Lodgers rise in cost crisis, but solutions disappoint many

My dad had been helping to support me and my two children financially, but after he died, I needed to supplement my income,” explains Sarah, 49, (not real name), a single mother of two living in London.

- Radhika Sanghani, The Independent

“I have a two-bedroom flat, but it has a separate annexe with a bedroom and bathroom, so after talking to friends, I decided to take in a lodger. I thought it would be great because it was short-term, flexible and apart from using the kitchen, they wouldn't be in my actual flat.”

Her first lodger — a single mum with a baby — turned out to be a “nightmare,” bringing baby equipment into Sarah's flat, then struggling to pay her rent. “She ran out of money and gave me a sob story,” says Sarah. “It was difficult because she was going through a divorce. I ended up having to listen to all her problems.”

But the experience didn’t put Sarah off. She continued to take in lodgers, mainly young women with busy lives who kept to themselves. She currently has an accountant in her annexe — “the children won’t even remember her name because they hardly see her” — where her only gripe is how much of her fabric softener she uses, and how her long hair keeps clogging up the vacuum cleaner.