What should you do when your lodger leaves?

There are many reasons.  Students for example were only ever going to stay for a limited time. Other lodgers may be moving elsewhere for their job, or may have decided to rent a flat or even buy their own place.

You should try to make your lodger’s departure as pleasant as possible, if only because he will then be more likely to recommend you to other people.

Here is a list of the things you need to deal with.   You will find a sample letter you can use at the bottom of the page.

If you have taken a deposit

You will need to check the condition of your lodger’s room against the inventory (discussed here), which should be done shortly before they go.  It is best if you do this with your lodger present and you both go through the inventory together.

Hopefully, the room will be in a spotless condition and you will be able to refund the full deposit there and then (make sure you get a receipt, particularly if you pay in cash). Otherwise, proceed as follows:

• If you know how much it will cost to deal with the damage (for example if it is a broken desk lamp which you know you can replace for £20) you can simply deduct this from the deposit and pay the balance
• If you do not know the replacement cost or the cost of repair work, say them you cannot refund the deposit immediately. Get contact details and say that you will contact your lodger once you know. Make sure you do this promptly.  If the delay is going to be longer than a week, give him a ring and let them know the reason for the delay.
• Once you know the cost, either send him the balance or arrange for him to call round for it, if your lodger prefers to be paid in cash (make sure you get a receipt for the payment).
• If there are rent arrears, you deduct this from the deposit after any damage has been deducted first.

Make sure you get a receipt when you repay the deposit, particularly if it is paid in cash.

Fair wear and tear

This is an important rule which applies to deductions from deposits.   When considering deductions, you should not expect a property (ie for a tenancy) or a room (ie for a lodger let) to be in the same pristine condition it was in when the lodger moved in. 

This is particularly the case if your lodger has been living there for a long time.  So long as the room is in a reasonable condition for the amount of time your lodger has been living there, that is all you can expect.

So if a carpet or rug was second hand when your lodger went in and is very worn now, you may not be able to claim for a new rug.  However, if a new rug has been cut with a knife and is unusable for that reason, then you can.

So far as cleaning is concerned, you can claim for this if the property is noticeably dirtier than it was when the lodger went in.  Or if your lodger has been smoking in his room in breach of his lodger agreement and the décor and furnishings have been damaged by the smoke.

Visitors book

Many lodger landlords will keep a visitor’s book and ask their lodgers to sign it on their last day.  They will probably be happy to do this (and have a good look through the other entries).

This will help you remember your lodgers and is a nice thing to do.

Post

You need to decide what is going to be done about post arriving for your lodger after they have gone.

If they get a lot of post, suggest they arrange for a postal redirect. If you don’t mind re-directing their post for them, don’t forget to get their forwarding address!

However, you will not want to act as an unpaid mail forwarding service forever.  Set a limit for how long you will do this and make it clear that post received after this will be sent back marked ‘return to sender’.

On the day that they leave

If they still owe you any rent, make sure you get a payment from them before they go.  Otherwise, it may be difficult.

Make sure their room is checked properly before they go.  It is not unknown for lodgers to leave things behind.  Check the waste bin also.

Unpaid rent

If your lodger is hard up or on a low income, in most cases you will not get paid, and it is best to accept this and move on.

However, if you want to pursue it, be aware that the only way you can force someone to pay if they refuse to pay voluntarily, is by getting a County Court Judgement (CCJ) in the Small Claims Court (there is a money claim online service). You will need to have the new address for service of the court papers, so it is important to get a forwarding address from your lodger before he goes.

After your lodger has gone

You have your room back! Lodgers are nice, but sometimes it is also nice to have your privacy back. 

However, if you need the money, you will have to start the whole process of getting a new lodger to take his place.