Lodger Information Pack **Correct as at Sept 2015**

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LODGER INFORMATION PACK

 

 

ALWAYS SEEK ADVICE AND CONSENT IN WRITING FROM YOUR LANDLORD

 

This pack is intended to be used by council and housing association tenants who are thinking about letting a spare bedroom in their home to a lodger. The pack takes the form of:

 

Ø A series of questions and answers about things you need to think about and do before you let your spare room to a lodger.

Ø A lodger licence agreement which you can use to establish an agreement between yourself and your lodger.

 

Lodgers some basic information

 

What is a Lodger?

 

A lodger is a person who rents a room in someone else’s home. Usually there is a formal arrangement in place that sets out the rooms that the lodger can use and those that they share with the rest of the household (e.g. the kitchen, living room and bathroom) for an agreed payment.

 

Close family members such as a parent, step parent or parent-in-law, a son or daughter, step son or step daughter, a son-in-law or daughter-in-law, a brother or sister are not normally classified as lodgers.

 

Do I need permission to take in a lodger? YES

 

As a Tenant of a Social Landlord (either a council or a housing association) if you hold a secure tenancy you have the right to take in a lodger, your landlord needs to provide you with their consent in writing. If you are an assured tenant it is highly likely you have the right to take in a lodger but you will require the housing associations consent. Ensure you check your Tenancy Agreement for any clauses stating you cannot have lodgers. Always get written consent from your landlord and keep it safe.

 

In both instances it is a good idea to let your landlord know that you are thinking about taking in a lodger, as they might be able to offer you help and advice.

 

Things to think about when you consider taking in a lodger

 

Before you ask for your landlord’s agreement to take in a lodger, you might want to think about whether you’re prepared to have a lodger living in your home and whether it’s right for you.

 

Having a lodger living with you means that you’ll be sharing your home with a stranger. If you live alone this might mean that you will have some company but it also means that’ll you’ll be giving up some of the privacy you enjoy at the moment. You need to ask yourself whether you are prepared to do this?

 

If you have children you might want to consider whether you want a stranger living in your home, particularly if you don’t know a great deal about their background.As a parent or guardian of a child or children, your first duty to them is to ensure that they have somewhere safe to live.

 

If you do want to have a lodger living with you, providing you with another source of income, it is important that you choose who lives with you very carefully.

 

Getting ready to take in a lodger

 

Who should I inform that I’m going to be taking in a lodger?

 

If you are thinking about taking in a lodger and after you have received consent from your landlord, you should contact your Home Contents Insurer and inform them that you intend to take in a lodger. They may want to obtain certain information from your potential lodger and they might in some circumstances adjust your insurance premiums.

 

It is important that you contact your insurer and advise them that you are taking in a lodger. If you don’t and you make a claim on the policy you might find out that the contents of your home might are not covered.

 

Once you have taken in a lodger you need to let the following organisations know:

 

Ø Council Tax – if you are a single person and receive a single person discount on your Council Tax you need to let the Council Tax section know about your lodger. If your lodger is a student they will not be considered to be a full time occupant and you will not lose your single person supplement.

Ø Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)– if you receive benefits you will need to let the DWP know that you have a lodger and the amount you are paid each week by your lodger. If you don’t advise the DWP that you are receiving additional income from a lodger, you will be committing benefit fraud.

Ø Housing Benefit – if you are on a low income and receive Housing and Council Tax Benefit, you will need to let the Housing Benefit Team at your council know that you have a lodger and the amount you are paid each week. If you don’t advise the Housing Benefit Team that you are receiving additional income from a lodger, you will be committing benefit fraud.

 

What condition should my home be in?

 

When you let your spare room to a lodger, your home should be clean, carpeted and in good decorative order throughout. The spare room should be bright and cheerful and spotlessly clean. If it is not it is unlikely that someone will want to come and live in your home.

 

You might want to hang pictures or posters in the spare room or allow the lodger to hang their own pictures of posters. If you don’t want the lodger to use nails or blue tac, you should provide a noticeboard or pinboard.

 

You should ake photographs of the room that the lodger will use before you let it, to record its condition.

 

What furniture should I provide my lodger with?

 

As you are going to be letting the room to the lodger on the basis that it is furnished, you will need to ensure that you have the right furniture in the room.

