Scared

gaeilgegrinds

As a landlady I'm just wondering...is it necessary to explain things with a new tenant moves in? I never did before, just assumed certain things were fairly common knowledge across the board. As in, guests? Should I be told? Is it normal to have my sitting room taken over and not told? Should toilet paper be replaced? Should I be asked if my food is taken? Who says if the house is roasting because the heat has been on 24 hours? Should I have to say my car is no use to me if it is blocked in?

My present tenant is ok but I'm worried, my friends have had some terrible experiences. Have a new lad moving in in June, wondering do I bother having a chat or let it go and assume? Opinions for both landladies or lords and tenants welcome. I'm just a wee bit afraid.

Terri26

hey gg,

you could have a general discussion when viewing the room with a prospective tenant but nothing too heavy as this would drive me away. if someone did it to me.
some answers from my opinion and I have been renting for years (I tend to move house each year as I am a teacher so give up my lease each year in June).

yes, your sitting room can be taken over - first come first served so to speak. I never use the sitting room as I feel uncomfortable as another tenant is always in there but if I was home first and wanted to watch something I would. however you could say something like "oh there is a .... on tomorrow ngt in the sitting room if you don't mind".

heating - I too hate it been on all the time as we all have to pay for it and the other tenant is a demon for having it on!! unfortuately though this is their home too so you just have to suck it up unless bills are covered in rent which i would not advise. you could however say after awhile "gosh it's really hot in here do you mind if I switch of the heating".

Guests over - again i dont do this as I am conscious it is a house share and dont want ppl to feel uncomfortable but if a friend needed to stay over i would have no problem allowing him/her to do so especially if they were staying in my room. i might say it in passing although if they were staying in a communal area like a sitting room i would def say it. when i was younger and renting first out of college i would have let ppl stay over without giving it a second thought (still in college mentality) but I def would be mroe respectful now. however is another tenant/landlady had ppl over all the time and did not extend the same courtesy I would be annoyed even if it was their house and I would probably do the same

lastly if someone is blocking you in - it is def okay to say it to them sure you would say it to a neighbout why not a tenant!!

hope this helps!!!

also if you want the sitting room yourself i would put a tell and digital tv in their room might encourage them to watch tv in bed but dont EXPECT them too. they are paying for use of communal rooms

gaeilgegrinds

Thanks for that Terri, most of that I kind of assumed. The sitting room with me is a bit of a problem, I'd really be uncomfortable with people sleeping there, I mean it's a sitting room. I've never had it happen to me but a friend of mine owns her house and her tenant has people sleeping on the couch most of the time and she can never get in there, I've all my books on the shelves on one side and love sitting and chilling in there. I also do all my work in there in the evenings. I have no problem with people watching tv or having friends in there obviously but sleeping and whatever else is a wee bit off on me couch I think. I dunno though maybe I've just heard all the worst stories!

Firetrap

I share a house and what we all do is leave a spare car key hanging up in the kitchen so that if one of us does get hemmed in, we can move the other's car if it comes down to it. I've never found that to be an issue - the only time any of us has hemmed in another housemate is when there's been no parking on the estate.

Guests - I've had guests stay but I've always mentioned it to the others as a matter of courtesy. So too have my house mates.

Sitting rooms...that can be an awkward one depending on the personnel. Some places, everyone uses the sitting room. Other places, they don't. You can't really bar tenants from the sitting room unfortunately - perhaps you might strike lucky and get ones that would rather watch TV in their bedroom. I think though that having people sleeping on the sofa is a bit much. I think if I had friends staying over a lot I'd get an air mattress so they could kip in my room.

In my house, we split the cost of toilet roll, washing powder and cleaning material 3 ways. The same with ESB and gas.

