Lodger
Quick answer
Someone who rents a room in a property where the landlord also lives, sharing living space such as the kitchen or bathroom. A lodger is an excluded occupier, not an assured tenant, so the landlord can end the arrangement with "reasonable notice" and does not need a court order. The Rent a Room scheme lets the resident landlord earn up to £7,500 a year tax-free.
At a glance
- Status
- Excluded occupier (not an assured tenant)
- Eviction
- "Reasonable notice", no court order needed
Full guide
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Open full guideWhy Lodger matters for landlords
The lodger relationship sits entirely outside the Renters’ Rights Act 2025: because the landlord is resident and shares facilities, the tenant-protection and possession rules that govern assured tenancies do not apply. That makes taking in a lodger far simpler than letting a whole property, and the Rent a Room allowance makes it tax-efficient. The line matters — if the "landlord" does not actually live there, the occupier may in fact be a tenant with full statutory protection.
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Official sources
LetCompliance editorial reviews this entry every quarter against the sources above. Always confirm specific duties with a qualified solicitor or your local council.
Related terms
Resident Landlord
A landlord who lives in the same building as the person renting from them. Where the landlord shares living accommodation with the occupier, that occupier is usually an excluded occupier (a lodger) rather than an assured tenant, with far fewer statutory protections and no need for a court order to end the arrangement.
Landlord Database (Private Rented Sector Database)
A national digital register of private landlords and rented properties in England, established under the Renters Rights Act 2025. Every landlord must register and provide property details and proof of compliance (gas, electrical, deposit protection, EPC) before letting. Operated by central government, accessible to local councils and tenants. Failure to register is an offence with civil penalty up to £7,000 per breach, and a court can refuse a possession order under Section 8 if the property or landlord is not registered.
Rent a Room Relief
A scheme letting you earn up to £7,500 a year tax-free from letting a furnished room in your own home. The threshold halves to £3,750 if someone else (for example a partner) also receives income from the same letting. It applies to resident landlords with a lodger, not to a separate buy-to-let property.
Break Clause
A clause in a fixed-term tenancy that allows landlord or tenant to end the agreement early. With fixed-term ASTs abolished from 1 May 2026 for most residential tenancies, break clauses are rarely relevant, a tenant can instead end a periodic tenancy with two months' notice.
Company Let
A tenancy where the tenant is a limited company rather than an individual, often so the company can house an employee. Because the tenant is not an individual occupying as their only or principal home, a company let is not an assured tenancy and falls outside the Renters’ Rights Act — it is governed by the contract and common law instead.
Joint Tenancy
A tenancy where two or more tenants are jointly and severally liable for the rent and obligations. If one tenant leaves, the remaining tenants are liable for the full rent. A notice served by one joint tenant can end the tenancy for all.