Guidance

HS223 Rent a Room Scheme (2021)

Updated 6 April 2024

The Rent-a-Room Scheme allows owner occupiers and tenants to receive tax-free rental income if you provide furnished accommodation in your only or main home.

For the tax year 2020 to 2021, the annual Rent-a-Room limit is £7,500. This reduces to £3,750 if someone else receives income from letting accommodation in the same property, such as a joint owner. The limit is the same even if you let accommodation for less than 12 months.

1. When you can use the Rent-a-Room Scheme

You can use the scheme if:

• you let a furnished room to a lodger
• your letting activity amounts to a trade, for example, if you run a guest house or bed and breakfast business, or provide services, such as meals and cleaning

2. When you cannot use the Rent-a-Room Scheme

You cannot use the scheme if the accommodation is:

• not part of your main home when you let it
• not furnished
• used as an office or for any business – you can use the scheme if your lodger works in your home in the evening or at weekends or is a student who is provided with study facilities
• in your UK home and is let while you live abroad

3. Rent-a-Room Scheme

If your gross receipts from letting are not more than the Rent-a-Room limit of £7,500 (or £3,750), you do not pay tax on your profit. If they’re more than the limit, you may still be able to benefit under the Rent-a-Room Scheme. Your gross receipts include:

• rental income (before expenses)
• any amounts you receive for meals, goods and services, such as cleaning or laundry
• any ‘balancing charges’

You usually count your gross receipts for a tax year – that’s, from 6 April one year to 5 April the next.

If your letting activity amounts to a trade, you count your gross receipts for your basis period. How to calculate your taxable profits (Self Assessment helpsheet HS222) gives more information.

3.1 If your gross receipts are less than the Rent-a-Room limit

If your gross receipts are less than £7,500 (or £3,750) you’re automatically exempt from tax on that income. If you’ve made a loss, however, it may be better for you to pay tax in the normal way – that is, on your receipts less expenses. You will need to tell HMRC that you want to do this within the time limit.

3.2 If your gross receipts are more than the Rent-a-Room limit

If your gross receipts are more than £7,500 (or £3,750), you can choose how you want to work out your tax:

Method A

You pay tax on your actual profit – your total receipts less any expenses and capital allowances.

Method B

You pay tax on your gross receipts over the Rent-a-Room limit – that is, your gross receipts minus £7,500 (or £3,750). You cannot deduct any expenses or capital allowances if you choose this method.

HMRC will automatically use your actual profit (Method A) to work out your tax.

If you want to pay tax using Method B, you need to tell HMRC within the time limit. You will continue to pay tax on your gross receipts over the Rent-a-Room limit until you tell HMRC that you want to change back to paying tax on your actual profit (Method A).

If you pay tax using Method B, this automatically stops if your rental income drops below £7,500 (or £3,750) limit.

3.3 Changing the way you pay tax on your rental income

You can change between each method from year to year. You need to decide which method is best for you and tell HMRC within the time limit each time you want to make a change.

Example

Chris rents out a room in his own home. The rent is £200 a week plus contributions to heating and light. His gross receipts for 6 April 2020 to 5 April 2021 are £10,600 (£10,400 rent plus £200 for the heating and light).

Chris has expenses of £9,000:

• if Chris uses his actual profit (Method A), he pays tax on £1,600 (£10,600 minus £9,000)
• If Chris uses his gross receipts over the Rent-a-Room limit (Method B), he pays tax on £3,100 (£10,600 minus £7,500)

It is better for Chris to pay tax on his actual profit, using Method A. If Chris had previously asked to pay tax using Method B, he will need to tell HMRC that he wants to change back to paying tax on his actual profit (Method A).

3.4 If you move home during the year

If you rent out a room in both your old and new home, you need to add together the total rent from the old and new home that you received for the year. If your total gross receipts are below £7,500 (or £3,750), you do not pay tax on your lettings.

4. Time limit

You must let HMRC know within one year of 31 January following the end of the tax year if you:

• do not want to use the Rent-a-Room Scheme when your receipts are below £7,500 (or £3,750) for example, if you want to claim losses
• want to start or stop paying tax on your gross receipts over the Rent-a-Room limit (Method B)

4.1 Example

Greg runs a small bed and breakfast business. A few years ago, he told HMRC that he wanted to pay tax on his gross receipts over the Rent-a-Room limit (Method B). For the tax year ending 5 April 2021, Greg has worked out that if he paid tax on his actual profit (using Method A) then he’d pay less tax. He must let HMRC know that he wants to use Method A by 31 January 2022.

4.2 Extending the time limit

You can only extend the time limit in certain circumstances. For example, if you were seriously ill and it was impossible for you to deal with your tax affairs.

5. Losses

5.1 Creating a loss

If you use the Rent-a-Room Scheme because your gross receipts are exempt from tax (under £7,500 or £3,750) or you pay tax using Method B, you cannot create a loss.

If you want to create a loss, you must tell HMRC that you want to pay tax on your income less expenses (Method A).

5.2 Using losses

If you’ve made a loss, you can use them against your rental profits in future years to reduce the tax you have to pay. You can also use them against your gross receipts over £7,500 (or £3,750) if you pay tax using Method B.

If your letting activity amounts to a trade, you can use your losses in other ways. Relief for trading losses (Self Assessment helpsheet HS227) gives more information.

6. Contact

For more information about online forms, phone numbers and addresses contact Self Assessment: general enquiries.