England & Wales
Lodger Agreement
For someone living in your own home. This is a licence, not a tenancy.
If you live in the property and share living space with the occupier, they are a lodger — an excluded occupier with a licence rather than a tenancy. That means far fewer statutory protections on both sides, and deposit protection rules do not apply.
The parties are called Householder and lodger.
What you need to know
- You must actually live there and share a room such as a kitchen or living room
- A lodger is an excluded occupier, so tenancy deposit protection does not apply
- Notice is usually reasonable notice rather than a statutory period, and no court order is needed
- The Rent a Room scheme allows a threshold of tax-free income — check the current figure
- If you do not live there, it is a tenancy, and the lodger rules do not apply
Use the official model
This jurisdiction has a model document with clauses that must be included, so use it rather than a generic template.
GOV.UK: renting out a room in your home ↗Why we do not offer our own version
England & Wales has its own regime with wording that has to be included, and YouRent's tenancy tools currently cover England. Rather than hand you a document that looks official and is not right for where your property is, we point you at the one that is.
Information, not legal advice. Have anything you intend to rely on checked by a solicitor.