Living with owner occupier - would it put you off?

solovely

Hi,

I own my own house and one of my housemates is moving out in a few weeks time, so I'm going to need to rent out her room. When you advertise on daft, it asks are you an owner occupier, which I am, but I think that will put lots of people off viewing the house, as I think many people might have a bad impression of owner occupiers....is this true? What do you think?

I know when I was renting it would have put me off, so I don't blame other people. But in my case, none of the bad stuff is true, it's more like a very easygoing share house, in which the landlady actually happens to live, so if anything goes wrong it's (usually) fixed straight away.

I can't really lie as if somebody did move in, they'd know pretty quickly that I'm the landlady.

What do you think?

Cathmandooo

You shouldn't lie on the ad as letting terms are completely different from a house share to living with an owner occupier. You have less rights living with the owner as you are merely a lodger.

Stick up the ad and be honest, say you're easy going, fix any problems promptly, and treat others in the house equally.

solovely

I wouldn't lie. I just saw that you don't have to specify on daft, so I won't specify in ad, but will be honest with people who actually view.

Why would people have less rights? I don't understand?

I was just wondering would it put people off if they were viewing places themselves?

Cathmandooo

Living with an owner occupier means you're not covered under landlord and tenant law. The lodger can be evicted much easier, it's only a guideline that the owner give a decent notice of eviction. There would be no prtb involved if any disputes arise.

There's more info on Citizens information

Renting a room in a house with other tenants gives a more stable lease with a lot more rights, and you're covered under the landlord and tenant act.

Xiney

People renting in an owner occupied house are not covered by the same rules and regulations - this is so that you, as an owner occupier, can have the right to kick people out of your own home if you need to. It's actually a good thing since evicting tenants via the PRTB etc is actually quite an arduous process.


Personally, if there was a glut of choice I'd be put off by owner occupied places simply because there'd be a high likelihood of feeling as though I was intruding, depending on the setup. Same with being a singleton living with a couple. So while it might be ok, if there were other choices available I'd probably view them first.

OP nothing ticked me off when househunting more than owners not putting that info on their ads. I would never have viewed the houses if I had known they were owner occupied and it was a wasted journey and wasting my time.
Please put it on your ad. I'm sure you're easygoing so say that on the ad as well.

solovely

Thanks Bluewolf and Xiney.
Looks like I might find it tough so

Just wondering Xiney, what was it that so put you off living with an owner occupier...and when you viewed the rooms, were your preconceptions always a reality? What should an owner occupier do to attract people to the house in your opinion?

Thanks

RedXIV

unfortunately, its not something you will be able to easily change people's perceptions on. Its simply down to the fact that people can usually get more freedom for practically the same price if they move in someone on their own.

OP you could be a fantastic person to live with, but i can honestly say I'd never even consider moving into an owner occupied house, I like my freedom too much

rebelmomma

I have shared with Owner occupiers before and tbh while you may be easy going the majority are not. I would suggest being on honest and if people are turned off well then it is probably better that they are turned off before moving in etc. If they don't have a problem then at least you know you are starting off on the right foot.

Edgedinblue

To be honest, I could never share a house with the owner. I'd feel like i'd be watched all the time, and that I couldnt use anything without asking. I'd also feel like if I knocked something or broke something like a glass that i'd get my head taken off, and because of that i dont think I could relax. Might as well live with my parents! haha! But hey, thats just my opinion! I'm sure you're lovely and very easy to live with.

mikemac

Be honest and put it in the ad.

Well as an owner occupier I'm sure you are "so lovely " but many aren't. And many people are now considering taking a lodger to help with mortgage repayments but realy, they dont want them at all.

And this comes across if they resent the lodger watching "their" TV or using "their" oven. And you get gently encouraged to live in your bedroom, been there!
And when the landlord brings friends around you are made to feel uncomfortable in your own house

Plus the tenant has less rights

Most are fine but few renters will have this as a first choice.

solovely

Crap, sounds like I could be rightly in trouble. It's really frustrating because I am not your typical owner occupier...I don't understand the comment about freedom by the way?! But I do understand how some people might feel they are being watched.

My house is definitely more like your typical houseshare than an owner occupier house. I may have a few extra photos up, but then I always did when I rented, so that's no different. Other than that, the only difference is that I'm very easygoing about rent and bills, and because I live there, if there's a problem with cooker or washing machine or anything, it's sorted straight away.

In terms of putting the ad up - I do get in a cleaner twice a month, not cos I'm an owner occupier, just cos I am not a very tidy person, and I hate cleaning, but I may for this and don't charge the other housemates....do you think this is something that might entice people or put them off? Also, the two of us who will still be living there are aged 22 and 30 - one a student, other (me) a professional...do you think such an age difference might put people off??

