Lodger or tenant?

Lodger or tenant?

9:41 AM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago 22

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Hello, my situation is a bit complex and I hope I will get some answers here.  I was leaving alone in my 4 bedroom house and took on some lodgers to live with me.

In 2020 I got a job in another country and spent time going back and forth to my house in London. I did not change my lodgers’ status but I assumed by then they were considered tenants.

Now in 2023, I am back and I am living back in my house in which I have got my room. Now that I am back do I give them a new tenancy agreement? If yes then as tenants or lodgers?

Thanks,

Flore


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Comments

Alison King

10:05 AM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago

What sort of agreement do they currently have? Did they have exclusive use of the entire property when you were away?

Joe Boxer

13:16 PM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago

As a landlord it isn't necessary to provide a lodger with a written contract but it is a good idea to do so.
A lodger agreement allows you to give 30 days notice to quit
https://www.gov.uk/rent-room-in-your-home/your-lodgers-tenancy-type

RoseD

13:31 PM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago

Hi Flore
Interesting you should raise this as only a few days ago someone in a very similar situation to you asked if he could do what you obviously have...leave lodgers in his home and work away. Some very different opinions.
My thinking is a lodger is someone who lives in the same home as you do and I'd go with Joe Boxer comment. A tenant a bit more complex and could fall under HMO status.

Graham Bowcock

14:08 PM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago

If you're living in the house and have others in their too, then it's a safe bet they are lodgers and you'd be best advised to treat them as such.

If your absence abroad caused no issues or queries, then I'd forget about it and just deal with the current situation.

toby marsden

14:13 PM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago

Flore

Your home, there a lodger
end of

Lawyers and everyone will give you different opinions

fact is no one knows until it goes to court of which you would win

alot of the game is about guts and making decisions

go with lodger
treat them as lodger
and 99% they will never challenge it

Graham Bowcock

14:16 PM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Graham Bowcock at 09/08/2023 - 14:08
Sorry wrong use of there!

The Forever Tenant

14:42 PM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago

I'm going to go with the wonderful legal answer of "It Depends".

The factors in play are how often you returned back to the UK and how long you were in the house before going back. Where were you staying when you were abroad? was it a hotel, apartment or other living situation?

There is a possibility depending on the answers that the tenancy could have converted to an AST. Enough that they could argue the point in court if needed and potentially win.

That said, if you were to offer a lodgers agreement and they accept then there are no further problems. It is likely that they believe they are on a lodgers contract and are expecting to receive the same.

RoseD

15:26 PM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago

Never ceases to amaze me that no straight forward yes or no answers anymore. The majority of people who use and answer these questions appear in the main to be property investors and we all have different opinions, advice, information, experience (in the main) but almost always conflicting responses and advice. If we don't know as landlords then I think that says far too much about how things are!

GlanACC

15:30 PM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago

If you were still registered for the electorial register at your home, then in effect you were just working away. So they are lodgers. If you removed yourself from the electoral register then you may have an issue as they would be the occupiers of the house

The Forever Tenant

15:52 PM, 9th August 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by RoseD at 09/08/2023 - 15:26
It's not just housing but all aspects of law. It says nothing that we have different opinions on the situation as so many laws and regulations are written without definitions or specific details. There are court cases across all legal areas every day where someone will be arguing about the meaning of a single word in a piece of legislation.

It's not until something goes to court and is ruled upon that we get more of a picture of what can and cannot be done.

sometimes laws are written with specifics. Take the Tenant Fees Act 2019. It gives very specific details about what you can charge for and in some cases how much. Literally any other charge that is not listed is illegal. There is very little wiggle room in that one.

With lodgers the wording is lacking considerably. Effectively you are a lodger if the landlord lives with you and you share some of the living space for a majority of the time. You'll have to forgive me I don't know the actual wording. There was a case whereby the landlord came by a couple of days a week to collect mail and maybe sleep overnight, that was enough for the lodger to remain as such. However longer periods where the landlord is away have meant that an AST has been created. The big issue is that we just don't know what that limit may be.

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