Decided to Rent out one of our bedrooms - House Share

Lyla Mae

Hi all,

Looking for advice of house sharing?

My boyfriend and I have decided to rent out the spare room? Can anyone give me some tips etc for house sharing?

We have 2 people interested already and possible viewing tonight.

We are both young professionals, we do not have wild parties and late night drinking sessions really. We are house proud and everywhere is always kept nice and tidy. We are very easy going but want to make sure that we let the potential new lodger know a few rules etc without scaring them off.

Tonight for example do we go through everything, obviously we will be showing the room and areas they will have access too. We also will want to lay down a few rules without scaring them off for e.g

Keep the place clean & tidy and will be required to chip in with cleaning of communal areas
No late night parties. Quiet time during week from 11pm allowed stay up late the weekend though lol
Under no circumstances are the alarm code / keys to be given to anybody.
No entering other bedrooms.


Any feedback or people in similiar positions?

Thanks.

handlemaster

Dont sa y to an adult .."allowed to stay up late" have y ou shared before?

irishguy1983

Lyla Mae wrote: »

Hi all,

Looking for advice of house sharing?

My boyfriend and I have decided to rent out the spare room? Can anyone give me some tips etc for house sharing?

We have 2 people interested already and possible viewing tonight.

We are both young professionals, we do not have wild parties and late night drinking sessions really. We are house proud and everywhere is always kept nice and tidy. We are very easy going but want to make sure that we let the potential new lodger know a few rules etc without scaring them off.

Tonight for example do we go through everything, obviously we will be showing the room and areas they will have access too. We also will want to lay down a few rules without scaring them off for e.g

Keep the place clean & tidy and will be required to chip in with cleaning of communal areas
No late night parties. Quiet time during week from 11pm allowed stay up late the weekend though lol
Under no circumstances are the alarm code / keys to be given to anybody.
No entering other bedrooms.


Any feedback or people in similiar positions?

Thanks.

Your rules sound grand for you but we all see the world differently.

If you can avoid sharing I would suggest you do so unless maybe you know them.

desperate housewife

If you are sharing with other people it is their house too and you can't tell them what to do.
When doing house viewings it's fine to say that the house is always this tidy and everyone chips in to keep it clean. You can't tell people when they can go to bed or make noise, if you want to control the noise in your house don't rent out rooms. People are not stupid and know that other bedrooms are private, don't tell people that as it sounds very condescending. As for keys and alarm codes, I would always give a key to my boyfriend in case of emergency, he is never in my house share without me but he will definitely know the key and code. If people move in you'll have to think of everyone as equal housemates, you are not their mammy and can't tell them what to do

snubbleste

Tell them not to share with a couple!

campingcarist

New to Boards.ie so just working my way through.

When I lived in England and rented out rooms in my house, I had a short list of rules/guidelines written out. The main ones were about smoking or not and no noise after a certain time at night. Also very important was visitors and visitors sleeping over.

Mongfinder General

desperate housewife wrote: »

If you are sharing with other people it is their house too and you can't tell them what to do.
When doing house viewings it's fine to say that the house is always this tidy and everyone chips in to keep it clean. You can't tell people when they can go to bed or make noise, if you want to control the noise in your house don't rent out rooms. People are not stupid and know that other bedrooms are private, don't tell people that as it sounds very condescending. As for keys and alarm codes, I would always give a key to my boyfriend in case of emergency, he is never in my house share without me but he will definitely know the key and code. If people move in you'll have to think of everyone as equal housemates, you are not their mammy and can't tell them what to do

Yes you fcuking can tell them what to do. If they get lippy, show them the door. Don't get into signing contracts, stick with the rent a room scheme. If they don't respect the place, you can shift them pretty quickly by terminating the arrangement. Don't take any sh1t. It's not worth it.

whupdedo

I rent out 2 rooms in the summer, I just lay down 3 rules,

No noise after 12 at night

Keep the place tidy

It's not a lot to ask to have quite after midnight, and most people are fairly tidy anyway, but I wouldn't tell them to stay out of other rooms, people aren't that thick

And also no smoking inside the house, thats a big no no

The_Morrigan

Mongfinder General wrote: »

Yes you fcuking can tell them what to do. If they get lippy, show them the door. Don't get into signing contracts, stick with the rent a room scheme. If they don't respect the place, you can shift them pretty quickly by terminating the arrangement. Don't take any sh1t. It's not worth it.

