Lodger that wont pay rent

matthew27

Hi  I took in a gentleman to help with paying Bill's etc when my children left home  but now he isn't working and wants to sleep on my sofa or watch tv all day and smoke  in the lounge.  He wont help around the house when asked either.  He is applying for uni credit on friday  but that takes awhile to process . Any ideas what to do about him??

Adrian_Scope

Hi @matthew27. I'm sorry to hear you're stuck in what sounds like a difficult situation. Can I ask if you're still happy for this gentleman to be living with you and do you have a formal written agreement with them?

poppy123456

HI,

Does he have a tenancy agreement? without this then he won't be able to claim for any help with the rent with UC housing element.

Geoark

Hi @matthew27

If he is sharing common elements of your home, kitchen, bathroom, living room if there is one, then he is a lodger with very few rights as technically they are classed as an 'excluded occupier' you don't have to go to court to get rid of him simply give him reasonable notice. This is usually the length of the rental period, if he pays weekly then it would usually be a weeks notice and it does not have to be in writing.

You would not normally give a tenancy agreement to a lodger who shares the home you live in, but can provide a lodger licence agreement - you can find a template at https://www.rocketlawyer.com/gb/en/documents/lodger-agreement

The advantage of this type of agreement is you can set any reasonable conditions on the lodger while living in your home, not smoking is a common one. It is clear from the start. While the agreement will normally state a period between 6 and 12 months there is normally a clause with the ability of either party to terminate the agreement early.

As @Adrian_Scope says it depends if you are still happy for him to live with  you if his behaviour improves, in which case a frank discussion of what you expect and if he is not happy to comply then give him notice. It is after all your home. If you don't have a lodger licence agreement then consider introducing one. you can always ask the CAB or even local council to review the agreement to ensure there is nothing untoward in it that might cause problems later on.

Personally as someone who has lived as a lodger in other peoples home I find his behaviour, as you have described it, is disrespectful to you and your home.

April2018mom

Hello @matthew27

Welcome. Not being annoying but this is why it is recommended to vet lodgers. Do you have a contract or not? Always a good idea. You can find more details on how to do this on this website https://www.spareroom.co.uk/content/info-landlords/lodger-screening/?from_mobi_site=1

When I needed more money in the summer of 2018, I advertised for lodgers. It worked out well for me because I simply refused to allow any applicants who declined to do the background checks into my flat. I also stated that from the outset in my advert. 
What does your landlord have to say? I recommend getting a lawyer with substantial experience in housing issues too pronto. What do your neighbors think? Perhaps you can encourage them to help you.