A question about lodgers

[OpenToSuggestions]

Hey all.
I have a lodger. He rents a room from me and it is going well.
We have a signed agreement that if I want him to leave (or vice versa) then a notice period of one calender month is required.

In two weeks time he is on holiday from work for three weeks and he will be away for the whole lot. The rent he pays includes bills.
He has asked if I want the full rent as he is away for the entire holiday.

I have told him that I expect full rent as always, as he rents the room. If I go away on holiday then my mortgage and council tax must still be paid.
I am considering a small discount on the rent for gas/water/leccy if he genuinely isn't here.

What would OCUK do?

 

[davido_labido]

well, if hes not using the electric, i wouldnt charge for it really, same as the water and gas....

 

[Theophany]

Not charge for gas/water/leccy as he won't be using them. Seems fair to me.

 

[On Holiday]

Discount utilities

 

[Fireskull]

Lol wouldn't it be great if people could do that with mortgages too

As you said he rents the room he pays regardless of being there or not.

 

[PapaLazaru]

When I used to lodge, my landlady would charge me half if I was away for any extended period of time.

 

[yhack]

I am considering a small discount on the rent for gas/water/leccy if he genuinely isn't here.

A small discount?!

Don't charge him for those if he's not using them.

 

[yer_averagejoe]

Full rent, 60% discount on gas/water/elec/bb

 

[OpenToSuggestions]

A small discount?!

Don't charge him for those if he's not using them.

I am referring to a small discount on the overall rent to reflect the lack of use of utilities .

 

[arknor]

I'd say charge him rent+water
don't charge gas/elec as they are payed for as you use them right? if you went on holiday you would come back and not have that gas bill and elec bill as high as normal because you have not been using it.
maybe you would have a standing charge but not a big bill

split any standing charges but don't bill him for elec and gas he has not used!

I'd probably consider a small 20% discount on his rent as well seeing as he won't be there just as a nice gesture assuming he is a good lodger and if he was not you would probably of got rid of him by now

 

[-westy-]

If you know the actual rates he pays for utilities, then a discount on those would be fair, perhaps only pay half of them, as the services need to be retained, even if they're not used.

 

[elmarko]

Does he pay a good amount already?, if he a good tenant & do you want to risk him leaving & getting a scum-bag?, is the cost of giving him a discount lower than the loss of not having anybody their potentially for a few months if he decides to leave?, could you keep him there few extra months with the gesture?.

These would factor into what I'd do.

 

[OpenToSuggestions]

Does he pay a good amount already?, if he a good tenant & do you want to risk him leaving & getting a scum-bag?, is the cost of giving him a discount lower than the loss of not having anybody their potentially for a few months if he decides to leave?, could you keep him there few extra months with the gesture?.

These would factor into what I'd do.

I don't need a tennant and he pushed for room rental more than I want it.
He pays the market rate, but personally I feel he won't get such a nice room/house elsewhere for the money he pays, so perhaps he pays a touch under the goign rate. He won't leave as he intends to move on by Christmas to the other end of the country.

When it comes to it he is a nice bloke, but he is purely there for the money and nothing else. If he leaves then I won't bother with a lodger again I don't think.

If he was renting a house or room elsewhere then try telling a landlord that you don't intend to pay when you go on holiday!

 

[d_brennen]

Judgement call. Make it

 

[physichull]

We have a signed agreement that if I want him to leave (or vice versa) then a notice period of one calender month is required.

Does that mean he can boot you out if he wanted to?

 

[elmarko]

I don't need a tennant and he pushed for room rental more than I want it.
He pays the market rate, but personally I feel he won't get such a nice room/house elsewhere for the money he pays, so perhaps he pays a touch under the goign rate. He won't leave as he intends to move on by Christmas to the other end of the country.

When it comes to it he is a nice bloke, but he is purely there for the money and nothing else. If he leaves then I won't bother with a lodger again I don't think.

If he was renting a house or room elsewhere then try telling a landlord that you don't intend to pay when you go on holiday!

Then I'd do a rough calculation & reduce the utilities part of the bill (after taking off standing charges) by the amount not used if you can be bothered. (it won't be much, but it would be a reasonable thing to do) if I was you.

Personally I'd just do a flat 20% discount on the rent that month without calculating it, but then again I'm lazy.

 

[Dano]

When I lodged years ago I never expected any reduction in rent when I was away, it was always very gratefully received however.

 

[Foxxy]

if he was renting his own place, he'd have to pay it. You would have thought he'd have budgeted in the rent when he booked the holiday. However.. going forwards, to keep the air light, I'd discount a little, you never know when you might need a favour etc

 

[Rroff]

Given the circumstances I'd probably discount utilities but thats it.

 

[Regy53]

when i rented a room I never had such loyalties, but then it was a house with just rented rooms.

As you are a bit closer to the tennant I would give him a discount, to be fair your few weeks will be a little cheaper but it wont be that much. Probably max £10 a week if I was you