Advice Please, Firsst time Letting,Owner Occupier

[Dean_A]

Hi All, New here and just looking for a little advice.

I recently just bought my First flat currently living here on my own and allmost finnished decorating ready with the view to renting the second bedroom as an owner occupier Let.

Really not sure what I need to do, what my legal obligations are, and those of any prospective tennant.

I'm a pretty easy going guy, and while I would want tennant to feel at home, also that they respect the property.

Also how do people normally work things like Bill?
Do they have right to use lounge so forth or is that defined in how I let the property, sorry if it all seems a little vauge but as well as wanting to cover myself from a legal stand point, I dont wanna come across as an akward person to live with, or is that to much like wanting it all my way?

Any hoo, hopefully look forward to recieving some pointers.
Thanks
Dean.

[Ericthelobster]

I recently just bought my First flat currently living here on my own and allmost finnished decorating ready with the view to renting the second bedroom as an owner occupier Let.

Really not sure what I need to do, what my legal obligations are, and those of any prospective tennant.

The first thing you need to do is clear your mind of any notion of the word 'tenant' - you will be looking for a 'lodger'. The distinction is very important as lodgers have far fewer rights than tenants because they are sharing your own home, and you don't want tio end up 'accidentally' giving them more rights than you need to.

Try searching this forum for stuff like 'lodger' and 'owner-occupier' and you'll find lots of helpful info; then come back and ask specific queries.

[Scrungy]

If you are also living in the property, other people living with you cannot be tenants - they would be lodgers.
As lodgers, they have much less rights and you can pretty much set down whatever terms you want, including lounge use and having guests over, etc, etc.

Its all upto you what you want to be the rules. Don't have a lock on the bedroom door either.

I would write everything down that you want the lodger to observe in an agreement, including whatever notice you or the lodger need to give if things don't work out or when you need the lodger to leave.
Just remember that if you ended up moving out, anyone else that remained living at the flat would automatically become a tenant.

Read up on becoming a live in landlord and about lodgers.
Plenty of threads on this site on the subject.

There's a book I found on amazon that might help.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quick-Guide-...3999317&sr=1-1

[mind the gap]

Interview any prospective lodgers really carefully before you agree to let them live in your house. However easy-going you feel you are, you may feel different when when they have left their dirty crockery lying around for weeks on end, constantly leave the lights on, stayed in the shower for 30 minutes at a stretch (seriously - it happens!), smoked in the flat when you are a non-smoker, or invited their partner/friend/mother/long lost uncle to stay overnight for three weeks. You might find this thread useful:

http://www.landlordzone.co.uk/forums...=lodgers+Poppy

It's a bit of an epic, but it makes interesting reading!

[Dean_A]

Thanks for the replies, I will have a nose round the site, cheers for the search pointers.

[westminster]

Read this
http://www.lodgerlandlord.co.uk/

[Snorkerz]

You can get a pre-printed lodger agreement form WHSmith for around a fiver, and you will find www.lodgerlandlord.co.uk invaluable. (EDIT: Westminster types faster than I!)

You will need to tell your household insurers about your lodger - expect a premium increase.
You will need to tell HMRC about him too - but with the "rent a room" scheme you should pay no extra tax.
If you are currently claiming the 25% single person discount on council tax - you'll lose that too