Housemate working from home

LLisap82 on 09/06/2020 - 08:07

Hi all

During coronavirus I was let go from my job and my housemate started to work from home. I had no problems with this and I didn’t increase her rent. She pays a set amount every month which includes bills. I am the homeowner and single. It’s been a struggle for me. I never asked for more money to cover the increased expenses of a home office (she also leaves are computer on day and night for the entire work week). I have a desk set up in the spare room and she’s turned that into her office.

She works in a huge office with only about 4 other staff members. They can do safe distancing with no problems. Now that things have started to go back to normal the staff members have had a discussion about seeing if their manager can make the working from home thing permanent For a few days a week.

Do you think it would be wrong to increase her rent if this was to occur or ask if her office can make a home office contribution? I am also going to start studying next month and will require the use of my desk as well. Thankfully I have a job lined up to start next month too but it’s on a lot less money then I have been on for many years.

I just want to prepare myself if this was to happen and what others opinions are on this.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Room Temperature on 09/06/2020 - 08:24
    +10

    It sounds like you should've discussed the conditions before you setup the spare room for her.

    If you move your study setup into the spare room, will they be able to move theirs into their bedroom ?
    Is it possible for you to share the room at alternate times, if your schedules allow?
    If there is no space in your rooms, maybe one of you can setup in the living room, it's only temporary after all.

    Regarding the increase in rent, you should talk to them about this and see if they are willing to. But you did offer the space to her without strings attached, don't be surprised if they don't respond well to you changing your mind.

    Also, welcome to OzBargain.

  • dizzle on 09/06/2020 - 08:27
    +33

    For being at home more? I would say no to increasing the rent. You don't rent out the house for specific hours of the day so I don't think you can dictate what they do in it (in this case) or how much time they spend there.

    For using more electricity? Do they already pay a percentage of bills? It could be worth talking about increasing that. Things like internet, if you're not having to increase your allowance, then probably not.

    Are they using more space? Is it a separate study that they are now using full time? Is it just a desk in the lounge room that they are using? If they have a separate space, you could probably ask for a higher amount. If it's just the desk you need back, and there is still more shared space for them to work, I'd say they need to get their own desk.

    As for safe distancing at work…It is still recommended that people work from home if they are able to. Public transport, lunch spaces, coming into contact with more people that then come into contact with more people is still the issue. Not necessarily the workspace itself.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/06/2020 - 08:39
    -5

    When creepers play mr landlord

  • c64 on 09/06/2020 - 08:50
    +1

    computer power management can be made to suspend to a low-power mode after 5 minutes of idle. could also turn off monitors after a minute or two of idle. and configure wake on a key press in the bios

  • Ryanek on 09/06/2020 - 09:17
    +13

    During these times, I would rather a happy renter than a disgruntled renter. I'm going to assume you'd be up Schitt Creek if she decided to move out.

  • niknah on 09/06/2020 - 09:21
    -7

    I was in a the same situation at the start of the lock down. I increased the rent. My flatmate moved out a month or two later. He ended up paying more for the place that he moved into, but he's got the whole place to himself. In the CBD & touristy areas there're plenty of spare places that used to be airbnbs available.

    • ssquid on 09/06/2020 - 09:49
      +3

      Good on him for being the bigger person, surely you're aware rent increases aren't allowed?

  • Caped Baldy on 09/06/2020 - 09:23
    +9

    Leave the rent as is. She'd be within her rights to leave and you'd have a vacancy and would probably fill it a discounted rate.

  • sheamas88 on 09/06/2020 - 09:25

    Do you have a rental agreement on paper? That will be the biggest determining factor here. In QLD for example, unless her lease explicitly says she is just renting a room, then legally (and practically IMO) she has every right to make full use of the house.

    In regards to the utilities, then it again depends on what the agreement was exactly, but I don't think it's unreasonable to ask to pay a percentage of the bills rather than a flat rate even if she wasn't working from home

  • Fergy1987 on 09/06/2020 - 09:37
    +1

    Maybe have a bit of understanding during a worldwide pandemic.

    • Fredfloresjr on 09/06/2020 - 12:12

      Reason why we have greedy landlords in here.

  • ssquid on 09/06/2020 - 09:47
    +22

    You don't agree to a price for accommodation and then increase it because the tenant actually makes use of it. Unless you're a dick.

    • crashloaded on 09/06/2020 - 10:23
      +1

      Even if you try the tenant will probably laugh in your face.

  • skid on 09/06/2020 - 09:58
    +4

    Wait until your next electricity bill before changing anything. Leaving a laptop on 24/7 costs $12.00 a month.

