How do you deal with a disappearing lodger?

This is where your lodger just goes off and never comes back (rather than fade away like the Cheshire car!)

This is one reason why it is a very good idea to have a lodger agreement in place as you can deal with this situation there.

If your agreement provides for this situation

For example, the Lodger Agreement we sell on Your Law Store provides for the lodger’s right to live in your room to end automatically if they stop living in the property or if they are in arrears of rent of not less than one month’s rent (if they pay monthly) our four weeks (if they pay weekly). 

So if they go off into the blue and stop paying rent, after that period of time, you can bundle up any stuff remaining in the room, store it, and re-let the room (we discuss the proper way to deal with property left behind here).

However, if they carry on paying rent, then you should keep the room for them – as, after all, you are being paid for it!

But what if you don’t have an agreement, or your agreement does not say this?

If you have a contact address for your lodger (for example, if he is a student, this will be his home address, or in other cases, use the address of any next of kin or people who you think will be in touch with him – you should have this on your application form) write to him and ask him to contact you and let you know whether or not he intends to return. 

Give a time limit of, say, 14 days.  If you hear nothing, again, you should be safe to re-possess and re-let the room.

But what if you have no contact address?

Well, your lodger can’t expect you to hang about forever!  But wait a reasonable time before taking back the room. 

What is a reasonable time?  Well, again, if the room rent is paid up, you should do nothing.  You should only re-take and re-let the room if the rent is in arrears. 

Ideally, wait until the rent is in two months in arrears, but if you can’t afford that, I suggest you wait at least 28 days.

For example, your lodger might be justifiably annoyed if he was in hospital after an accident, came out two days after his rent ran out, only to find that you had re-let his room and thrown away all his things! 

In fact, in those circumstances, he could probably sue you for compensation.  So be careful.