Watch your language please. There is no need for it.

Mongfinder General

whupdedo wrote: »

I rent out 2 rooms in the summer, I just lay down 2 rules,

No noise after 12 at night

Keep the place tidy

It's not a lot to ask to have quite after midnight, and most people are fairly tidy anyway, but I wouldn't tell them to stay out of other rooms, people aren't that thick

You'd be surprised. I've rented to some people who thought that they could get away with it without me finding out.

the_syco

desperate housewife wrote: »

If you are sharing with other people it is their house too and you can't tell them what to do.

If they're owner occupier, they kind of can.

whupdedo wrote: »

I wouldn't tell them to stay out of other rooms, people aren't that thick

If they're used to living with mates, they may not think twice about popping into the other room to borrow something.

Mongfinder General wrote: »

Don't get into signing contracts, stick with the rent a room scheme. If they don't respect the place, you can shift them pretty quickly by terminating the arrangement.

100% this. If you own the place, don't give the licensee more rights than they should have.

Also, remember. They'll be a licensee, not a tenant if you're an owner occupier.

Finally, aim for the market that only want the room for a few nights a week, esp if your place is fairly central. These professionals will only stay at your place for somewhere to stay to avoid long commutes, if they have a house elsewhere and only in the city for a few days a week.

Lyla Mae

Thanks for the replies, but I do think some of you are being a bit harsh about laying down a few rules for a happy house. The house is owner occupied so therefore I think we have every right to lay down a few rules.

As I said we are pretty easy going people but just want a few ground rules you, it is just a few things to ensure everything runs smoothly, for e.g

I think the no noise after 11/12 pm is grand I dont care if they have the tele on etc just want them to know if they are out or have someone over that we dont want them up all night.

I think mentioning the other bedrooms should not be any hassle to be fair people need to know there bounderies and as another poster said you dont know hoe other people lived popping in and out of rooms.

Its just a few guidelines.

And a quote from desperate housewife
I would always give a key to my boyfriend in case of emergency, why would a tentant need to give someone spare keys we already have that sorted.

I think the rules are fairly ok just wondering what other little bits of info renting a room might have you.

Thanks

Lyla Mae

Finally, aim for the market that only want the room for a few nights a week, esp if your place is fairly central. These professionals will only stay at your place for somewhere to stay to avoid long commutes, if they have a house elsewhere and only in the city for a few days a week.[/QUOTE]

Any suggestions where I could put an ad for something like this?

Thanks

witchgirl26

I think it's grand most of what you're suggesting but if you make an issue of the no noise or something after 11pm/12am then it does get a bit much. Aim to rent to someone who is old enough to recognise this as being normal & shouldn't need it pointed out. You can't dictate that they can't be out late into the night if they want to but maybe more put it as that you'd appreciate if they are out, that they keep noise to a minimum when they come in as you go to bed round that time.

I would also think the not going into any of the other bedrooms (without express permission) wouldn't need to be said for the market that you're aiming at. Again though it's how you word it to people.

In regards what desperate housewife said & your response - if the housemate isn't allowed into the other bedrooms than I'm presuming that you wouldn't be allowed into theirs. Therefore if they're away or need something from their room, they might want the security of someone they know having access. You could lay it down that only after a short while (when you can assess if the share is working) that the key be given out. Alarm code I think is fair enough. I had a key to my other halves houseshare but it was said to the others prior to it & I was only there when he'd be coming in.

whupdedo

the_syco wrote: »

Also, remember. They'll be a licensee, not a tenant if you're an owner occupier.
.