    • rambutann on 09/06/2020 - 10:15

      Yeah I was going to say, heating would increase your power bill, but not having a computer on…

  • tsunamisurfer on 09/06/2020 - 11:18
    -3

    Yes I believe the owner is well within his rights to ask for a rent increase.

    The use of the spare room was probably not in the original agreement, it was offered due to these extraordinary times and was meant to be temporary.

    Now if it is going to be permanent, then the tenant is going to be using 1.5 rooms, that is a case for a rent increase.

  • p1 ama on 09/06/2020 - 11:34
    +1

    I never asked for more money to cover the increased expenses of a home office (she also leaves are computer on day and night for the entire work week). I have a desk set up in the spare room and she’s turned that into her office.

    What are the increased expenses of a home office? Have you calculated what they are and do you have a dollar amount?

    I have a desk set up in the spare room and she’s turned that into her office.

    Do you otherwise need that desk in the spare room? Perhaps you could negotiate some rent increase for her to have access to two rooms or something of the sort.

    She works in a huge office with only about 4 other staff members. They can do safe distancing with no problems.

    That's irrelevant and not any of your business really.

    Do you think it would be wrong to increase her rent if this was to occur or ask if her office can make a home office contribution? I am also going to start studying next month and will require the use of my desk as well. Thankfully I have a job lined up to start next month too but it’s on a lot less money then I have been on for many years.

    Ultimately it's not a moral "right or wrong" issue. You are the owner and you can charge her however much you want. You can't increase her rent until around September (I believe), but after that, of course it's fair game.

    Of course, it is her right whether she wishes to accept your offer. If she doesn't, then she can move out and you can find a new tenant (or not). Whether that's wise is hard to say. It's currently a renter's market right now. Occupancy rates are falling, many renters are moving in with friends and family as they've lost their jobs. Some of the hardest hit suburbs are places where the percentage of renters will be high. Students, young people…etc. are moving back in with their parents.

    You've got to take all of this into account.

  • Euphemistic on 09/06/2020 - 11:49
    +2

    I would think that as the situation has changed you can negotiate. If the spare room is to become a full time office, and was not when she moved in, then it is a change in situation. A long time ago when I shared, the biggest bedroom paid a little more. If you want the spare room back for yourself, then it changes the situation again, but back to the original agreement.

    The other thing is charging more for her share of electricity - assuming it does actually increase your power bill. You’d probably only be looking at a few dollars per week though.

    • Wickz on 09/06/2020 - 18:24
      +1

      All of my share houses have been like this. Your portion of rent is based off the amount of space you are occupying. Larger bedrooms paid more, smaller bedrooms paid less. I was once in a house where I had the smallest bedroom, it barely fit a queen bed and a wardrobe (no built ins), and the other two bedrooms where easily two times mine. The landlord was renting to each of us separately (private rental) and charged us the exact same amount per week.

      To make up for the discrepancy in size, I took the dining room as part of “my space” and turned it into my desk / office. This was all agreed too by the other housemates as it was unfair for me to paying the same but getting much less.

      If OPs tenant is now using more space than she originally paid for, then you are within your right to ask for more rent. Bills are hard though. It can get really nasty if you start trying to say how much one person uses over another, so just split them in half.

      I live alone and have been working from home since April. My electricity hasn’t really gone up much at all as I have I already had things running all day, but what is getting me is the gas! Running the heating for an extra 8 hours a day is getting pretty expensive!

      • tinyorca on 11/06/2020 - 01:13

        Gas heating prices are crazy! We got gas heating installed when we built, thinking it would be cheaper but got a whopping bill last winter. We've resorted to electric heaters in each room now.

  • PissLUR on 09/06/2020 - 12:27
    +1

    I think you should ask her for the WFH $0.80 per hour as she will claim this for her tax return this FY.

    • zambuck on 10/06/2020 - 09:33
      +1

      I'd say the 80cents per day claimed back by housemate on tax for WFH may be the pool to draw from, but unless housemate is now claiming exclusive use of another room for work then pretty much electricity and other direct out of pocket expenses are all OP could reasonably suggest being increased.

  • JIMB0 on 09/06/2020 - 12:37

    Maybe you could ask for some non-monetary benefits.

    • bobbified on 09/06/2020 - 14:09

      Please provide examples of what you would ask for ;)

      • Euphemistic on 09/06/2020 - 14:32
        +1

        Home bakes cakes and biscuits are a good start.

        • bobbified on 09/06/2020 - 14:33

          Is that what you like to call it? haha

        • dbourke7 on 10/06/2020 - 09:15

          as long as they don't forget to charge extra for the use of the oven

          • Ozpit on 10/06/2020 - 09:49

            @dbourke7: … just don’t put a bun in the oven.