JuliusCaesar

Can't remember where I found this:
0. Decide before hand on the length of time that the Lodger will be staying.
0. Decide on a minimum period of notice to be given if either the Lodger or the Homeowner wants to terminate the agreement.
0. Decide on how much rent is to be paid. Is an advance payment required? Should the cost of rental be reviewed periodically? Is the rent to be paid weekly/bi-weekly/monthly?
0. Is the Lodger allowed to have visitors? If yes - can these visitors stay overnight?
0. Noise - what kind of noise levels is permissible with the Lodger ie. TVs, stereos etc.
0. Additional services - ensure there is no ambiguity regarding additional services. For example are meals and laundry included / excluded?
0. It is always a good idea to keep records of payments received or additional expenses.
0. Homeowners ensure you are comfortable with the potential Lodger. Remember this person will be sharing your home so you should feel totally comfortable with them.
You should also agree on things like:
0. Access to other areas of the house. Can I use the garden, the living room, the kitchen?
0. Is the property smoking / non-smoking?
0. Does the room have a TV?
0. Can I use the washing machine?
0. How secure is the room / property?
0. Clarify the situation of keys to the room / property - who has them? etc.

Also - I'd say have a trial period of a month of whtaever so if they don't suit or you don't suit them, they can go straitaway.

gaeilgegrinds

The keys idea is a great one, unless of course someone crashes! The time that was a problem was when a random girl came over to stay with my friend's housemate and while they were at it she waited...and waited... and 5 hours later knocked on the door...big sin...he moved out!

I think that list is fab, really comprehensive. Sitting room not a big problem really as long as I can get in, don't really like the sleeping there idea!

Victor

You don't need to be scared. Obviously having some concerns is normal.

is it necessary to explain things with a new tenant moves in?

Yes, you do need to lay out the basic ground rules.


I never did before, just assumed certain things were fairly common knowledge across the board.

Different folks, different strokes.


As in, guests? Should I be told?

Normally yes. If someone happens to drag someone home after a night out when you are already in bed, the tenant should meet you first in the morning, not the visitor.


Is it normal to have my sitting room taken over and not told?

Sure, you can set rules, but many people like to use the sitting room and would find it odd if you exclude them.


Should toilet paper be replaced?

Tell them "The toilet rolls are kept here, replace what you use". Note that women can use 5-10 times as much as a man.


Should I be asked if my food is taken?

They should tell you if they have taken food. Theres a rule "Don't start anything and don't finish anything." - if its open already they can take some, but should expect to be balanced in such matter. You might consider pooling for milk / bread / butter.


Who says if the house is roasting because the heat has been on 24 hours?

Whoever is hot. Encourage rads to be turned off if the room isn't in use.


Should I have to say my car is no use to me if it is blocked in?

Your car should never be blocked in. The first time, you tell them you need it moved (now). The next time, give them dogs abuse.


The overnight visitors thing - they should be normally confined to the bedroom. Once in a blue moon might the living room be used - with prior notice.

Have a look at this thread. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054867603

Photojoe

A few things.

1. You are not a landlady if you are just renting a room in your house.
2. It is not 'your' sitting room. The lodger has an equal stake in it.

Firetrap

Is the OP the owner of the house? I get the impression that they are.

Terri26

hey gg,

hope the abpve replies have helped you somewhat. hopefully you will get lucky in your houseshare. i have never had anyone to stay over in teh sitting room but if I needed to I would think it was okay for one ngt but would def tell other tenants first. might be a good idea to invest in a air-mattress/foldout bed and say to both tenants I bought this for us to use if we have guests over and we can let them stay in our room then none of us are put out byt ppl sleeping on couches.

also you mentioned you work in the sitting room most evenings. does that mean thay tenants can't use it if they have friends over or to watch tv cause that would annoy a lot of people.

gaeilgegrinds

Regarding it not being my sitting room, I think perhaps people took that up wrong. I'm very rarely here, I work til all hours but the once I had a problem with a tenant it was because she took over the room, I don't mean had it full of friends so I could even go in, she had a couple she had met out sleeping on my couch. I asked her nicely who they were and her reply was that she did not know. I find this hugely unacceptable. I have a right to leave personal items around, as do the people I live with and without meaning to cast aspersions I'm really uncomfortable having a couple I've never met who are not friends with anyone in the house in my house. She didn't understand this and shortly moved out. Loved the house but said she didn't see why I couldn't have gotten my books and laptop and worked away in the room...eh...I couldn't have!

