Why you shouldn’t give your lodger a tenancy

Should you allow your lodger to fit a key to his door?

One of the commentators to Day 1 of my 21 days of tips for Lodger Landlords asked what was wrong in allowing your lodger to have a tenancy, bearing in mind that you would be able to evict without getting a court order if you shared living accommodation. These matters deserve to be set out […]

Evicting a lodger without a court order – when can you do it?

When can you evict a lodger without a court order?

Lodger eviction In Day 20 of my 21 days of tips for lodger landlords, I described a procedure for evicting lodgers without getting a court order. When exactly can this be used? The answer to this lies in the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.  This is the act which says that all eviction of residential occupiers […]

Five tips on how to avoid creating a tenancy when renting a granny annex

A granny annex

Avoiding a tenancy in a self contained letting I did an advice recently for a client who wanted to let out some self contained accommodation in his house (effectively a ‘granny annex’) but was anxious to avoid creating a tenancy. Although this is covered in part here,  I thought that it might be worth repeating […]

The five main differences between a lodger and a tenant

If you provide meals your lodger cannot claim a tenancy

From talking to people and reading the questions that people ask, it is clear that many are hopelessly confused about the difference between a lodger (which is a type of occupation license) and a tenant. I am not surprised!  It is a typical lawyerlike distinction and can be confusing even for the lawyers.  However, it is […]

Day 2 – Have you got permission to take in a lodger?

Tessa's 21 days of tips for Lodger Landlords - day 2 - getting permission

Getting permission for a lodger Before you start clearing out the spare room and buying furniture (day 6), you need to be sure that you are legally entitled to let it out to your lodger, and have any necessary permission. Otherwise, you could be in trouble. These are the main points to consider: Tenants If […]

Day 1 – What is a lodger?

Tessa's 21 days of tips for Lodger Landlords - Day 1 - what is a lodger?

What is a lodger? “Thats a silly question” you will probably say, “Everyone knows what a lodger is!”. Someone who lodges. Indeed the free online dictionary defines it as ‘One that lodges, especially one who rents and lives in a furnished room’. So that clear. Or is it? As a lawyer (and I should say […]