Lodgers and Sharers: Your Rights If You Live With Others
Your rights depend on who you live with and what you signed. A lodger who lives with their landlord has fewer rights than a tenant, joint tenants share one tenancy and its responsibilities, and people with separate agreements each have their own.
Use this guide to work out which situation applies to you. If you are unsure, the tenancy type checker and a local adviser can help.
General information about private renting, mainly in England, checked against the official sources listed below. It is not legal advice. If you have court papers, a bailiff date or a health risk at home, contact Shelter, Citizens Advice or a housing solicitor now.
If you are a lodger
You are usually a lodger if you live in your landlord’s home and share a kitchen, bathroom or living room with them. Lodgers are normally “excluded occupiers”. Your landlord only has to give reasonable notice, which is often the same length as your rent period, and they do not generally need a court order.
Your agreement may set out a longer notice period, so check it first. Your landlord still cannot use violence or threats to make you go, and you can get advice if you feel unsafe.
If you are a joint tenant
Joint tenants share one tenancy agreement, usually with one rent for the whole home. Each of you is responsible for the whole rent, so your landlord can ask any of you for money that another tenant has not paid. Any damage may also be shared when the deposit is returned.
One joint tenant’s valid notice usually ends the tenancy for everyone. If some of you want to stay, talk to your landlord about a new agreement before anyone gives notice.
If you have your own agreement
If you rent a room on your own agreement in a shared house, and your landlord does not live there, you will often have your own assured tenancy. You are responsible for your own rent and for your own room, and shared house rules may also apply. A house like this may also be an HMO, so check whether it needs a licence.
If you rent from another tenant
A tenant who lets a room to you is acting as your landlord, and that can affect your rights and theirs. Subletting without permission can also put the main tenant’s home at risk. Ask to see the head landlord’s consent, and get advice if you are unsure about your position.
If someone moves in or out
Tell your landlord if a person wants to join or leave the tenancy. Adding or removing a joint tenant usually means agreeing the change with the landlord and all the other tenants, and it is best to confirm this in writing. Check the deposit too, so that everyone knows who paid what and how it will be returned.
Sources
These are the official and specialist pages this guide is checked against. Rules and forms change, so check the live page before you act.
Questions people ask
Do the Renters’ Rights Act changes apply to lodgers?
Generally not in the same way, because most lodgers do not have an assured tenancy. Check your own situation with the tenancy type checker or an adviser.
How much notice does a lodger get?
Reasonable notice, which is often one rent period, unless your agreement gives more. Get advice if you are asked to leave very suddenly. Keep the agreement and written request to leave, and establish whether the landlord lives in the same home. Different resident-landlord arrangements can have different protections, so do not rely on the word lodger alone.
Can I leave a joint tenancy on my own?
One tenant’s notice usually ends the whole tenancy, so it affects everyone. Talk to the others and your landlord first. Explain whether you want the whole tenancy to end or only to replace one person. Obtain advice on notice and written agreement to any replacement before assuming you are released from rent liability.
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