Regardless of what term is used I am still the houseowner, perhaps not landlady when I live here. I've had no problems other than that girl, all the other tenants said they loved living here, it's always homely, fires lit and dinners cooking and the gardens are immaculate and lovely to sit in when the days are nice. I actually think it works well when the owner lives in the house as it is not let go to ruin, if anything my house is very comfortable and I've made great friends from tenants I've had. I just worry hearing other stories as it would appear others have not been so lucky.

Thanks for all the replies, very interesting hearing it from both sides.

gaeilgegrinds

Just reread a post there, Terri, by no means is the sitting room off bounds, I just feel randomers sleeping there is not at all acceptable. I work from about 9 on usually, light a fire from maybe 5 or 6, my two housemates at the moment watch tv or DVDs or whatever and have friends over but I just think it's not fair to have people sleeping there. If someone had a partner over I'd give them space, I've a dining room and kitchen too so there is loads of space for us all. Thanks

gaeilgegrinds

gaeilgegrinds wrote: »

As a landlady I'm just wondering...is it necessary to explain things with a new tenant moves in? I never did before, just assumed certain things were fairly common knowledge across the board. As in, guests? Should I be told? Is it normal to have my sitting room taken over and not told? Should toilet paper be replaced? Should I be asked if my food is taken? Who says if the house is roasting because the heat has been on 24 hours? Should I have to say my car is no use to me if it is blocked in?

My present tenant is ok but I'm worried, my friends have had some terrible experiences. Have a new lad moving in in June, wondering do I bother having a chat or let it go and assume? Opinions for both landladies or lords and tenants welcome. I'm just a wee bit afraid.

I'm a tenant and have lived in numerous house shares. I think you should definitely be told (or asked, preferably!) if guests are going to be staying over. A friend or boyfriend dropping in for a visit, I think the tenant has the right to do that without notice once it isn't ridiculously excessive, like six friends over every night.

The sitting room - randomers staying over is not acceptable and I think even if friends stay over, they should be up and out very early so others can use the room. If the tenant is in there watching TV or with friends, I think that's too bad if they got there first.

Toilet paper - you should make an agreement about this. Usually I've done it so one person buys it, the other buys it when it runs out and so on, just taking turns. Same for things like soap/handwash and washing up liquid.

Food - I think using a bit of milk, butter or cheese is OK as long as it's not started or finished. I got fed up of other tenants taking the p*ss with this in my last houseshare and told them I couldn't afford to subsidise them because they were too scabby to ever buy any (my milk was running out every day instead of every 4-5 days!). But most people are grand. If I had for example a pizza or cake in the fridge and someone ate it, I'd be furious and tell them it wasn't acceptable.

Heat - can be a problem is one person thinks it's hot and the other doesn't. I've lived with people from hot countries before who insisted on having it on 24/7. I guess you have to agree a certain no. of hours per day it can be on.

Car - it's common sense not to block in anyone's car. If it happened, I'd say it once nicely but firmly and if it happened again, I'd get annoyed.

gaeilgegrinds

Glad to see someone who thinks like me exists, there is hope! Phew!

Terri26

I think a lot of ppl will agree with you gg about not having ppl staying over but the first few couple of years after I left uni I would have thought it was perfectly acceptable as I was still in that college mentality. now however I am not but would still think it was okay to have a friend over and if there was no pull out bed.air mattress and I was not comofrtable sharing a bed with said person I probably would ask if they could stay in the sitting room. to avoid that I would have a airmattress available for those situations

if i did use teh sitting room I would feel very uncomfortable using it if the house owner was in the communal sitting room every ngt doing work unless you are in a part of the room where having the tv etc on would not affect your work

my advise (being ageist here I know!!) is to go for a tenat older and same sort of personality/menatlity. maybe mention your concerns

gaeilgegrinds

It can be hard to find people that are that bit older and are looking to rent though, most seem to have their own places at my age. Anyway, fingers crossed my present tenants stay put!