Can you define the difference between a licencee and a tenant please

athtrasna

whupdedo wrote: »

Can you define the difference between a licencee and a tenant please

May I suggest Google? The citizens information website has a good page on rent a room and definitions as you request

Lyla Mae

In regards what desperate housewife said & your response - if the housemate isn't allowed into the other bedrooms than I'm presuming that you wouldn't be allowed into theirs. Therefore if they're away or need something from their room, they might want the security of someone they know having access. You could lay it down that only after a short while (when you can assess if the share is working) that the key be given out. Alarm code I think is fair enough. I had a key to my other halves houseshare but it was said to the others prior to it & I was only there when he'd be coming in.[/QUOTE]

We are the owners of the house therefore we will be telling the tentant that his / her room must be kept clean and tidy, for example we do not want dirty dishes / food etc been left in the room for days as has been the case when I rented out my own house / rooms and a friend done the same.
As a landlord does I think we should be allowed to have a quick look in the room every now and again with the tenant present to ensure all is ok in the room. I would never dream of entering the tenants room without prior permission but I do think a few guidelines wont hurt.

I am not telling the person her / she cant stay out late I am saying quiet time is from 11/12 therefore they know that if they have a friend / friends over they should be gone home by that time and just a little respect for each other.

I will not be allowing key to be given to anyone else simple as.

Eldarion

I pity the poor person entering into this arrangement. Just don't be surprised and don't be a pain about their deposit if they want out after a week or two.

Emme

Lyla Mae wrote: »

We are the owners of the house therefore we will be telling the tentant that his / her room must be kept clean and tidy, for example we do not want dirty dishes / food etc been left in the room for days as has been the case when I rented out my own house / rooms and a friend done the same.

As a landlord does I think we should be allowed to have a quick look in the room every now and again with the tenant present to ensure all is ok in the room. I would never dream of entering the tenants room without prior permission but I do think a few guidelines wont hurt.

I am not telling the person her / she cant stay out late I am saying quiet time is from 11/12 therefore they know that if they have a friend / friends over they should be gone home by that time and just a little respect for each other.

I will not be allowing key to be given to anyone else simple as.

OP, what was your experience with tenants when you rented out your house before? Were they happy with your arrangements? If so then go by previous experience.

It's reasonable to expect people to be quiet between 11 and 7 and if they want to watch TV or listen to music they can use headphones.

Buy a cheap vacuum cleaner and leave it in the tenant's room for their use only if you are concerned they won't keep the room clean. Leave some wet wipes there too so they can keep surfaces etc. clean. If cleaning materials are within reach they are more likely be used regularly. Set an example yourself by keeping the house squeaky clean and let the tenant see you cleaning, vacuuming etc. It's always handy to have a backup vacuum cleaner anyway. You can ask to borrow this from time to time and this would be a polite way of seeing the tenant's room into the bargain. Who knows, this might turn into a very interesting menage a trois for you and your boyfriend!

All jokes aside show them the list of rules at the very beginning and they will decide for themselves if the arrangements suits them.

Will the rental cost include electricity and bills or do you want to split everything 3 ways? I think you should up the rental price a bit to include bills and explain that to the lodger at the start. It seems a bit unfair to expect a lodger to abide by very strict rules but go thirds with bills. If you were all renting it would be different.

If you have a bathroom en suite and there is a main bathroom the lodger can use it make things a bit easier for all concerned. If this is the case decide who keeps it clean. If there is only one bathroom in the house things might be awkward for all concerned, for example if someone in the house eats a dodgy curry or gets a tummy bug like norovirus. You do not want a lodger bringing pathogenic bacteria into your house.

Leogirl

Hi OP,

I have been renting out the spare room, sharing with my boyfriend & I. I would never say no noise after 11/12 - I say on the ad its a quiet house & so far everyone has respected that & honestly never had a problem with noise in the 3 years renting out.

I ask for some notice if possible if guests staying and no random strangers!! I try to keep it light hearted though, they're entitled to visitors but I dont want some scumbag raiding the place after they pulled on a night out either!

Only other rules are about security - locking up, alarm on etc & keeping communal areas clean. I dont think I could tell an adult to keep their room clean!

If its any good - I've been renting to foreign students mostly so they only stay 1-3 months. So far its been great, there isnt enough time for annoying habits to cause tension & they havent a big group of mates around, looking to come over to party.

Try to take your time picking someone - wait for someone you feel suits you both, its much easier if everyone just gets on & it would be horrible for a lodger to feel ill at ease with a couple who were owner/occupiers.

Mrs OBumble

OP, you are not looking for a housemate, ie a person who you see as an equal.

It sounds like you are looking for a boarder. Unless you can find a professional who only wants a bed for a few nights a week, you may be better to advertise it as digs, and provide them with morning and evening meals.

