Taking a Lodger
For an information pack please see below
Renting out a room in your house to someone can be good way to earn extra income to help with the higher costs and bills we are all facing at the moment.
The Council’s Housing Options service works with large numbers of people who need to find a room to rent and Government changes to the Housing Benefit rules mean that this demand is going to increase. So it is well worth thinking about letting a room to a lodger.
- A lodger would pay you rent and contribute towards household bills.
- There is a special tax allowance called the Rent a Room scheme which means you can receive up to £4,250 each year from letting a room in your home without paying tax.
- Having a lodger can also provide extra security while you are not at home because your home remains occupied and the lodger can keep an eye on things.
- You can advertise for a lodger on the Council's website - see here, and the Council’s Housing Options service can refer potential lodgers to you making it easy to find someone. Or you can use other websites or letting agents.
- You are allowed to specify what sort of person you are looking for so you can find someone you will get along with.
Who can take in a lodger?
Both homeowners and tenants can think about taking a lodger. If you have a mortgage you'll need to check that taking a lodger is allowed by your mortgage lender, so check the conditions of the mortgage or ask the lender. If you rent your home you’ll need to check that taking a lodger is allowed by your landlord, so check your rental agreement or ask the landlord. Apart from that you do not need any Government or Council approval to take a lodger, although taking a lodger will affect income-related benefits.
Information Pack
The Council’s Housing Strategy team has prepared an information pack to help you with renting out a room in your home. The pack contains everything you need including a Checklist, advice about setting the rent and selecting a lodger, and a Lodger Agreement.
To get the Information Pack please complete the form below.
If you provide an email address we will email the pack to you, so leave blank if you would prefer us to send it to you. Alternatively call the Housing Strategy Team on 01283 508149.