 

The furniture you provide in the room will depend on the size of the room but you should provide the following:

 

Ø A comfortable bed and mattress. It is a good idea to fit a waterproof cover over the mattress.

Ø A desk or table with lamp and chair.

Ø Shelves on the wall or a small bookcase.

Ø A bedside table and lamp.

Ø A wardrobe and chest of drawers.

 

All of the furniture you provide must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings(Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988. If you’re buying new furniture this won’t be a problem, but if you’re using older furniture it is a good idea to check for labels to ensure furniture is compliant with the regulations. (Labels can be found on items such as padded headboards, sofas, mattresses, pillows, cushions, cloth covers on seats, curtains).

 

It is best to buy new electrical items and make sure that you keep the receipts and instructions. If you can’t afford new items, you should get them tested by a qualified electrician but this could be expensive.

 

You will also need to provide the lodger with access to pots and pans, cups, plates and cutlery and you should make some space for them to store their food in your kitchen cupboards and fridge and freezer.

 

You should provide an inventory (a written record) of the items you provide the lodger with, noting their condition. You can find a copy of an inventory at the end of this pack.

 

Should I establish house rules?

 

It is important to set some rules about what you will and will not allow in your home, so before you let your spare room to a lodger you need to give this some thought. For example you might not want a lodger to smoke in the property or to keep a pet.

 

Whilst you don’t want to develop a list of rules which is too long you will want to set out the standards of cleanliness and tidiness you expect of your lodger.

 

You will want to tell a potential lodger about your house rules when you meet for the first time, as they need to know whether they would be comfortable living in your home.

 

Should I use a lodger agreement?

 

It is important that you and your lodger sign a lodger agreement, so that your rights and responsibilities as the landlord and the rights and responsibilities of the lodger are clearly set out.

 

It is also important that you sign a lodger agreement if your lodger needs to claim Housing Benefit to help them pay their rent. Your lodger will need to provide a copy of the agreement to the Housing Benefit Team. A copy of a Lodger Agreement is part of this pack. You and your lodger should sign two copies and each keep a copy.

 

How much should I charge my lodger?

 

You can charge whatever rent you feel a lodger will be willing to pay. One approach is to look at adverts in newspaper and on the internet and charge an amount that reflects the average weekly rent in your local area.

 

Things to bear in mind when you’re setting your rent:

 

Ø If you’re a taxpayer you can earn £4,250 each year (or £81.73 a week) tax free under the Government’s Rent a Room Scheme. If you receive more income than this you will need to declare it on a tax return

Ø If you are thinking of letting your spare room to someone who receives Housing Benefit to help them pay the rent,you need to be aware that if the rent that you charge is greater than the rent allowed by Housing Benefit, your lodger will have to fund the shortfall themselves. You can ask your Housing Benefit Team for the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate which will tell you the maximum rent that your lodger will be able to claim.

 

Should I charge the lodger a deposit?

 

A deposit is a payment taken by the landlord to hold as insurance against the lodger damaging the property or failing to pay their rent. If the lodger leaves the property in the same condition as you let it to them and they did not develop any rent arrears, the deposit needs to be returned to them when they leave your home.

 

It is a good idea to ask your lodger for a deposit. However, you must remember that when your lodger gives you their deposit, you are holding it on their behalf and it would be a good idea to put the deposit in a savings account.

 

For lodgers on low incomes or benefits, affording a deposit could be a problem. Some organisations provide bonds or guarantees for lodgers, which will cover any damage or loss you experience should you need to make a claim. You need to consider whether you consider this to be an acceptable form of security.

 

Finding a Lodger

 

How should I go about finding a lodger?

 

There are many ways of finding a lodger and these depend on where you live and the typeof lodger you are willing to have living in your home.

 

You need to think carefully about who you want to live in your home as a lodger. Renting a room is a business transaction between you (the landlord) and the lodger. If you rely on word of mouth to find a lodger, this is likely to mean that the lodger is a friend of a friend or a friend of a family member. This might cause you some difficulties if you have to ask the lodger to leave, for example if they fail to pay or they behave badly.

 

If you live in an area where there is a university you might want to advertise for a lodger at the accommodation office of the university. Please note they might want to inspect your home before they advertise your home to students. You might want to consider putting an advert on notice boards in colleges and place adverts in shop windows in areas where students live.