I have priced the rent at €50-150 below average rents in the area, for what I believe is a much nicer offering than what's out there, but then I am biased obviously!

fe1ready

It would put me off if the owner occupier was in fact a couple.

mikemac

A good target for owner occupiers might be mature students or even 1st year students.
Their parents want to know they're not living in some party house. That's assuming your place isn't solovely :pac:

During the summer there were quite a few owner occupiers here aiming for students.

Is there a college in your area?
You could ask them if they know people looking

Xiney

solovely wrote: »

Thanks Bluewolf and Xiney.
Looks like I might find it tough so

Just wondering Xiney, what was it that so put you off living with an owner occupier...and when you viewed the rooms, were your preconceptions always a reality? What should an owner occupier do to attract people to the house in your opinion?

Thanks

It's to do with equality, and the fact that all the belongings belong to your housemate/landlord so you feel as though you're intruding and using their stuff etc... it doesn't feel as much your own place.

I'd be as honest as I could in the ad, say that you are committed to making your tenants feel equal and as though the place is as much their own as yours. Say you've been renting the place out for (however long you have) and that you have practise living in a houseshare and they aren't going to feel as though they're intruding on your private life.

Xiney

solovely wrote: »

Crap, sounds like I could be rightly in trouble. It's really frustrating because I am not your typical owner occupier...I don't understand the comment about freedom by the way?! But I do understand how some people might feel they are being watched.

My house is definitely more like your typical houseshare than an owner occupier house. I may have a few extra photos up, but then I always did when I rented, so that's no different. Other than that, the only difference is that I'm very easygoing about rent and bills, and because I live there, if there's a problem with cooker or washing machine or anything, it's sorted straight away.

In terms of putting the ad up - I do get in a cleaner twice a month, not cos I'm an owner occupier, just cos I am not a very tidy person, and I hate cleaning, but I may for this and don't charge the other housemates....do you think this is something that might entice people or put them off? Also, the two of us who will still be living there are aged 22 and 30 - one a student, other (me) a professional...do you think such an age difference might put people off??

I have priced the rent at €50-150 below average rents in the area, for what I believe is a much nicer offering than what's out there, but then I am biased obviously!

I think in terms of owner occupier places yours sounds like something I could do. (In the past... I'm married now so we do prefer to live on our own!)

So you'd want to convey all this in your ad. I'm not sure how much space you're allowed, but in this instance I'd say you should go for a more wordy ad to try and get your point across. Also, the idea of the cleaner... oh man. Makes houseshares so much more appealing. If I was to ever houseshare again it would be a stipulation!

Cathmandooo

Put everything honestly down in the ad that you can, even if it starts sounding like a personal ad Go for it, the more information the better.

There's also a tenant database on daft.ie, might be worth a look

You might find a perfect lodger in 5 mins, you'll only know when you put the ad up!

sharper

There are advantages/disadvantages to an owner occupied place like anywhere else. You're far better off advertising honestly and getting someone who walks in with their eyes open to the pros and cons rather than trying to trick anyone into renting.

I was looking to move recently and looked at both OO occupied and normal houseshares. One of the big problems I encountered with the houseshares was people who only had a few months left on the lease and had no plans to renew.

HardyEustace

I would be honest in the ad. That said, I would use the ad to show the advantages of living in your home. For example, your house might have a much better finish to other rented houses so make sure and include lots of photos to demonstrate the finish on the house. You might offer free internet or free ntl as an incentive?

If you look at it from the other side, I've had the frustration of spending a substantial amount of time on phone calls to people where they want to move in as a couple (even though I have explicitly said no couples), where people have spent twenty minutes asking about the house, arranged a viewing and then as they're wafting out the door thirty minutes later casually mention they've a dog and would that be a problem<insert rolly eyes>.

It makes you very suspicious of people and rather annoyed that they've wasted your time. Thus I think it would definitely get the tenant relationship off on a bad start if the person thought that you weren't being truthful with them by dint of not mentioning something, rather than explicitly lying.

I lived with a girl who was renting long term, not even the owner, and it was a complete nightmare. I wrote about it on here before. Pretty much everything mentioned here was true in this situation. She had the attitude that it was 'her' flat and that I was in the way. And the more I tried to keep out of the way, the more she resented me being there at all. It was like some kind of bad joke. She'd leave her clothes drying for weeks on the clothes horse, and when I finally got a turn to do my washing, it wouldn't even be dry before she was asking when I was going to take it down. She left her pots and pans dirty every single day so I had to wash them before use, but complained if I left a single mug out. Her crap was all over the place, but if I left a few papers or a bag in the sitting room, it was left outside my bedroom door. When her friends were around, they just ignored me when I walked in. I basically felt like an intruder the ENTIRE time. It was miserable. She was an absolute b*tch - wanted the money but wasn't willing to make the tiniest compromise for it. Now this was a bad situation but most people I know who lived with owner-occupiers felt this way to some extent. You just can't relax in someone else's house. I'd never do it again and I'd never advise anyone else to. Why would you? Unless the rent was incredibly low or there was some other huge advantage.

