Someone knew I had a spare room

Q.1. How did you first become a landlady?

A. I was approached by a neighbour who worked at the high school and knew that I had a spare room. They had a language assistant starting work and the lodgings arranged for them had fallen through.

I lived near the school and heard that the assistant was from Spanish speaking. As I had lived in Spain, I thought it would work quite well. It was all by chance that I became a landlady really. That happened over 10 years ago.

Q.2. How did things work out sharing for the first time?

She was quite sociable and chatty and spoke good English. She was very pleased to have somewhere to stay. In fact, she arrived with her mother, who was from Chile. The mother seemed quite content with the arrangement and for me that was also reassuring, as I didn’t know what to expect.

She stayed for the month and my first lodger was successful, so I was more proactive on the next one. As I lived near the theatre in Ipswich, I found a website for theatre professionals and advertised on there. This attracted not just actors, but also lighting engineers and other people involved with the show. These were usually shorter-term, for just a number of weeks.

Q.3. Would you say you prefer shorter-term house shares?

Shorter-term room lets are alright, but I like to get to know people a bit better. If it’s a longer-term share, then there is more opportunity and incentive to get to know one another.  I’ve had a number of longer-term lodgers, and this has resulted in some good friendships. I have stayed in touch with some and visited them in their own country (Ivan, an Italian from Trieste) or they send me a WhatsApp message from time to time.

Sometimes lodgers visiting from overseas want to learn English and sometimes people just need a room. I recently had a 70-year-old gentleman who had to move out of his house due to damp. He stayed a few weeks but had to move out to find something longer-term. The timing was perfect, as I had to go to Australia for a family wedding and didn’t want to leave the house empty. I have tended to use Homestay and Cohabitas, as I am interested in longer-term stays.

Q.4. Does house sharing suit you?

Yes, I feel it does. It’s partly for the companionship and partly to be able to earn a little more tax free. I only have one spare room, so fall into the ‘rent a room’ criteria allowing me to earn up to £7,500 tax free. It works well for me.

I now have a feel for what a good lodger is and ask them some questions when they come to view. I am not really one for rules, so it’s just the basics, like washing up and no smoking. Then it takes a bit of time to adjust to each other, as they get used to the house and me to them. It usually works out fine.

One thing I do ask is how much they want to use the kitchen. People in the theatre world work unsociable hours and often eat together, so don’t need to use the kitchen in the evening. Others like to cook and may offer to share their food with you. I had a very nice Slovakian lady from Bratislava who was Jordanian by birth; she cooked lovely meals and sometimes invited me. In fact, I had an Arabic neighbour and introduced them, so we all shared a dinner on one occasion. That was lovely.

I have recommended house sharing to one or two friends who have a spare room. One of my friends had a 4-bedroom house and started taking in lodgers. It worked well for her too.

Q.5. What are your thoughts for the future?

I like sharing and have missed it when I have had to stop. During COVID I stopped and was pleased to get back to it after. Then I met someone who used to spend a fair amount of time at my house, even though they had their own place. That meant I had to stop again. Then, unexpectedly, they died of a rare condition, so once again I found myself alone, so I decided to share again.

In fact, rather than invite someone into my house, I saw a house share Mon-Thu in nearby Felixstowe, which is a place I like and have enjoyed spending time at. So presently I share there with a lady who works in London Mon-Thu, returning here for the weekends. It’s a change of scene and provides some companionship, even though she’s not there all the time. In the spring I have someone coming to stay at my house for two months, so I will have to be there again.

I am 70 now and retired, so I think I will keep sharing for as long as I can. As I say, I prefer it to living by myself. I have met some interesting and lovely people, and I am sure I’ll meet more.

Q.6. What advice can you give to other people considering letting out a spare room?

My tips for successful house sharing would be:

• Try and be welcoming. Also be aware that some people may just be at home in the evening and not be that chatty. You have to respect their privacy. I am quite flexible on how much engagement to have. I can gauge what level of interaction they prefer once there, but it is best to ask before what their movements are before they take the room.
• There can be cultural differences. Some people like to store their own food separate to your; for example Halal food. I had someone who used to buy a Halal takeaway to eat after work and they brought one back for me one time. That was a nice gesture. I have learned that bringing and presenting food to your host is a cultural norm for some groups, so be aware there maybe  different expectations and customs the person brings with them.
• The first thing people ask for is the wifi code. Better to have unlimited wifi otherwise it might get expensive. This is used to download films and series to watch in their room, as well as for social media. I do offer a room rent that includes bills as that is easier. Usually there is no issue, but I am flexible. I have a huge Victorian bath so suggest people take showers mainly. But some of the dancers I’ve had stay need a bath to ease their aching muscles. I am flexible with that.

Nick interviewed Angela, who lives in Ipswich and has now had a lodger for around 15 years on an off. If you have a spare room to, you can register and add a room to rent listing on Cohabitas; see who comes forward?