Tenant moving partner in

eisfspike

Registered User
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65
Hi All,

We rent a room to a girl in our primary residence, signed a lease agreement etc. The girl asked if her boyfriend can stay over now and again before any lease was signed etc and I said no problem. It seems that he is living in the room constantly now. He stays there when she goes to work etc (don't even know if he works). The lease agreement was for herself only and I don't mind her having him over but it was made clear that the room was for one person only and the rent is only for one person.

Has anyone encountered this situation before? I know I can evict them as she is only there less than a month but obviously don't want to go down that road. Should I have made it more clear in the lease that someone can stay a max of 3 days a week? I know nothing about this guy although I have vetted her references etc.

Any thoughts welcome.
 
When they're in your home, it's really a licence not a lease, but good to have something in paper. An occasional stay-over should be allowed ... but 3 days a week is very generous ... too generous.

Look for double rent. If someone is staying 3 nights, they effectively have the 'run of the place'. Double rent will soon clear things.

You may lose your guest. But in this market ...
 
You need to take action, room was let to one tenant & you now have two.

If you're happy to have two tenants, increase the rent.

If you only want one tenant, let her know and / or ask her to leave.
 
Thanks for the response. Is it acceptable to increase the rent? Is the argument not "well im paying rent for the room I can have people stay over"?
 
Well, the counter argument is two people use twice the electricity, twice the hot water, etc. Especially if he is there when she is not.
You have, as you say, not vetted him etc.

My opinion, for what it's worth. Come down hard now, say you either move out or pay more (1.5 times the rent, or whatever you think). If you let this slide you are opening yourself up to a potential for a world of pain. Next it will be a pet, then they will have a fight, then one of them will move out and the other will want to pay 1/2 the rent etc. Potentially she could move out and he stays, unreferenced. She is taking the preverbal by moving him in soon after the lease was signed.

Draw the line now.
 
Thanks for the response. Is it acceptable to increase the rent? Is the argument not "well im paying rent for the room I can have people stay over"?
You come across as a nice person and your tenant can suss this too. You'll get sucked in if you don't put the foot down, and fast.
 
Are you below the Rent A Room limit? If you are there was no need for a lease agreement and the tenant would be merely a licensee with very limited rights.
What is included in the lease agreement regarding additional guests or notice periods? If I were you I'd let them stay until the new year and then kick them out. If it suits you to get additional rent and you demand references from the partner and they are sufficient then get her to agree to terminate the lease and switch to a licensee situation.
 
Thanks for the response. Is it acceptable to increase the rent? Is the argument not "well im paying rent for the room I can have people stay over"?
You need to tell us what you want.

Is the room a single or double. If single it will not be suitable for the two of them. If you are happy for him to stay you're entitled to more rent. If you're not happy for him to stay then out he has to go. It's as simple as that. You have not agreed to rent him anything. And you are not a landlord under the law.

If he stays you ought to vet him too. And sounds like he is going to be in the house constantly so are you happy about that.

And I think you should think twice before leaving the girl stay. Because anyone who carries on like this in the first month is trouble.
 
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