HardyEustace

Mason Kind Refrigeration wrote: »

I lived with a girl who was renting long term, not even the owner, and it was a complete nightmare.

Equally though, that does demonstrate that you don't necessarily have to live with an owner occupier to encounter that kind of attitude towards you.

OP, I think you just have to be honest and upfront and then when people come to view the room, do your best to convey your sentiments about house-sharing.

goat2

solovely wrote: »

I wouldn't lie. I just saw that you don't have to specify on daft, so I won't specify in ad, but will be honest with people who actually view.

Why would people have less rights? I don't understand?

I was just wondering would it put people off if they were viewing places themselves?

yesbut you will be answering people who would not rent in a house the owner occupies, as for me, i would not live in an owner occupied rental,

Dee Diver

Hey, are you still looking for someone to take the room? If so what area are you living in. Im looking for somewhere and the only thing that puts me off about owner occupied is that Id feel I couldnt just do what I wanted. Its not as if i plan to have mad parties or anyting but would like to be able to invite friends over for a few glasses of wine without worryin about what the house owner thinkf of it.....

solovely

You just can't relax in someone else's house. I'd never do it again and I'd never advise anyone else to.

Thanks Izzy Wizzy....nice to lump all owner occupiers in with one bad experience you had with someone who wasn't even an owner occupier, and try to turn the whole world against us all!! Maybe I am nice person?!

Dee Diver, house is in Kilmainham. I'll PM you.

And as for mad parties, we've had one or two since I've moved in, and anyone living there would be free to have as many people over as often as they liked. Great thing about the house is there's a (tiny) spare bedroom for when anyone has friends staying and also a kitchen, sitting room and dining room, so plenty of room for people to have their own space if they need it. I'd hate for everyone to be cooped up in a different room though. I think in general (whether in renting house share or owner occupier house share) it's important for everyone to get on and be friendly. I never get these houses where everyone lives in their bedroom!

ricman

If you can find a house thats got one or 2 tenants its ok.IT depends on is the owner annoying,loud or rude,ignorant .IF you want total privacy just get a flat ,i think its asking for trouble moving in to a 2bed apartment ,unless the owner is your friend already.The ideal place, is a house ,owner just wants 1 tenant to help pay the mortgage,and owner is working full time.
A large house with 1 or 2 tenants is ideal, with a large front room,or kitchen.

padma

I've chosen twice to live in an owner occupied house, simply as I preferred to help someone out with their mortgage rather than lining a greedy landlords pockets. On top of this I was looking for somewhere peaceful where the house was kept clean and homely. If anything was wrong the owner looked after it without me having to go through a process of asking. There are others like me out there who would be looking for the same. Both times the owner was the same age as me, which I thinbk made a difference as we became good friends. All I say is put it out there and you might find a good tenant who is looking for owner occupied. Not everyone wants to live in a studenty type of house.

Cathmandooo

padma wrote: »

I've chosen twice to live in an owner occupied house, simply as I preferred to help someone out with their mortgage rather than lining a greedy landlords pockets. On top of this I was looking for somewhere peaceful where the house was kept clean and homely. If anything was wrong the owner looked after it without me having to go through a process of asking. There are others like me out there who would be looking for the same. Both times the owner was the same age as me, which I thinbk made a difference as we became good friends. All I say is put it out there and you might find a good tenant who is looking for owner occupied. Not everyone wants to live in a studenty type of house.

The highlighted part of your post made me laugh. Not all landlords own several properties being 'greedy' as you say. Landlords pay mortgages too, and you know what, their tenants are helping them to pay it, much like a lodger living with an owner occupier is.

solovely

Thanks Padma and Ricman....you've given me great hope!!

Padma, you wanna move in?

There is another tenant, so it wouldn't be like one person imposing....I can totally see how that would be offputting, whereas with two tenants, they outnumber me, so I couldn't really get away with trying to rule the roost, even if I wanted to!!

I think the fact that there is a spare bedroom and extra living space should make it more appealing that a typical house share where every spare inch is rented out. I know the house next door which is rented advertised both the dining room and tiny spare room as rooms for rent, which would mean five of them cramped into the sitting room and kitchen....nightmare!!

myxi

OP I can't imagine you'll have trouble finding someone to move in. I'm moving into a new apartment this Friday and it's with an owner occupier. It appealed to me because it's a 2 bed, there will only be the two of us so I won't be competing with 4/5 others for the bathroom/kitchen/tv etc!