Lyla Mae

Emme wrote: »

OP, what was your experience with tenants when you rented out your house before? Were they happy with your arrangements? If so then go by previous experience.

It's reasonable to expect people to be quiet between 11 and 7 and if they want to watch TV or listen to music they can use headphones.

Yes I think this is reasonabe I just want the person to know that having people back til all hours during the week is a no no

Buy a cheap vacuum cleaner and leave it in the tenant's room for their use only if you are concerned they won't keep the room clean. Leave some wet wipes there too so they can keep surfaces etc. clean. If cleaning materials are within reach they are more likely be used regularly. Set an example yourself by keeping the house squeaky clean and let the tenant see you cleaning, vacuuming etc. It's always handy to have a backup vacuum cleaner anyway. You can ask to borrow this from time to time and this would be a polite way of seeing the tenant's room into the bargain. Who knows, this might turn into a very interesting menage a trois for you and your boyfriend!

All jokes aside show them the list of rules at the very beginning and they will decide for themselves if the arrangements suits them.

Will the rental cost include electricity and bills or do you want to split everything 3 ways? I think you should up the rental price a bit to include bills and explain that to the lodger at the start. It seems a bit unfair to expect a lodger to abide by very strict rules but go thirds with bills. If you were all renting it would be different.

The bills will be split 3 ways, electricity and gas.

If you have a bathroom en suite and there is a main bathroom the lodger can use it make things a bit easier for all concerned. If this is the case decide who keeps it clean. If there is only one bathroom in the house things might be awkward for all concerned, for example if someone in the house eats a dodgy curry or gets a tummy bug like norovirus. You do not want a lodger bringing pathogenic bacteria into your house.

The lodger will more or less have the main bathroom to him / her self and a sitting soom.


Here is how I am putting it to the tenant.

Find the house as you see it now, nice, clean and tidy. Will expect you the tenant to clean up after yourself etc after each meal and keep your room tidy.

There is no problem having friends call over but please keep it to 11 pm during the week and no house parties.

Please do not give key and alarm code to anybody. Spare key available (from next door) should you need it.

Bills are split 3 ways.

If using sitting room keep tidy aswell. Sittinbg room we never use so tenant will have main use of that.

Main bathroom will mainly be used by tenant. (I only use to do my make up there)

That is all the rules I have, I simple wanted to know what experiencing people have had with renting a room and what rules they might have had. I do not think any of the above a very strict in fairness.

messrs

Its always tricky when you are renting out a room in your own house, ive thought about doing it with mine but in the end I couldn't do through with it.

It is your house so of course you are entitled to lay down some rules, you will get a general idea of what the people are like when the come to view the house anyway, you could always throw in the late nights in a jokey way as in "myself and my bf are always up early for work so we don't want someone who is going to stay up late partying all night!" Id also mention the no smoking in the house ( that's if your not smokers yourself) and say you don't mind them having vistors over ect but if someone is staying you would like a bit of notice.

Have you thought about how you will work out about using the kitchen - like if you , your bf and tenant all come in from work at the same time, who gets to cook dinner first? What if you both want to use the washing machine at the same time? I know these are only little things, but still suff that needs to be sorted out . Also will you have any communal items you can all use, like Milk, Bread, Butter, Tea, Coffee, Washing Tablets, Cleaning Products, Toilet roll, kitchen roll, tin foil, cling film, or will you both buy your own seperatly ? again may sound stupid/trivial but still stuff that needs to be addressed.
I think its fair enough for you to say that you don't want anyone else apart from the tenant to have a key/alarm code, I think ( I may be wrong) the point desperate housewife was making was that she gave her bf key in case of emergencys, like if she lost her bag or left it in work or on the bus or whatever and couldn't get in touch with other flatmates, then at least she could get the 'emergency' key of her bf & still be able to get into her home.
what is the storey with parking? how many cars can you fit in your drive way? is there on street parking? if so, how will you decide who gets to park where?
sorry for going on and on and on!! hope some of it helps

Browne11

If I walked in to this house for a viewing and you said about not walking into other rooms I would walk straight back out the front door! Their adults not children! Dont rent out your room!

