Garage rebuild and share with neighbour

[Emtee100]

Neighbour offers to redevelop garage and part use
I have a lodger with a contract in my home. While I have an internal room that I keep the reality is a stay elsewhere with my long-term partner.
There is an old leaky garage that I use for some storage. My neighbour has offered to pull it down and rebuild it with an internal partition. The suggestion is that they will be able to use half of it as storage and I will use the other half. In principle, I have no difficulty with this arrangement now. My neighbour says if I ever sell the property he would move out. I own the freehold and leasehold on my property and my neighbour's freehold too.
My question is that if my neighbour uses my garage for years, is there a point that they have legal rights to it?
Should I contract this? If so, can I use another lodging agreement on the garage?

[jpkeates]

Your "lodger" is probably a tenant.

The garage idea would need a proper formal solicitor created agreement to protect both of you.
Your neighbour could rebuild the garage and you could lock them out of it the next day.

[Emtee100]

Thanks. I have wondered, though I was originally living there with the lodger, it's years since I've spent a night.

Perhaps we have too much trust. He's offered this to me and I realise I could do so. We will need to value the cost of the build and come to a sliding agreement. Though it's the access issue I'm concerned about.

[DPT57]

It sounds like the sort of arrangement to steer clear of. What if he doesn't do a proper job? What if it fails building regs? What if he runs out of money half way through?.....

[Hudson01]

I never like these mutually beneficial arrangements, they tend to start off very well meaning then run into all sorts of problems, i like to keep things very formal and very separate.

[Neelix]

Sounds like you need to start with applying for planning permission ................

[Dreamingofsea]

At the moment it sounds like your lodger is a tenant.
regarding garage you can t create a lodger s agreement because you don t live in property. Even if that would work.

as everyone has pointed out there are a lot of things that could go wrong, do you need planning permission, you will almost certainly need building regs if you want ever to sell your house claiming you have a functional garage. What happens if he doesn’t t built it properly and you have to get it repaired to sell your house? As above what happens if he demolishes your orginal one and something happens to him and you are left with no garage at all. What happens if he injures himself building garage etc etc. Best to draw up some kind of legal document to cover yourself and your neighbour.

[Emtee100]

Thank you all for your sound advice. Back to the drawing board.