Tenants living with you

[puddicat]

Having to seriously think about getting a tenant, as my son maybe moving out,and financially i will be a bit strapped for cash,anyone had tenant, or has a tenant at the moment, whats the pitfalls?

[evedawn]

The most important thing is to take your time choosing the right one (though with financial constraints this may not always be possible)

Key points
Decide in advance what sort of tenant u'll like - ie one who you'l be able to share cooking meal etc with or one that you'd rather did everything seperately.
if you want someone that you hardly see then advertise for someone who works a different shift (ie night shift) to yours...that would be attractive to both parties cos u'll each have your own space.
"interview " 'em (but in a friendly way - not a grilling.
Decide on "rules" in advance - ie - no loud music etc. Will it cost extra if he / she has a partner spend the night too often (cos of electricity etc)
A good idea is also to decide to each chip in a nd get a cleaner once a week... i don't mind cleaning a toilet after my OWN use but draw the line and cleaning someone elses ta!

[evedawn]

ps -in the past i have both been a tenant and had a tenant.

NEither situation was ideal but with the above rules it can be done

[Eve]

I used to look after my landlord's 4 rental properties, all in the same street and I had a bedroom in one of the houses.

Be very very careful about who you chose especially if you will be using the same facilities at the same time such as kitchen, bathroom, washing facilities....

Putting rules in place beforehand will mean you both know where you stand and prevents problems from coming up at a later date.

How big is the bedroom? Could it incorporate a TV and maybe a comfy chair or sofa so they have their own space?

If they are to help with cleaning then a rota would be best, you would also need to decide what to do about food, cooking equipment, buying of cleaning products including things like washing up liquid and things like toilet rolls.

I would suggest a trial period if that would be acceptable to them to see how you get on living together.

Don't be too lax on rent payment or if other issues come up, some things can't be helped but it can be a slippery slope.

Think about what you would want to do about pets or visitors, especially any overnight visitors and partners.

Not just in the sense of them being there but if they become a regular like a partner then what about utilities etc...

It may be easier to have one weekly or monthly payments on direct debit which include a contribution to council tax, utilities etc... rather than trying to split bills.

Make sure you know any tax implications relating to the extra money.

Make sure you get a proper agreement in place but make sure you are aware of the tenant's rights as well as your own.

Sit down and brainstorm possible things to think about like cutting keys and making sure other people don't get access to the property (eg make it a breach of tenancy agreement to give keys to others).

[Mully79]

You have to really think about the implications and whether you really want to share your house with a stranger. Jenna has given a great answer.

I was a tenant many years ago, like you the owner couldn't really afford to stay there unless he got a lodger. The fact is, he really didn't want to 'share' his house with me at all, but he just desperately needed the income. We had no formal agreement although we had an 'interview' and got along really well at first. He got ***** about me using the landline phone (rarely as I had a mobile too) even though I was over-paying for calls and insisted I pay for another phone line to be installed in my bedroom. He got funny about me inviting my parents around for tea although I'd told him in advance and he was out that particular evening. I felt like I was trapped in my bedroom and moved out after a few weeks.

It must have been weird for him sharing his own space with someone else, equally it was not pleasant for me being made so unwelcome.

Similarly a friend was a lodger with a woman who wanted to hang out with her all the time, and used to bring home strangers for noisy sex, not realising my friend could hear everything!