Irishcrx

Hi OP,

I'm an owner occupier or was at least for a number of years and I'm going to be honest. It's not worth it , you know that saying 'you want to know someone , live with them' it's all too true. I had endless hassle with tenants , not all of them some were fine but others who seemed grand when we met them turned into nightmares within a week or two.

I know it seems a good idea for an extra few quid , but the consequences are that you will have extra hassle , you will have arguments/disagreements, you will end up giving out with your BF over them at some stage , there will be times when thing's become untidy and you feel that they are stepping on your toe's.

If you and the other half have an argument , there's a stranger in your house who can hear everything , you can't ask them to leave because they live there.

If you come in from a hard day at work and they are on the sofa watching TV that's tough because they live there.

If your starving and want to make dinner but they are already in the middle of cooking, that's tough you'll have to wait because they are paying you rent.

That's the reality of it , suddenly the extra €300 a month you'd happily give to have your house back with just the two of you.

Lyla Mae

Thanks messers, I feel like i am being made out to be some sort of monster.

This is first experience so just unsure what way to approach a few things.

Yes true if someone is staying would like a bit of notice and dont want it ending up say the GF or BF stays like 5 out of 7 nights you know.

Dont mind the person having friends over at all just want them to know that not all nights during week you know.

We are non smokers so yes better say that no smoking in house.

Well I am pretty easy going on that even though I am made so sound not like that at all. The kitchen is big enough for us to work around each other i dont mind.

Yes maybe should mention a little kitty for cleaning items, kitchen, toilet rolls.

Lyla Mae

Browne11 wrote: »

If I walked in to this house for a viewing and you said about not walking into other rooms I would walk straight back out the front door! Their adults not children! Dont rent out your room!

No where did I say about walking in to other rooms, I said other bedrooms there is a difference.

This tentant will have sole use of a sitting room and bathroom.

I am walking away from this thread as all I wanted was some help guidelines on how to appoach renting a room and I feel my words are getting twisted and made to be some sort of monster to live WITH.

Thanks for all replies.

Bye

BookBook

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/owning_a_home/home_owners/rent_a_room_scheme.html

Decent information to be found here including some helpful questions.

indigo twist

There's a difference between having the bathroom for their sole use and having it "mainly" for their sole use. Even if you only use it to do your make-up, it's a shared bathroom.

I lived in an apartment before with an owner-occupier where he had advertised that I would have sole use of the main bathroom. But occasionally I'd see signs that he'd used it when I was away from the apartment. It annoyed me because firstly, it made me feel that I had to leave it perfectly clean at all times in case he decided to use it, and secondly, I wasn't comfortable leaving personal girly products lying around in there any more. (By the way, I did keep it clean most of the time anyways, but it was annoying having to make the effort to have it presentable when I was rushing out for work in the mornings.)

witchgirl26

Lyla Mae wrote: »

We are the owners of the house therefore we will be telling the tentant that his / her room must be kept clean and tidy, for example we do not want dirty dishes / food etc been left in the room for days as has been the case when I rented out my own house / rooms and a friend done the same.
As a landlord does I think we should be allowed to have a quick look in the room every now and again with the tenant present to ensure all is ok in the room. I would never dream of entering the tenants room without prior permission but I do think a few guidelines wont hurt.

I don't think you're being a monster OP, so sorry if it's come across as that, but I do think that you're being a little controlling. Fair enough on the food etc in the room but in terms of it being kept clean & tidy - they are paying for the use of the bedroom & therefore it is theirs for that time frame. You can't dictate how the room is kept unless it's affecting the rest of the house (smells etc). I'm a naturally messy person & oftentimes my bedroom would have some clothes/make-up etc lying around. Yes I'd close the door & I'd never have it impact someone else but I'd feel like I'd never left home if someone was checking was it tidy.
I've never had a landlord check how tidy my room was. They've checked they common areas are kept but not bedrooms.

I know you say that you want the extra money from this but it sounds like you don't really want someone else in your house. I'd really think about it carefully before you go down that path.

the_syco

Regarding the alarm code, check the manual, as you should be able to give the person their own alarm code (different to yours). This is handy as you can see when they came and went. It also allows you to turn it off, so when they leave and give back the key, you can disable their alarm code for peace of mind.

