Quick question on semantics - what is a 'householder'?

joxang · 24 Jul 2012 at 15:17

Filling out forms on this lovely sunny day.

I rent a flat. Form says 'Are you the householder?'. Do I put yes or no?

Bet that made your day that little bit better

.

Castiel · 24 Jul 2012 at 15:21

Yes you are.....the head of the Household is not necessarily the owner of the property.

joxang · 24 Jul 2012 at 15:21

Cheers

Cosimo · 24 Jul 2012 at 15:23

A householder is one who owns or is in charge of a property.

Kosmiche · 24 Jul 2012 at 15:45

^ So the landlord?

So he should put no is what you are saying.

InertProtocol · 24 Jul 2012 at 15:48

Eames said:
^ So the landlord?

So he should put no is what you are saying.

That's how i see it too.

J.B · 24 Jul 2012 at 15:49

I take it to mean the head of the household regardless if you own or rent it

https://www.google.com/search?source=dict-chrome-ex&defl=en&hl=en&q=householder&tbo=1&tbs=dfn:1

edscdk · 24 Jul 2012 at 15:50

oddly worded question,

im sure if they ment owner they would put owner...

to the internetz...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Householder

they are either asking

a) is your surname is "householder"
b) are you the head of a house hold
c) a Budist layperson
d) a Hindi in the 2nd stage of life...

thats from wikipedi so there is a 90% possibility its 80% correct!

Cosimo · 24 Jul 2012 at 15:53

Eames said:
^ So the landlord?

So he should put no is what you are saying.

I take that as occupier so one who rents a property fits is fine.

JBod · 24 Jul 2012 at 16:01

Can you hold a house with your bare hands?

Castiel · 24 Jul 2012 at 16:09

JBod said:
Can you hold a house with your bare hands?

Yes....I can hold my house with my bare hands......unless it was on fire of course.

Castiel · 24 Jul 2012 at 16:10

simulatorman said:
A householder is one who owns or is in charge of a property.

The householder is the person in charge of the household, not the property....they may be the owner of the property as well as the person in charge of the household, but they also may not. It can apply to the owner (if they also occupy the property) or the occupier. In the case of the OP, even though he is renting, he is still the householder as long as he is the head of the household (ie, his name is on the lease/rental agreement)

estebanrey · 24 Jul 2012 at 16:12

Sigh, remember when people used to use their brains and open a dictionary when they wanted to know what a word meant?

householder

Pronunciation:/ˈhaʊshəʊldə/

noun
a person who owns or rents a house; the head of a household.
Residents and householders are asked to report all suspicious activity noticed.

Source: Oxford English Dictionary

OP is correct to call himself the householder

Duff-Man · 24 Jul 2012 at 16:18

I always put "no", as I do not own the property, and have no real responsibility for it (I rent my house, so I don't have the right to do much within it).

From the above posts, I guess I am wrong...

Castiel · 24 Jul 2012 at 16:21

Duff-Man said:
I always put "no", as I do not own the property, and have no real responsibility for it (I rent my house, so I don't have the right to do much within it).

From the above posts, I guess I am wrong...

It depends on the context of the question in most cases...and who holds responsiblility. In most cases where the owner of the property is the referred to party, it will usually make that distinction.

joxang · 24 Jul 2012 at 16:28

d) a Hindi in the 2nd stage of life...

Sorted then

.

estebanrey said:
Sigh, remember when people used to use their brains and open a dictionary when they wanted to know what a word meant?

Translation: "Ooo look at me on my shiny pedestal."

I looked on the internetz and there was obvious confusion about what it specifically meant.

estebanrey · 24 Jul 2012 at 16:33

joxang said:
Translation: "Ooo look at me on my shiny pedestal."

Not at all, I'm just lamenting over the days when if you wanted to know what a word meant common sense dictated you just opened a dictionary.

It just a shame these very basic skills seem to be being replaced with an over reliance on the internet.

opstrat · 24 Jul 2012 at 16:33

It is uncommon to be asked if you are the "householder".

i would think they mean "are you the homeowner" in which case you are not.