Renting PPR while travelling - tax implications

[Dunners]

A colleague of mine is heading off travelling next month and plans to rent his apartment while he's gone. It was just under the stamp duty threshold when he bought it a year ago.

Question - will the revenue see him as an investor, thereby clawing back the full amount of stamp duty payable if he had originally purchased the property as an investor? Or should he declare the rental income under the rent a room scheme?
It seems like an awful shame to have to pay 15k in stamp duty when he'll be coming back to live in it within a few months....

 

[dam099]

If he lets out the whole apartment while away then he will be treated as an investor. If it is say a two bedroom place and he only rents one room, I think if he is only going away for a few months he should be allright. If he is only travelling for a few months it might not be worth his while to rent it out if he has to pay 15K stamp duty.