Sharing your home with a lodger
We know from a recent survey that sharing space is one of the main concerns people have when it comes to renting out their spare room. We get it - if you’re used to living on your own, the thought of sharing with someone else can feel slightly daunting.
It can also be difficult for lodgers to feel totally at ease, as they’re aware it’s your home they’re living in.
So we’ve put together some tips to help you both feel more comfortable sharing your space…
Talk about your schedules
Having different schedules might sound appealing at first, but if your lodger is starting their day when you’re winding down yours, there are likely to be issues around noise and disturbing each other's sleep.
On the other hand, if you both need to use the bathroom or kitchen at the same times of day, it could also get tricky.
The easiest way to deal with that is to talk about it before you even offer the room to anyone, but if you already have a lodger it can still be really useful to discuss this too and see if there's a better way of organising things.
Get to know each other
If you live alone, having company might be better than you think. You might find you enjoy having someone to chat to or share a meal with. We’ve heard so many stories over the years from people who started out needing some extra money but wound up making a friend.
Even if you’re not looking for a friend, building a friendly relationship with your lodger will make living together more comfortable and will help you solve any issues that do crop up.
Put in the time, make conversation when you see them and explore any common interests. It’ll make living together much easier and who knows where things will go from there.
Respect each other's privacy
Even if you do become friends with your lodger, everyone needs their own space. Your lodger has their own room, but you’ll also need to think about what else might be an issue.
If you both work from home and need a space to take calls, make sure you’ve explained that in advance. Defining areas to work in respects each other's privacy and sets boundaries.
The same goes for other people coming to the house. Maybe they have a partner who wants to stay over on a weekend, or you regularly have a friend over. Open communication about who and when can make sure you’re both happy and hopefully on the same page.
Find someone with similar standards
Try and pick a lodger who has similar standards to you or have a conversation about how you’d like the shared spaces to be kept. Little things like emptying the dishwasher or forgetting to recycle don’t need to be a problem if you agree on some rules together, but it’s often the little things that end up causing the biggest arguments.
Chat about how you like to live before someone moves in if possible, rather than wait till you realise there’s a problem
Ultimately, it’s your home and you have the final say. But if you can find a lodger who understands what you expect and is on the same page, it’ll make sharing your space a much better experience, for both of you.
We’ve put together a handy guide on the best questions to ask a potential lodger, including great advice from people who’ve been through the process themselves, often more than once.