      • JIMB0 on 09/06/2020 - 21:09

        Relief. Instead of diy you could get them to do things, such as house work.

  • bobbified on 09/06/2020 - 14:13
    +1

    How much are you hoping for extra each month? Is it worth potentially pissing off an otherwise good tenant for a small amount?

  • billy3000 on 09/06/2020 - 19:22
    +1

    Op is struggling to pay the bills, any reasonable person should be open to a conversation about a voluntary contribution to help out

  • Quantumcat on 09/06/2020 - 21:41

    If she is getting use of an extra bedroom then she should pay more rent.

    Give her options for
    A) exclusive use of the room (you'll use your bedroom to work/study) - say 1.75 times current rent
    B) you share the room - say 1.25 times the current rent
    C) you have exclusive use of the room and reserve the right to get another housemate - rent stays as is

    If she decides to leave you might be in a bit of trouble so perhaps wait until a time such that her notice period lines up with you starting your new job. You can then get a new housemate or two.

  • crashloaded on 10/06/2020 - 08:45
    +3

    I would just say you intend to rent the spare room out unless there's an agreement to pay more rent, as you need more money coming in at the moment.

    • BargainShopaholic on 10/06/2020 - 22:20
      +1

      I agree with this strategy.

      If you take the room back and say it’s for yourself, she might think you’re being petty.

      But if you say you want to rent it out since you’ve lost your job, then she’d be an a-hole if she kicks up a fuss, and no one wants to be an a-hole. I’m sure she’d understand and would gladly return the space.

  • lew380 on 10/06/2020 - 09:23
    +1

    Wait and see if costs go up, and you start studying, then have a chat about the changes to arrangements. But the way I see it, she's paying a share of the bills and paying for a room, you can't dictate how much time she spends at home, she's not paying for time spent in the house.

  • RecklessMonkeys on 10/06/2020 - 11:20
    +1

    Forget about the electricity unless she's using a heater all day long.
    I'd say the tenant is renting her room + common areas. So depends if the spare room is considered a common area or not. Ordinarily I'd say no.
    If you need the room soon then just say so. If it's considered a common area, then at the very least it must be shared between you. If not then the room is yours to do with what you will.

    You could also rent the room out to another tenant. If you put this to your flatmate, she may offer to rent it from you anyway.

    I can't see the point of asking for more rent if you need the room anyway.

  • lainey13 on 10/06/2020 - 11:41
    +1

    You should have set the bills at a percentage. In some months I'm guessing there was less use and so she paid more. Now there's more use, she is paying effectively less. But that's always going to be the case when you only set a certain amount. If you suddenly change it to more or a percentage, be prepared for unhappier tenant. Also, you're also at home now and using more. So if there's an increase in bills you can't blame your tenant solely. If the home office was never part of the agreement you are in your rights to ask her to not use it once you need it.

  • Idh959 on 10/06/2020 - 14:14

    Like someone else already said. There's no right or wrong. It's your house, and unless your are not breach any existing contract arrangements, you can do what you want. And the roommate can accept it, try and negotiate, or leave. Everything in between is negotiable. You just have to know how much and on what you are prepared to negotiate.

    You think about all the possible options, what are the trade offs, risks. what works for you.

    Everybody needs to adapt.

    If you need to make ends meet. Rent out the spare room to someone else. My guess is that could be an extra $150 a week, depending where.

    Everything is negotiable. The important thing there is to talk. Pass options back and forth until you come to an acceptable agreement.

  • tinyorca on 11/06/2020 - 01:07

    While she is working from home has her salary increased? I would probably think not. She also had no choice working from home and probably still doesn't. Whilst some people have gone back to work, there are still a lot working from home.

    Basically, this is not her fault and she shouldn't have to suffer because of it. If the spare room wasn't being used then it's fair enough that she asked to use it for work. It is horrible having to work and live in the same room. Besides, the use of another room doesn't directly increase the cost of her living there.

    So many people are doing it tough right now, I would just be thankful to have a paying tennant. Perhaps when things settle down you could renegotiate the agreement and talk about paying a percentage of the bills to make things fairer.

  • Pro-crastinator on 11/06/2020 - 02:48

    Yeah, I reckon you could put the rent up a little bit. We've been working from home and the bills have increased - heating is on nearly all day during winter, computers and lights on all day - all this makes a difference when you would normally be at work.

    She's saving on petrol or PT costs by working at home, she can probably make her lunch at home more easily rather than eating out (if that's her thing).

    Plus, now that she's working from home, any increase you give her will be more than offset by the fact she can start to claim a portion of her rent and bills as expenses on her tax return, which she wouldn't have been able to do before.

    Don't feel bad - just explain the reasons why.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join