sue_W
    Free Member

    Am now slightly worried by what I would be offering to share 😯

    Not sure if it would be the right thing for me – I’m used to living on my own, and although I’m pretty sociable, I wouldn’t want to come home to stress and hassle.

    It would appear that tensions appear quite often, for both home owner and lodger?

    (Oh, and philc – sorry you’re right, I forgot about the moobs! must be why there’s the bravissimo ad on the forum 🙂

    CFH – hangs head in shame. And there’s me with an English degree as well .. )

    Nick
    Full Member

    I shagged my twice-as-old-as-me landlady three times when I lodged in my 20’s, then we had a row, then she kicked me out and sold my stuff, so when she went on holiday I poured a pint of maggots through the letter box, which hatched into about 3000 flies.

    Looking back I could have done things differently, but it certainly was an experience 😉

    philconsequence
    Free Member

    dont apologise 😀

    after 2-3 years of sharing our place with a lovely guy who wouldnt hurt a fly and always pays the rent on time, mrsconsequence and I are dreaming about december 4th as… despite him being a lovely guy…. our housemate smells of unwashed teenage gym kit and so does everything he touches.

    never underestimate how much your own space and privacy is worth 🙂 oh and always having things to the level of cleanliness you see as acceptable!

    zilog6128
    Full Member

    I’m used to living on my own

    I wouldn’t bother then, unless you really need the money.

    Having been both a lodger and a lodgee (is that right?) even when you get on well there is always an element of compromise. It worked for me at the time, but I wouldn’t do it again now.

    Stoner
    Free Member

    actually since a “Bra” is a shortening of a “Brassiere”, then you can use the apostrophe to indicate the omission.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I do it – 3 years and 3 tenant on after living solo for 7 years.

    It’s fine but I may have been lucky with tenants. I am not anal about cleaning etc tho – some (women? 😉 ) may have issues here…

    enfht
    Free Member

    How will they react if their landlord suddenly throws an almighty flounce?

    Might need to stipulate something in the rent agreement.

    Stoner
    Free Member

    what if the flounce is retracted?

    enfht
    Free Member

    Good point, make that a sub-clause.

    Sue_W
    Free Member

    cynic-al – looks around house … finds bikes in the dining room, spare spd’s on the table, bouldering mat in the lounge … realises taht I might not be like some women 🙂

    enfht – no need. My flounce was not up to SurfMatt’s awesome standard, therefore wouldn’t count as an ‘almighty’ flounce, merely a minor one 😉

    More seriously – cynic-al: your situation (pre-tenants) sounds more similar to mine. How did you find the adjustment to having tenants?

    Oh, and I could get a smaller house, but those are all 2 bed granny bungalows round here, and just don’t appeal. The one I like is a rambling old Victorian house, lovely but has rather a lot of bedrooms! Maybe I could rent out rooms at the weekend for mountain bikers / climbers etc?

    enfht
    Free Member

    Sue if it’s any consolation, I think you’re awesome too treacle 😆

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    1st 2 were colleague/acquaintance. All 3 kept themselves to themselves without being weirdly quiet. A little odd with the 3rd as I got him through an ad but he’s been OK.

    It didn’t bother me really as I’d shared up to my 30s, also I have a mahoosive bedroom so can hang out/entertain laydeez in there if I need to (I rarely did).

    Stoner
    Free Member

    Maybe I could rent out rooms at the weekend for mountain bikers / climbers etc?

    then you’re into the pain of hotel/hostel rigmarole: fire escapes, HSE legislation, bedding, etc etc

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    You can let out rooms to 2 people without needing any HMO stuff – I think you need a gas certificate though.

    Sue_W
    Free Member

    OK, weekend lets to outdoors folks is not an option.

    I had a look at ‘spareroom’ and there are people asking for lodgers in this area, and seem to be happy toask for people who are similar to themselves. So taking on one lodger might be an option, as both the lodger and I could have a reasonable amount of space each – own bedroom, lounge and bathroom, but share the kitchen. As the pre-tax max is £4250, that would be about £350 / month – presumably a reasonable amount for your own room / lounge / bathroom?

