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Lodger agreement for a room in your own home (England)
England · in English
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15 questions · about 6 min
Made for use in England
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For a homeowner or tenant in England who lets a room in the home they live in to a lodger. The agreement sets out the room and the shared parts, the rent and what it includes, any deposit, house rules and the notice either side gives to end it. A lodger who shares your kitchen, bathroom or living space is a licensee and an excluded occupier, not an assured tenant: the Renters’ Rights Act’s tenancy rules do not apply, and no court order is needed to end the agreement. A tenant needs their own landlord’s consent first. Signed by both; each keeps a copy.
- Made for use in England
- Last updated October 28, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You want to let a spare room in the home you live in to a lodger in England.
- A friend of a friend is moving into your spare room and you want the rent and house rules in writing.
- Your lodger has been living with you for months on a handshake and you want a proper agreement now.
- You want a simple lodger agreement that sets the rent, the bills and the notice to leave.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Date
- Landlord
- Landlord's address
- Town or city
- Landlord's postcode
- Lodger (full name)
- Start date
- The lodger's room, and the shared parts of the home they may use
- Amount of rent
- Rent is paid every
- When the rent is paid (e.g. on the 1st of each month)
- What the rent includes (e.g. gas, electricity, water, broadband, council tax, meals)
- Deposit amount
- Notice either of you gives to end the agreement
- House rules: smoking, guests, pets, quiet hours (optional)
Common questions
- Does a lodger in England have the same rights as a tenant under the Renters’ Rights Act?
- No. A lodger who lives in your home and shares a kitchen, bathroom or living room with you is an excluded occupier under section 3A of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, and a letting by a resident landlord is not an assured tenancy. The agreement ends by the notice it sets, or by reasonable notice if it sets none, and no court order is needed. You must never use or threaten force to make a lodger leave.
- Must I protect a lodger’s deposit and check their right to rent in England?
- The deposit protection rules cover assured tenancies, not a lodger who lives with you, so the deposit need not go into a scheme; this agreement says when and how it is returned. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 does cover lodgers: the deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent (six if the annual rent is £50,000 or more), and fees are banned except the few payments the Act permits. You must also check a lodger’s right to rent before they move in and keep a copy of the documents (Immigration Act 2014); GOV.UK explains the free check.
- Is rent from a lodger in England taxed, and does it affect council tax?
- Under HMRC’s Rent a Room scheme, up to £7,500 a year from furnished accommodation in your only or main home is tax-free (£3,750 each if the income is shared); above that you report it in Self Assessment. A lodger aged 18 or over can end a single person council tax discount. If you rent your home or have a mortgage, ask your landlord or lender first.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
Related documents
- Notice to a lodger to leave your home (England)
For a homeowner or tenant in England who lives in the home and wants a lodger to leave. The notice refers to your lodger agreement, gives the date the agreement ends, asks for the room to be cleared and the keys returned, and says what happens to the deposit. A lodger who shares your kitchen, bathroom or living space is an excluded occupier: the notice is the one your agreement sets, or reasonable notice, and no court order is needed. Hand it over in person and keep a copy. Not for a tenant, whose landlord must use Form 3A, free on GOV.UK.
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