It's the first time the girl is renting out her spare room as she only moved in recently. She seems a little bit unsure of the basics but I'm sure we'll get on fine and we'll work it out between us!

I like to do my own thing and felt that moving into a big house share would be a bit claustrophobic for me!

padma

Cathmandooo wrote: »

The highlighted part of your post made me laugh. Not all landlords own several properties being 'greedy' as you say. Landlords pay mortgages too, and you know what, their tenants are helping them to pay it, much like a lodger living with an owner occupier is.

Yes that is true, But after living in SOME greedy landlords slums of houses where you were promised everything would be fine, there'd be no trouble getting the washing machines etc fixed, I decided to go to what I describe as the most appropriate and safe option was an owner occupied house. Where was it said that I said these landlords own several properties? The point being that the OP is an owner occupier looking for someone to help her meet the mortgage, whereas a lot of Landlords look upon a house as a profit making business. There is a difference, and the difference is in the general upkeep of the property.

Solovely I'm looking to move back to Dublin alright and Kilmainham would suit me perfectly but not for a couple of months at least.

Cathmandooo

padma wrote: »

Yes that is true, But after living in SOME greedy landlords slums of houses where you were promised everything would be fine, there'd be no trouble getting the washing machines etc fixed, I decided to go to what I describe as the most appropriate and safe option was an owner occupied house. Where was it said that I said these landlords own several properties? The point being that the OP is an owner occupier looking for someone to help her meet the mortgage, whereas a lot of Landlords look upon a house as a profit making business. There is a difference, and the difference is in the general upkeep of the property.

Solovely I'm looking to move back to Dublin alright and Kilmainham would suit me perfectly but not for a couple of months at least.

I just don't like generalisations. A landlord is looking for a tenant to help pay their mortgage, the landlord is then subject to rules and regulations and tax implications, more often than not in this climate the landlord is not making any sort of 'profit' whereas an owner occupier isn't subject to all of that. Yes there are plenty of mean landlords out there but there are also plenty who are decent, I'd say the exact same for owner occupiers. Your reasoning for going with an owner occupier is to help pay their mortgage, my point is that you're doing the exact same with a landlord so your reasoning seems very flawed to me.

Xiney

Although I don't agree with padma, an owner occupiers mortgage is for their home... a landlord's mortgage is for their investment property. So if we're talking about who you'd rather help pay a mortgage (which, for the record, I think is a ridiculous reason to rent with one or the other) then I'd surely pick the owner occupier.

Cathmandooo

Well personally I know of people who have moved out of their homes for work or personal reasons, who rent them out and they in turn rent elsewhere themselves, it's more common now these days. Their owned house is not an investment, it used to be their home which isn't suited to live in currently leaving them little choice but to rent it out or pay a mortgage plus rent. There's so many different scenarios to why a house is being rented out now.

Xiney

True, but for all intents and purposes you are not helping someone pay the mortgage on their home if they are not living in it.

Polar101

There are also people who would prefer an owner occupied house, as they might think the place will be kept in a better shape, and any problems (broken washing machines etc) will be easier to deal with.

I don't really agree, but I've heard some people say this.

solovely

Thanks a million for all the advice. I've the ad up on daft now and got ten people interested within the first 24 hours, so looks like honest paid off! Showing the room next week, so hopefully at least some of them will be normal and interested.

HardyEustace

HardyEustace wrote: »

Equally though, that does demonstrate that you don't necessarily have to live with an owner occupier to encounter that kind of attitude towards you.

It was a long term lease, something like 9 years. She might not have owned the bricks, but she owned absolutely everything in the place, from the carpets to the beds. This was the main issue. It was all HER stuff. And she freaked out about any normal wear and tear. I've lived in other owner occupied places in the short term and it was a similar story then.

solovely wrote: »

Thanks Izzy Wizzy....nice to lump all owner occupiers in with one bad experience you had with someone who wasn't even an owner occupier, and try to turn the whole world against us all!! Maybe I am nice person?!

You asked, I gave you my point of view. I see no reason to live with an owner occupier, especially in this climate. The few possible benefits (things being repaired quickly) wouldn't be enough to compensate for being a very long term guest in someone else's house. I could get a studio or a room in a flatshare for a similar price. This is my view, I'm sure there are people who wouldn't mind the whole owner thing. I'm sure you're lovely, but I wouldn't be able to live with you without feeling paranoid. The only advice I have is to be overly friendly and insistent that everything is shared and not to expect things of your tenant you don't do yourself.

Elbi

Im an owner occupier and to be honest over time people have totally taken the utter piss out of me for the sipmle reason I didnt want to be a nag about things, but i do thinks some owners can be the total opposit and be way over the top,

If I was lookin for somewhere to rent Id rather it was with an owner occupier