 

If you live close to a hospital you might want to consider contacting the hospital to find out whether they maintain a list of lodgings for staff and relatives of patients and whether you can go on that list. You will also want to put adverts on notice boards in the hospital.

 

You can advertise for lodgers in local newspapers, in local shops and on the internet. There are a number of internet sites which aim to help you find a lodger for example http://www.spareroom.co.uk/ and http://uk.easyroommate.com/. You could consider using these.

 

In Wales a website has been developed to match landlords with lodgers called House Share Wales http://www.housesharewales.co.uk/. Not only does House Share Wales provide you with an internet site to find a tenant, they also provide accommodation brokers who can direct you to organisations who can help you putan advert on the website and help you find an appropriate lodger. The brokerfor North East Wales and Powys is based in Cefni Lettings and can be contacted on 01341 423266.

 

How should I select a lodger?

 

It is always a good idea to meet with people who respond to your adverts for a lodger. The meeting should ideally take place in your home. This gives the potential lodger the opportunity to meet you and look around your home to find out if your home is somewhere they want to live. The meeting gives you an opportunity to explain the basic rules of the house and find out whether they are comfortable with them. The meeting also gives you the opportunity to find out whether they’re someone you’re happy to share your home with.

 

You might want to meet your potential lodger with someone present whose judgement you trust. Their views might be important to you when you make your decision.

 

When you meet the lodger it is a good idea to gather some basic information about them,such as where they live, their contact address, their telephone number. Your home contents insurer might want you to obtain certain information from a potential lodger. Also you might want to ask to see some form of identification and find out how they intend to pay the rent. The form which is included in this pack will help you record these details.

 

When you meet a potential lodger you will also want to ask them to provide you with 2 references. It is important before you agree to let your spare room to someone, that you contact their referees to find out a little more about them.

 

You should ring everyone you meet to let them know your decision.

 

The Money

 

Can my lodger claim Housing Benefit if they have a low income or receive benefits?

 

If your lodger is on a low income or claims benefits, they are able to claim Housing Benefit to help them pay their rent. They will need to make a claim for Local Housing Allowance (this is the term used for the type of Housing Benefit payment the lodger will receive).

 

To be able to claim Local Housing Allowance your lodger will need to be able to show the Housing Benefit Team that he or she has a formal written agreement which enables him/her to occupy your home as a lodger. It is very important that you complete two copies of the lodger agreement and give a copy to the lodger, to enable him/her to present it to the Housing Benefit Team.

 

Your lodger will have their Local Housing Allowance paid direct to them and they will be responsible for passing the payment onto you.

 

Recoding rent payments

 

You should give your lodger a rent book, or a written statement that confirms that you have received their rent payments.

 

How will the money I receive affect my tax?

 

Income Tax

 

The Government offers people who have a spare room an incentive to rent their spare room out to a lodger; this is called the Rent a room scheme. This allows people who let out a spare room in their home to a lodger to receive £4,250 a year tax free.

 

You can find more information about the Rent a Room scheme by clicking on the following link. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/TaxOnPropertyAndRentalInc ome/DG_4017804

 

If your income from your lodger is less than £4,250 a year you do not have to complete a tax return. If your income from the lodger is more than £4,250, you may have to complete a tax return.

 

Council Tax

 

If you currently live alone you should receive the single person discount on your Council Tax. The single person discount is 25% of your Council Tax bill. You will need to tell the Council’s Council Tax Team that you have taken in a lodger. In most cases this means that you will lose your single person discount, unless your lodger is in one of the groups who are disregarded. You can find out which groups are disregarded by contacting your Council’s Council Tax Team or following this link

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/YourlocalcouncilandCounci lTax/CouncilTax/DG_10037422

 

How will the money I receive affect my benefits?

 

If you receive benefits, you must inform the DWP and your Council’s Housing Benefit Team that you have taken in a lodger. Failure to do this will mean that you are committing fraud. The benefit payments you receive will be reduced to reflect the additional income you receive from your lodger.

 

If you receive a means tested benefit (Income Support or Income related Employment and Support Allowance or Income based Job Seekers Allowance) the first £20 of income you receive from your lodger will be disregarded and not affect your benefits. Your benefits will be reduced by any income more than the first £20.

 

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EXAMPLE

Jane receives Income Support of £100 a week and receives full Housing Benefit to help her pay her rent of £80 a week.

