Lodging: The How to Guide
If you have a room spare in your home, you might well be considering taking on a lodger. This is quite a common idea for those families with older children who have moved out, for instance. But before making this final decision, you need to take into account the important guidelines and regulations to ensure you follow the lodging process properly and correctly. Take your time and really think about what you want to get out of a lodger, along with what you can offer them. After following these simple guidelines, you may decide against it. But make sure you have weighed up the pros and cons according to your personal circumstances before making that ultimate choice.Firstly, you’ll need to conduct vital checks before even making that final decision. Any companies you have financial ties with must be contacted. If you have a mortgage lender, they would be your first point of call. Followed by a landlord, letting or estate agent and perhaps local authorities, depending on your personal situation. The same applies to a government-owned property – do your research to make sure you are taking on a lodger legally. If you currently own your house then you can research into schemes that can support you and give you a little more guidance. Whichever your personal circumstances, make sure you properly plan and prepare lodging, without skipping any stages.The next step involves getting in touch with your home insurance provider to find out a little more information on whether you’re still covered and if your lodger will be covered automatically. The same applies to any benefit schemes you may currently partake in. It’s important that you contact and speak to any vital points of call, especially those you have a direct debit set up with you.Once you’ve got the all clear and are okay to lodge, you’ll need to prepare the spare room to make sure it’s presentable for prospective lodgers. Providing good, sturdy furniture is a big plus, and a clean, well laid-out room will attract lots of interest. Make sure you have plenty of space on offer and only provide basic furnishings such as a bed, desk, wardrobe and drawers. Ensuring your gas and electricity checks are up to date is a legal requirement for lodging and living in general. Your readings and operations systems must be as current as possible, for health and safety reasons.When your room is ready to rent, you can look into advertising it and getting it known on the market. Word of mouth and shop windows are often a core basis to potential and interested lodgers. You will need to price-up the current rooms on the market as to avoid over or under charging. When gaining interest into your spare room, it’s really important that you meet any prospective lodgers and ensure you’re both on the same level. You can then come up with your own terms and conditions or tailor-make them accordingly. Writing the contract well in advance will ensure both you and your lodger are in agreement and fully covered. A good trust network is a key ingredient to a respected lodging relationship so make sure you’re both comfortable living with one another and clear on what your intentions are. For example, it may be someone who purely just needs somewhere to sleep or someone a little more sociable who may wish to share your lounge area with you. This totally depends on your personal situation and requirements but make sure there are limits put in place so you will enjoy a safe and happy lodging partnership.