    I’d still have a couple of spare bedrooms for visiting friends / family, plus a (ahem) mahoosive bedroom for entertaining chaps 😉

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    looks around house … finds bikes in the dining room, spare spd’s on the table, bouldering mat in the lounge … realises taht I might not be like some women

    Swoons

    [edit] swoon retracted due to the presence of SPD’s, unless they’re only on the table as they’ve been replaced with flat pedals.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Sue you sound minted, can I MOVE IN?

    Sue_W
    Free Member

    @ thisisnotaspoon – flats on the mtb and the ‘cross bike, spd’s on the road bike … is the swoon still retracted?

    cynic-al – I think Wales is a wee distance from Scotland (which I think is where you hang out), and weekend visitors now seem a bit complicated if HSE issues are involved!

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    Sue – I didn’t in the end but have now moved away from that area. Don’t think I would have any luck finding a Monday-to-Friday lodger in this part of Wiltshire.

    Mind you, B & B could be an option as not far away is Neolithic Heaven. 8) Hmmm, just thought of a USP – stay with a relic and see other relics. 🙄 Bath isn’t far away either.

    Trouble is I love my space, it’s still a novelty after less than 4 years, and I seriously am a right pita. It’s even quite stressful when my son comes to visit!

    Perhaps experiment with having someone who only wants to rent for six months?

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    Still retracted I’m affraid.

    gusamc
    Free Member

    yep, and has worked very well.

    Mon-Fri has advantages, and is IMHO it’s the best (for the landlord).
    other model, if you get a proper seperate annex is to do weekends/etc with a continetal brekkie – ie put a fridge, milk, cereal, microwave, kettle in there so you don’t have to be there. (I use these off ebay and it works well imho, note points above re rules/regs)
    also had full time but that is a bit more ‘involving’

    make sure that you BOTH understand the deal:
    – the lodger needs to know and be prepared to respect your rules/lifestyle etc
    – you need to make rules suitable to the fact that it’s no longer ‘your house’ and you are getting money for providing a service etc and somebody else is living there

    contact your property insurer/understand issues(*you will possibly not be covered if lodger nicks stuff, or you can probably get a specialist policy)

    When people view always tell them that someone has been round already and is first in queue (as if you don’t like them you can say sorry – but the first bloke took it, some people find this easier to say)

    are there any local business with visiting workers etc, esp ones who aren’t on company expenses etc ? language schools etc etc ????

    get a deposit, copy of passport dets/licence dets etc (ie photo identity), phone and emails – google etc on phone and emails prior to acceptance

    rent – review local competition and set appropriately, do maths, if you rent at £20 quid a month less than the competition and rent 1 month quicker – who wins

    Clover
    Full Member

    Hey Sue,

    Our house is way too big to (I bought it by accident – long story) and the people who’ve lodged here over the last few years would make a great novel.

    Mostly comedy although the last one had a habit of coming home drunk, playing loud music at 1am and then (after we’d flipped the fuse to his room because repeated requests to shut the f*ck up were ignored) sidling into the kitchen first thing in the morning trying to work what misdemeanors he’d committed (he didn’t remember). Don’t get one of those.

    The drystone waller, artist(s), festival organiser (and dog), Ghanaian princess and ex-nun have all been great value.

    In fact, we’re a bit low on lodgers at the mo – anyone want a room in mtb friendly house in the Calder Valley?

    dst
    Free Member

    I am looking to rent a room on a Monday to Thursday in south wales. I don’t suppose…….

    cardiff
    Free Member

    I rent a room out in Cardiff and have done for about 4 years, maybe I’ve been lucky but had no issues so far! That said make sure you go for a drink or something before saying yes to anyone, also worth finding out if they have a partner that’s likely to be round all the time! Contact obviously a must as is a deposit ( you need to keep the deposit in a purpose bank account I believe).

    More than anything as already said make sure you make it clear what you expect upfront, if they aren’t comfortable with how you like to keep your house they aren’t right! Good luck the extra cash I get let’s me do fun things without worrying about cash so much! Not sure in your financial position. It obviously make sure you can afford any mortgage repayments without a lodger as there’s no garuntee you’ll always have one.

    Good luck!

    CaptJon
    Free Member

    If you decide to do it don’t forget you’ll need an imagination bad lodger from the past. Stories of the bad lodger can be relayed over the first few days of tenancy to set ground rules in a nice and friendly way.

Viewing 38 posts - 1 through 38 (of 38 total)

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