 

She takes in a lodger who pays her £55 each week.

 

When Jane’s benefits are recalculated she receives £65 in Income Support in addition to the £55 rent she receives from her lodger, a total of £120 a week.

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If you are on a low income and claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit the way that your benefits will be adjusted is different. The first £20 of income you receive is disregarded and your Housing Benefit will be reduced by 65p for every £1 you receive over that amount. Your Council Tax entitlement will be reduced by 20p for every £1 you receive over that amount.

 

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EXAMPLE

Jane works on a part time basis and receives £20 Housing Benefit each week to help her pay her rent of £80 a week.

 

Jane takes in a lodger who pays her £50 each week. When Jane’s benefits are recalculated her Housing Benefit is reduced to 50p per week.

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If I under-occupy my home will taking in a lodger mean that I’m not affected by ‘the bedroom tax’?

 

The answer to this question is usually yes. If, for example, you under-occupy your home by one bedroom and the lodger you rent your spare room to uses your home as their only home, your home will be assessed as being fully occupied, so the amount of Housing Benefit you receive will not be reduced. If you were under-occupying your home by two bedrooms and took in one lodger, you’d be considered to be under-occupying your home by 1 rather than 2 bedrooms and the amount of your rent eligible for Housing Benefit by increase from 75% to 86%.

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EXAMPLE

Jane receives Income Support of £100 a week and receives full Housing Benefit to help her pay her rent of £80 a week. Jane under-occupies her home by one bedroom and her housing benefit will be reduced by £11.20 each week.

 

She takes in a lodger who pays her £55 each week.

 

When Jane’s benefits are recalculated she receives £65 in Income Support in addition to the £55 rent she receives from her lodger, a total of £120 a week.

 

In addition her Housing Benefit payment covers the whole of her rent, as she is no longer considered to be under-occupying her home.

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If you let your spare room to someone who is not using it as their only home, for example a student or some-one who lodges with you from Monday to Friday and returns home at the weekend, you may still be considered to be under-occupying your home, as the lodger is not using your home as their only home.

 

These rules will change when Universal Credit is introduced. Under the proposed rules any lodger will not count as part of your household which means that you will be affected by the bedroom tax, but you will be able to keep all of the income you receive from lodgers, without it affecting your benefit.

 

Dealing with problems with a lodger

 

How should I deal with a problem lodger?

 

You should try to deal with any problem you have with a lodger at an early stage, for example if they haven’t paid their rent or they are not complying with one of your house rules. You should talk to the lodger and find out why they have broken the agreement.

 

If following your conversation the problem hasn’t been resolved, you should write to your lodger, setting out what the problem is. You need to keep a copy of the letter and make sure that the letter is dated.

 

If after your first letter the problem still hasn’t been resolved you need to try a more formal letter, which says that if things don’t improve you will be asking them to leave. Again you need to make sure that this letter is dated and that you keep a copy. You should also keep a note of all incidents.

 

If your second letter doesn’t work you will need to give your lodger a notice to quit. This is a letter which says that you are giving them a certain amount of time (7, 14 or 28 days’ notice) to leave the property. A sample notice to quit letter is as part of this pack.

 

If the problem is of a far more serious nature, such as violent or criminal behaviour a shorter notice period may be appropriate. In such cases you should contact your local housing office, who will notify you where you can get appropriate advice about ending the lodger agreement.

 

In housing law, lodgers are considered to be ‘excluded occupiers’. This means that they have very few rights and can only stay until their landlord asks them to go.

 

How do I evict a lodger who’s causing me problems?

 

If you have asked your lodger to leave (either by speaking to them or giving them written notice), in the days leading up to the date you want them to leave you should ask them what their arrangements are for leaving your home. If they need a little more time (a few days more to make alternative arrangements) you should consider agreeing to this.

 

If they state that they have no intention of moving out you will need to evict them. It is important that you seek legal advice, from your local Housing Options Team or your local Citizens Advice Bureau before taking any action to remove your lodger.

 

A Lodger Agreement, Lodger Interview Form, Inventory Form and example Notice to Quit letter are available in PDF Format at the end of this document and is –APPENDIX 1

LODGER INFORMATION PACK - Social Housing Only ----------.pdf

Edited January 16, 2016 by stu007