Lyla Mae wrote: »

Any suggestions where I could put an ad for something like this?

State it in your ad that you'd prefer a Monday to Friday letting, but keep in mind the rent will be lower as well.

makeorbrake

Lyla Mae wrote: »

Find the house as you see it now, nice, clean and tidy. Will expect you the tenant to clean up after yourself etc after each meal and keep your room tidy.

It's good that you are going to put this across to them from the get go - so they go in with their eyes open. However, your mileage will vary and you will never know to what extent from one lodger to another until they're already there. People differ and people have different standards. Most important of all - no one treats a property in the same way as its actual owner. You're going to have to accept this - or otherwise, you're going to be disappointed/frustrated.

Lyla Mae wrote: »

There is no problem having friends call over but please keep it to 11 pm during the week and no house parties.

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me - but make sure you apply the same standard to yourself at all times - or else it's going to cause resentment.

Lyla Mae wrote: »

Please do not give key and alarm code to anybody. Spare key available (from next door) should you need it.

Seems reasonable to me.

Lyla Mae wrote:

That is all the rules I have, I simple wanted to know what experiencing people have had with renting a room and what rules they might have had.

Make sure you are straight up about everything from the very outset - so that they accept the room based on what you have agreed.
Dealing with conflict is more or less a certainty on some level and it's all the harder to deal with given that you have to live under the same roof.

Lyla Mae wrote:

Yes maybe should mention a little kitty for cleaning items, kitchen, toilet rolls.

Keep the receipts and combine it with the utility bill payments. It's easier for everyone that way.

Lyla Mae wrote:

This tentant will have sole use of a sitting room and bathroom.

Be very clear in what you promise as otherwise, it will only come back to haunt you. See indigo twist's point. They will have "practically sole use of sitting room and bathroom". Might seem like semantics but it matters.

Lyla Mae wrote:

No where did I say about walking in to other rooms, I said other bedrooms there is a difference.

He has a legitimate point. Many people would be offended at that being brought up. Everyone knows that you respect peoples privacy. That's not to say someone won't do it (stay at the rent a room gig long enough and I assure you they will! - regardless of you bringing this up). When they do, act on it - and that can be anything from clearing them out of the place to letting them know exactly your feelings on the subject - dependent upon just how devious their motivation was in going into your room in the first place.

Lyla Mae wrote:

I am walking away from this thread as all I wanted was some help guidelines on how to appoach renting a room and I feel my words are getting twisted and made to be some sort of monster to live WITH.

You shouldn't walk away as you're getting some excellent advice here - from both sides of the fence.
To sanity test if you really know what you are letting yourself in for, you should read and re-read Irishcrx's post above. It's right on the money.


one of the biggest problems with the rent a room gig is that people resent the owner occupier as they don't feel that the house share is equitable. I understand their point of view. However, where I don't agree with them is that by default, the owner occupier has to take control of how the house share runs and its the owner occupier that sets that out from the get go in any case (thats why I think its important you lay it all out before they agree to take the room - so everybody understands each other). The owner occupier is responsible for the actual payment of all bills - and dealing with shared bills. They're responsible for repairs and all other items relevant to the property.

witchgirl26 wrote:

Fair enough on the food etc in the room but in terms of it being kept clean & tidy - they are paying for the use of the bedroom & therefore it is theirs for that time frame. You can't dictate how the room is kept unless it's affecting the rest of the house (smells etc). I'm a naturally messy person & oftentimes my bedroom would have some clothes/make-up etc lying around. Yes I'd close the door & I'd never have it impact someone else but I'd feel like I'd never left home if someone was checking was it tidy.
I've never had a landlord check how tidy my room was. They've checked they common areas are kept but not bedrooms.

She's quite right. You can't impose your standards on someone elses space. If they keep the door closed then its neither any of your business or any of your concern. In a worst case scenario, if any 'mess' is confined to a bedroom, maybe it needs repainting and re-carpetting when they're done with it - and if its that bad, it can come out of their deposit.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents....from a 6 year veteran of the rent a room scheme. It served its purpose and was an interesting experience with plenty of upsides and downsides. Have fun.

foggy_lad

whupdedo wrote: »

Can you define the difference between a licensee and a tenant please

A tenant and tenancy are covered by the residential tenancies act but a licensee is staying in your house under licence from you which can be revoked at any time without reason and with only minimal(12/24hours) notice. A licensee is basically a guest in your house and you can put them and their belongings out the door when you want or need to.

