Use this guide if you own or rent the home you live in and want to let a spare room to someone who will share your kitchen or bathroom. Have your mortgage or tenancy details and your home insurance policy to hand. Lodger rules differ from those for tenants, so this guide focuses on a live-in landlord in England.
Step by step
Get the permissions you need first
If you have a mortgage, check the terms or ask your lender whether you need consent to take a lodger. If you rent, read your tenancy agreement and ask your landlord in writing, as many tenancies need permission for a lodger. Tell your home insurer too, because some policies change cover, especially for theft, when a non-family member lives with you. If you claim benefits such as Universal Credit or a council tax discount for living alone, check how a lodger affects them before you go ahead.
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