Please contribute to the Dos and Don'ts of having lodgers...

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Please contribute to the Dos and Don'ts of having lodgers...
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toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 8:22 pm Post subject:

sorry, but the post i replied to didn't seem to be talking about the availability of places to rent, it read a lot more like a claim that HB wasn't available to single people.

and for young people, they are already looking at a houseshare anyway. Which can work out better. we would get the rent on this place fully covered if we were 2 single people, not a couple. although you can be expected to proove you're not 'living as a couple'

stumbling goat

Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1990

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 9:35 pm Post subject:
I got it wrong. apologies, CAB site says that if it is not taxable you do not have to declare it at all. VERY SORRY!!! sg

thi

Joined: 05 Jul 2009
Posts: 52
Location: Kitchen table

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 9:37 pm Post subject:

CAB site says
"It is important to know what income is non-taxable and can be ignored for tax purposes. You only pay tax on your taxable income so you do not want to include any non-taxable income in your calculations. You do not have to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about income which is non-taxable so you leave it off tax returns and any other forms HMRC sends you asking about your taxable income. When you are working out your taxable income you also need to know about tax allowances and tax reliefs."

Link to the rest -https://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/tax_e/tax_what_is_taxable_income_e/taxable_and_non-taxable_income.htm

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 10:07 pm Post subject:

Katieowl wrote:

The locals (

) are as tight as a duck's bottom...and probably don't buy free range. There are a lot of really expensive women's clothes shops too...and I still haven't figured out who shops there

Kate

There is only one expensive ladies shop left in Lampeter since BJ`s closed a few years back,it run by a local farmers sister,

I`d bet its the same case with the Cardigan ladies shops to this one here,the customers look a million dollars,but eat crap.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 10:17 pm Post subject:
Is it worth considering whether you'd feel more comfortable with another woman in the house? Presumably Jack will be away to uni himself this year?

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 10:27 pm Post subject:
Can you choose lodgers by gender? I don't know.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 10:30 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

Can you choose lodgers by gender? I don't know.

I'm not sure if you can advertise that way, but if you have to choose one person to live in your house from a number I think it would be as valid a factor as any others discussed here.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 10:31 pm Post subject:
Same as a job interview, you mean?

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 10:32 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

Same as a job interview, you mean?

No. It's not the same.

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 10:40 pm Post subject:
2 Women in a house is asking for trouble.

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 11:05 pm Post subject:

Jamanda wrote:

Nick wrote:

Can you choose lodgers by gender? I don't know.

I'm not sure if you can advertise that way, but if you have to choose one person to live in your house from a number I think it would be as valid a factor as any others discussed here.

you see loads of ads that specify gender

and there's a huge difference between employing someone and letting them live in the same home as you.

onemanband

Joined: 26 Dec 2010
Posts: 1473
Location: NCA90

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 11:22 pm Post subject:

thi wrote:

I had friends as lodgers for 15 years
On self assessment forms I allways used the "income from property" sheet and ticked the first box "I am claiming relief under the rent a room scheme"(or something like that). Tick that and nothing else to do.

Also the allowance is per year, not per week or pro rata. So for this financial year it won't matter what you charge and similarly if you let for only part of next year.

VM

Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 1748
Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Sun Jan 27, 13 11:59 pm Post subject:

I did same as onemanband re: the tax return - I'm sure that's right.

I've always included bills with rent rather than divided them up - apart from phone - much much less hassle.

You don't have to be equal opportunities about this - as said above, it's not the same as employing someone. In Manchester, where I'm not anymore, but where we used to have lodgers, there are always lots of room adverts in local shops - often specify, man, woman, or also often gay or lesbian if the other people in the house are.

I think with things like late night TV/music, it's more important to be clear and suss the person out rather than have rules - i.e. say that you get up early so if they are someone who stays up late then it may not work. Better to be realistic at early stage.

I think it's most usual for people to have their own food and cook it - but we always tried to find people who were happy to chip in and share food because I knew it would drive me mad having someone else trying to use the kitchen when I was cooking, as I cook a lot.

For some reason I've just remembered the lodger we had who said she was vegetarian when she wasn't - something about how I asked the question about food made her think we were veggie (we're not) and so said she was because she wanted the room. So I spent quite a few weeks cooking veggie food for her and then very puzzled when she cooked spag bol for us!

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 13 9:21 am Post subject:
I don't think my lodger experiences are relevant. We are rarely in the house at the same time. But I'd suggest that at the beginning, you schedule a regular meeting to iron out any teething troubles (from either side). saves you having to say "look we need to talk about...", which I think can often up the ante of a conversation to start with.

stumbling goat

Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1990

Posted: Mon Jan 28, 13 11:26 am Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

I don't think my lodger experiences are relevant. We are rarely in the house at the same time.

But I'd suggest that at the beginning, you schedule a regular meeting to iron out any teething troubles (from either side).

saves you having to say "look we need to talk about...", which I think can often up the ante of a conversation to start with.

As is your want HL do you start the conversation, "Does it really matter that......."

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