https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog Flatshare guides from Find a Gay Flatmate UK. en-GB https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/find-a-gay-flatmate-londonhttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/find-a-gay-flatmate-londonTue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTTo find a gay flatmate or LGBTQ+ flatshare in London, search the sites and Facebook groups where LGBTQ+ households advertise, and post your own "room wanted" ad so they can find you too. Then ask your questions by message before you arrange a viewing. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/paperwork-for-taking-in-a-lodgerhttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/paperwork-for-taking-in-a-lodgerSat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTTaking in a lodger? The short checklist before they move in — the agreement, your mortgage and insurer, council tax, benefits and the Rent a Room Scheme. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/taking-a-deposit-when-letting-a-roomhttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/taking-a-deposit-when-letting-a-roomThu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYou can take up to five weeks' rent as a deposit from a lodger, and hold it yourself rather than in a scheme. Give a receipt, record the room's condition, and only deduct for real damage or unpaid rent. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/how-to-write-a-room-adhttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/how-to-write-a-room-adMon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPut the money and the room at the top, describe the household honestly, and be specific. A good advert does your filtering for you. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/rent-a-room-schemehttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/rent-a-room-schemeFri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTIf you let furnished rooms in your own home, you can receive up to £7,500 a year tax-free under the Rent a Room Scheme. That limit covers everything you receive, for all the rooms together, and it's halved if someone else, such as a joint owner, also receives income from letting in the same home. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/letting-a-room-lodger-not-tenanthttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/letting-a-room-lodger-not-tenantTue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTIf you rent a room in the home you live in, your lodger usually has fewer rights than a tenant, and ending the arrangement is simpler. But that depends on how you share the home, so it's worth getting right before they move in. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/how-to-vet-someone-for-your-spare-roomhttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/how-to-vet-someone-for-your-spare-roomSat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTTalk to them properly, follow up references, and do the Right to Rent check before anyone moves in. The legal checks are short. Most of the work is deciding whether you'd be glad to come home to this person. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/how-to-vet-a-flatmatehttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/how-to-vet-a-flatmateWed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTA flatmate viewing goes both ways: you're choosing them as much as they're choosing you. Ask about money, daily routines, guests and how disagreements get handled, and notice how they answer. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/room-viewing-checklisthttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/room-viewing-checklistSun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTTurn things on, look for damp, check the signal in the room itself, ask what the rent really covers, and find out who you'd be paying. Take your time: a proper viewing is worth twenty minutes. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/how-to-spot-a-rental-scamhttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/how-to-spot-a-rental-scamThu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTSee the room in person before you pay anything. But a viewing only proves the room exists, so check who you're dealing with too. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/real-cost-of-renting-a-room-in-londonhttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/real-cost-of-renting-a-room-in-londonMon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe average London room is advertised at about £930 a month, and that figure already includes bills. So the real question with any ad is what's included and what isn't. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/how-to-get-your-full-deposit-backhttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/how-to-get-your-full-deposit-backFri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTTake photos the day you move in, keep the paperwork, and if money is held back, challenge it with evidence. Which route you use depends on whether you're a tenant or a lodger. https://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/tenant-lodger-or-permitted-occupierhttps://findagayflatmate.co.uk/blog/tenant-lodger-or-permitted-occupierTue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTYou're usually a tenant if your landlord doesn't live there and you have a room of your own, a lodger if you share your landlord's home, and a permitted occupier if you live there with the tenant's permission but aren't on the agreement. Each gives you very different rights.