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Preparing your room for a lodger

 

Once you've decided to take in a lodger, get their room ready before you advertise – having lots of photos on your ad will help sell the room and get viewings quickly.

Taking photos

Don’t forget to take photos of other parts of the house too (e.g. kitchen, lounge, garden) as well as a front view of the property, so potential lodgers have the full picture of where they might live. We’ve got a few pointers here.

Furnishings

To take advantage of the Rent a Room Scheme, your room has to be furnished – with a bed and wardrobe or chest of drawers minimum. Most people will also expect a bedside table, lamp and small bin too.

The only legal requirement when it comes to furnishings is that they comply with fire safety regulations, meaning all furniture has to be fire safety compliant and carry proper labels. If you’re using new furnishings this shouldn't be a problem, but double check anyway.

Appliances

To comply with Gas Safety Regulations, get your gas appliances inspected before the lodger moves in and then do it again every year. Not having gas appliances checked by someone on the Gas Safe Register is a criminal offence.

Smoke alarms aren’t a legal requirement, but you should have one for safety.