Rent a room in your home
Your lodger's tenancy type
The way you share your home with a lodger affects what kind of tenancy they have. This in turn affects their rights and how you can end the tenancy.
Your lodger is an excluded occupier
Your lodger is likely to be an excluded occupier if:
- they live in your home
- you or a member of your family share a kitchen, bathroom or living room with them
In this case, you only have to give them ‘reasonable notice’ to end the letting - and you will not have to go to court to evict them.
Reasonable notice usually means the length of the rental payment period. For example, if rent is paid monthly, you should give one month’s notice.
Your lodger has basic protection
Your lodger is likely to be an occupier with basic protection if:
- they live in your home
- they do not share any living space with you or your family
If your lodger will not leave when you ask them, you’ll need to get a court order to evict them.
The charity Shelter has advice on excluded occupiers and occupiers with basic protection.
The length of the let
A tenancy or a licence can be either:
- periodic - run indefinitely from 1 rent period to the next
- fixed term - last a set number of weeks, months or years
If you do not agree the length of a let, it will automatically become a periodic let.
Licences can be open-ended for informal arrangements, like allowing a friend to stay on an as-and-when basis.