BookBook

foggy_lad wrote: »

A tenant and tenancy are covered by the residential tenancies act but a licensee is staying in your house under licence from you which can be revoked at any time without reason and with only minimal(12/24hours) notice. A licensee is basically a guest in your house and you can put them and their belongings out the door when you want or need to.

I noticed the citizen information page mentions 'reasonable notice' I would only consider 12/24 hours reasonable notice if the person you were renting out your room showed some extreme behavior.

foggy_lad

BookBook wrote: »

I noticed the citizen information page mentions 'reasonable notice' I would only consider 12/24 hours reasonable notice if the person you were renting out your room showed some extreme behavior.

Reasonable could be the amount of time needed to pack and move their stuff out. at the end of the day it is up to the householder to decide what is reasonable.

Michellenman

Op are you going to be abiding by the same rules as your prospective new housemate regarding not going in to bedrooms etc? If so what difference does it make to you whether their room is tidy or not ?

CatFromHue

There's a lot of good advice here OP and it's something you shouldn't discard.

I personally would not like to be told to keep my room tidy and wouldn't move in to a place of that was asked of me. It makes me feel like a non paying guest rather than a paying housemate.

Alot of your rules make sense but how you tell the person is important. I do remember going to look at a place that was owner occupied and the place was nice and I got on well with the owner. When she started listing the rules though I felt it was too authoritarian and it came across as she was very much in charge, it was her house, and I was way down the pecking order. The thing is though I would have been exactly what she was looking for as I only stayed there maybe 10 times on the weekend that year as I went home, even some of them I went home on the Saturday. So she would have had the house to herself from 7.30am on Friday morning through to 11pm on Sunday night.

Another thing to keep in mind about the rules is will they apply to yourself too. Couples have sex so you'll have to keep the noise down if you say you don't want noise after 11, or finish up early

With respect to saying the person will have pretty much the use of a bathroom or sitting room to themselves I wouldn't mention it at all. It's too vague and different people will take it up differently. When the person moves in they'll figure things out and you can just say "we don't use that room much" which'll still mean you can when you want. If they move in thinking they've pretty much the room to themselves that quickly becomes the expectation.

Don't mention anything about hierarchy of who gets to cook when, it's a first come first served basis (though I can't remember if you actually said this, it could have been someone else).

Have you thought about parking or bike storage?

Also have you thought about do you actually need to do this? Houseshares are tricky and all come down to the dynamic of the group. Even when everyone gets on great though most people still long for their own place when they get above a certain age.

the_syco

Michellenman wrote: »

Op are you going to be abiding by the same rules as your prospective new housemate regarding not going in to bedrooms etc? If so what difference does it make to you whether their room is tidy or not ?

Although most people would ensure that food, etc, is binned, a lot don't. Food on plates or open containers left over a few days (if the licensee is only there during the week) can attract insects, etc. Also, those who keep their room tidy tend to not leave stuff lying around the house.

irishguy1983

Eldarion wrote: »

I pity the poor person entering into this arrangement. Just don't be surprised and don't be a pain about their deposit if they want out after a week or two.

Yeah I kind of agree!

I think the OP is genuine person but doesn't really understand sharing and how it works.

Mrs OBumble

irishguy1983 wrote: »

I think the OP is genuine person but doesn't really understand sharing and how it works.

+1

I hope the OP advertises for a lodger, not a housemate, cos that's what they're looking for.

anncoates

I never shared with an owner after a few bad experiences and with all respect this is why. People are often forced to rent out rooms for various reasons usually financial and essentially deep down they don't want the tenant there.

campingcarist

On a personal note, I prefer living with a live-in landlord than as a tenant in a shared house. The ease of getting out of the deal, the fact that the landlord is there and likely to keep his house in good order. Also, an owner-occupier is allowed to enter the licensee's bedroom as and when he wants but common courtesy says that this is done when the licensee is there and aware that the house owner is coming in.

