When you want to find a place to live as a lodger, you will need to create an agreement so that you are aware of your rights as a lodger or the owner of the landlord. When renting, you don't have rights to the property. You are just occupying the space. However, it would be best if you differentiated between a subtenant and a lodger. A subtenant will have exclusive rights to the area of the property that they are living in. A lodger has fewer rights. For example, with a lodger, your space can be accessed at random times. They are also not protected against the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. As such, a lodger agreement becomes vital.

What An Agreement Covers
An agreement is not required. However, you should make one so that you are protected. A proper understanding will be thorough, leaving nothing behind. It will cover many different areas, including the following.
  • Meals and if they are provided
  • What areas can be used by the lodger
  • Obligations like keys, deposits, taxes, and things of that nature
  • If the landlord is obligated to protect the deposit like tenancy (in many cases, they are not)
  • How the rent gets paid and when
  • Utilities
  • Cleaning and guests
  • Repairs and who is responsible
When you ensure that the terms are fair and that you have understood every vital area of your living in the owner's property, ensure that you keep a copy and have one for them in case everything goes wrong.

How To Terminate A Lodger Agreement

The lodger or the landlord can bring the lodger agreement to an end if the term agreement has ended. They will have to have provided proper and efficient notice to leave as well. They need verbal warning, and it should be well documented in the agreement. If the lodger or landlord needs to end it sooner for any other reason, they need to discuss it first and ensure that there are no issues with communication.

Additional Tips To Keep In Mind

Writing everything out clearly will lead you into a path of success with your landlord, but you should also be prepared to have a legal representative in place if you should need it. Never take your situation into your own hands. That leads to civil claims, and it gets worse from there. Never let your emotions take you out of the situation because your landlord will not want to deal with you; instead, they will want to pay other people to deal with you rather.

Always Make Sure That You Have An Agreement

Although it is not required, you should always ensure that you have an agreement to be protected as a lodger. You will find that you are protected from those landlords that are not as caring as others. Using these tips above, you will be able to find a place to live and be safe while doing it. Knowing your rights is another way to ensure that you are going to have the best chance of success.