If you are thinking of sharing a home with friends or strangers, there are many things to consider.

To make sure you make a decision about share housing that is right for you, start off by making a list of all the things you are looking for - house or flat, number of people, amount of rent, close to work/university/other, close to bus/train, friends/family, furnished or unfurnished etc.

Check out the 'to let' and 'share accommodation' sections in newspapers, on websites and community noticeboards. If you are a student, your college or university may have an accommodation officer who can help you with information.  

How does your wish list stack up? Is what you are looking for likely to be available?

Top of page

If you decide to go ahead with sharing a property, you need to be aware of the four different arrangements that can apply which will have an impact on your rights and responsibilities. It is important to seek advice if you are unclear which category you fall into.

Tenant

In some sharing situations, you may still be a tenant. For instance, if you rent a "granny flat" off the owner who lives in the main house. In these situations, you would have the same rights and responsibilities as any other tenant.

Head-tenant/sub-tenant

This occurs when a tenant of a property rents out part of the premises (eg. a room) exclusively to another person. The tenant should get the landlord's consent before sub-letting. Under this arrangement, the tenant becomes a head-tenant and takes on the landlord role with the person who has rented the room (ie. the sub-tenant).

Co-tenants

When more than one person signs a lease they are co-tenants. Co-tenants each have a legal contract with the owner of the property and share full responsibility for the tenancy. A co-tenancy can also occur when a person takes over from somebody who was on the lease but has moved out.

Boarder/lodger

A boarder or a lodger is a person who shares a property without having a lease and the owner, head-tenant or caretaker they live with keeps control of the premises. Boarders and lodgers are not covered by the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 and do not have the same rights and responsibilities as tenants.

Top of page