I would have no problem acepting any of the OP's rules. Perhaps the OP should look for a mature lodger/licensee and not someone who wants to party 3 times a week etc.

makeorbrake

anncoates wrote: »

I never shared with an owner after a few bad experiences and with all respect this is why. People are often forced to rent out rooms for various reasons usually financial and essentially deep down they don't want the tenant there.

If you are saying that the motivation is 90% financial, of course it is. Been done to death on boards but it's very much a two way street. I'm sure many that have shared a house with an owner occupier will have the opportunity at a later stage to be an owner occupier and rent out rooms - and finally offer that totally equitable house share

tinz18

anncoates wrote: »

I never shared with an owner after a few bad experiences and with all respect this is why. People are often forced to rent out rooms for various reasons usually financial and essentially deep down they don't want the tenant there.

Then there are the rare cases such as my owner-occupier- she needed the extra income but she missed living with people and felt with a big house it needed people. It was her house but she made the other housemate and myself feel like it was ours too and we're still very close even after I had to relocate to another city.

OP I would second whoever said about adhering to the rules you lay out- its a major part of conflict when one party enforces rules and then go and do the opposite themselves- it was the major reason I moved out of my last place. The do as I say not as I do doesn't go down well with adults especially if they are paying for the experience. If you aren't intending to adhere to the rules yourself go down the lodger route- they probably won't be around enough to notice.

anncoates

tinz18 wrote: »

OP I would second whoever said about adhering to the rules you lay out- its a major part of conflict when one party enforces rules and then go and do the opposite themselves- it was the major reason I moved out of my last place. The do as I say not as I do doesn't go down well with adults especially if they are paying for the experience. If you aren't intending to adhere to the rules yourself go down the lodger route- they probably won't be around enough to notice.

This is where it often falls down.

Back in my house sharing days I went to look at a room in a owner-occupied house and was told no girlfriends staying over and a few minutes later informed that the owner's boyfriend stayed over some weekends.

I didn't take the room.

That said, I'm sure if you get the right owner - like in your experience - it's fine, but I think that's probably rare.

Tar.Aldarion

I am interested. Just wondering how often my bedroom inspections will be to make sure it is tidy?

Mrs OBumble

makeorbrake wrote: »

I'm sure many that have shared a house with an owner occupier will have the opportunity at a later stage to be an owner occupier and rent out rooms - and finally offer that totally equitable house share

Been there, done that and got the tee shirt.

I got the biggest room - 'cos I was paying the most rent.

And I had to stay home to let the plumber, electrician etc in - 'cos I had to pay their bills.

Other than that, I had two flatmates for two years, the last one only moved out when she got a job in another city, and is still a close friend.

Naked Lepper

Lyla Mae wrote: »

No late night parties. Quiet time during week from 11pm allowed stay up late the weekend though lol


Any feedback or people in similiar positions?

id suggest you rephrase that sentence if you realistically want anyone to move in. sounds like a boarding school set up to me.

makeorbrake

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Other than that, I had two flatmates for two years, the last one only moved out when she got a job in another city, and is still a close friend.

Yes. That would be part of the upside :-)

Afroshack

Lyla Mae wrote: »

In regards what desperate housewife said & your response - if the housemate isn't allowed into the other bedrooms than I'm presuming that you wouldn't be allowed into theirs. Therefore if they're away or need something from their room, they might want the security of someone they know having access. You could lay it down that only after a short while (when you can assess if the share is working) that the key be given out. Alarm code I think is fair enough. I had a key to my other halves houseshare but it was said to the others prior to it & I was only there when he'd be coming in.

We are the owners of the house therefore we will be telling the tentant that his / her room must be kept clean and tidy, for example we do not want dirty dishes / food etc been left in the room for days as has been the case when I rented out my own house / rooms and a friend done the same.
As a landlord does I think we should be allowed to have a quick look in the room every now and again with the tenant present to ensure all is ok in the room. I would never dream of entering the tenants room without prior permission but I do think a few guidelines wont hurt.

I am not telling the person her / she cant stay out late I am saying quiet time is from 11/12 therefore they know that if they have a friend / friends over they should be gone home by that time and just a little respect for each other.

I will not be allowing key to be given to anyone else simple as.[/QUOTE]


These are guidelines I would fully expect for someone raising teenagers, not renting out a room to a fully-grown adult.