Frequently Asked Questions
This is the list of Frequently-Asked Questions about the Fivenights.com service. It has answers to most of the common questions people
ask about us and renting a room for fivenights in particular. The FAQ is intended as a first point of reference for lodgers and landlords and we hope you find
what you are looking for here. Whilst we hope to cover most things, this list is not exhaustive. If you do not find an answer here, please contact us and we will do our best to answer your questions quickly.
Answers
How does this service work?
First place either a room wanted or room offered advert (depending on whether you are looking for a room or have a spare room to offer). Once its been checked by one of our moderators it will be posted onto the website.
How Much does it cost?
If you are a lodger, Fivenights.com is completely free. We charge £29.95 for a 90 day membership, and £49.95 for a one year membership.
Are my personal details kept private?
Yes. Fivenights.com do not divulge your personal details in any way.
How can I make my advert stand out?
The latest, best written adverts are featured on the main page of the website making them visible to all our visitors. These serve as an example of well written adverts for other users. It's a good idea to include photos on your advert since we find that those advertisers that do this get more positive responses from lodgers. The registration page for landlords and lodgers includes helpful tips on composing a good advert, and in general, the more you can say the better impression you will give.
What happens if I lose my login details?
Lost login details can be retrieved on the login page.
What additional services could I offer to my lodger?
Consider topping up your rental income by offering such services as cooked breakfast or evening meal, ironing, or laundry.
What do you do with my personal information?
Your personal information is used internally for statistical analysis and is never given to a third party by us.
What do I need to do when I wish to remove my advert?
If you have found a lodger and no longer wish to adverise with us, please first pause your advert - this will immediately make it invisible. Then, contact us and let us know if you would like to keep your account open for the next time you want to advertise, or if you want to close it.
What happens when my membership expires?
Your advert will automatically stop appearing in search results. Landlord members can opt to pay for more advertising time in their landlord's section. Lodgers are similarly able to ask us to renew their advert, if for example, they have new lodging requirements.
I'm a lodger, how do I renew my membership?
Simply sign in as usual. When you are within 30 days of your expiry date, you will have the option to renew by clicking the “renew” button.
I'm a landlord, how do I renew my membership?
Simply sign in as usual. You can add additional advertising days at any time by clicking the "Add More Days" button.
How do I place an advert?
First sign up as a landlord or lodger user. If you sign up as a lodger this will ask all the questions you need to answer in order to create your advert. Likewise, as a landlord, the registration process incorporates the creation of a room advert.
Why doesn’t my advert appear straight away?
All adverts are checked by a fivenights.com moderator before being placed on the live website for all.
What are the system requirements for running this site?
Fivenights.com has been thoroughly tested and is designed to run on the latest versions of all of the more popular browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Google Chrome.
What happens if I have a problem running the site or need to ask a question I don’t see here?
The contact us section can be used to ask any further questions.
What records should I keep?
Tax records should be kept for six years after the end of the tax year they relate to.
I am going to be making use of the “rent a room scheme”, do I need to speak to my local tax office?
We would always advise that you consult your local tax office or financial advisor if you are not sure how this scheme may benefit you.
Does Fivenights.com let me know when I have a person interested in my spare room?
Yes. Fivenights.com acts as an intermediary for contact between landlord and lodger until you are happy to use other channels.
How do I ensure my personal safety?
It is your own responsibility to take adequate precautions when meeting strangers.
How much extra income can I make?
This depends on location, scarcity, and the size and quality of room offered. A good idea of the sort of amount you can charge can be had by browsing some of our adverts in your local area.
What are the advantages of taking in lodger?
Well there’s the extra income of course. However there are other benefits, you may like the company it offers, or the added security, for example.
Are there any downsides?
There are surprisingly few downsides when you decide to rent a room Monday to Friday. The main problem with a standard lodger agreement is that they are always in your home. The fivenights.com service was specifically designed to get around this issue.
Do I need to tell my mortgage company?
Yes, if your home is mortgaged then you need to check with your mortgage company.
Will my house insurance policy be enough?
It’s unlikely that your existing home insurance policy will cover you taking in a lodger. If in doubt, contact your insurance provider.
I rent my house – will I still be able to take in a lodger?
You may be able to rent out a room to a lodger, in this case its best to check the terms of your tenancy agreement
How do I set the level of rent?
The best thing to do is to research the properties in your area. What levels of rent are they charging? Be sure to compare like for like, for example, a double room would command a higher rent in the same area than a single one. Set the rent to be as competitive as you can afford – this will minimise the amount of time your spare room remains empty.
How do I set the level of deposit?
You do not need to set the deposit to be one month’s rent. You need to find a level that will ensure your lodger doesn’t disappear in the middle of the night, but it should not be so high as to drive away any potential lodgers.
Where should I keep the deposit?
Keep any deposit you collect separate from your other money. You may need to be able to come up with it at short notice. Do not spend the deposit! It’s a good idea to offer back any interest the deposit accrues at the end of the agreement.
What house rules should I set?
Realistically you need to compromise with the person you are sharing with but it is your home too. The most likely areas of dispute are likely to be cleanliness and noise levels/antisocial hours, if any. Make sure these are covered in your agreement.
How long should I hold onto the deposit?
Don’t return the deposit after a quick look around the room. Make sure you give it a few more days in case any problems you overlooked come to light.
Should I allow my lodger to leave personal items in the room over the weekend?
We advise that the arrangement should be for no items to be left in the room over weekends. The reasons for this are that firstly there may be some dispute as to what was left, and what condition those items were left in. Secondly, since they are not paying for the space on weekends, it would be unfair to expect you to allow this, especially if you plan to have guests staying.
What furnishings should I provide in the room?
The obvious ones are a bed, wardrobe, dresser and bedside table but also consider the specific needs of the lodger, for example a desk may be requested. Check with your lodger about what else they may need.
Should I provide a furnished room or an unfurnished one?
Fivenights lodgers will be expecting to be able to move into the room with the minimum of fuss, therefore we recommend providing a fully furnished room.
How can I maximise the chance of someone taking the room?
There are many ways, from setting the rent competitively to ensuring the house is spotless when you show someone around. For more information on understanding the needs of a five nights lodger, see the landlords guide.
Do you have a checklist of things that need to be done to help impress a lodger.
See the landlord's guide.
What are the health and safety issues?
You need to provide a safe environment for your lodger, to this end, a full range of gas and electricity checks should be done. You should also ensure that your property has functioning smoke alarms, and all furniture meets the latest standards for inflamability. Please ensure that you research thoroughly your obligations as a landlord before allowing a lodger to move in to your property.
What areas of the country does Fivenights.com cover?
Fivenights.com is a UK wide service.
How do I know I will be able to get on with my lodger.
Don't rent your spare room to someone you are unsure about. In addition to performing background checks, listen to your gut instinct. Try to have a friend or partner with you when you meet any prospective lodger and listen to their thoughts on the person as well.
What forms and checklists does Fivenights.com provide?
Fivenights.com provides a free lodger agreement to all paying landlords.
How can I be sure that the lodger is who they say they are?
The best way to do this is to do background checks. The sorts of checks that can be done are credit checks (see Experian’s website), and Police checks.
What is background checking?
Background checking is the processs of obtaining criminal and commercial information about a person that will help you assess their character.
What sorts of checks are available and how much do they cost.
Police checks and credit checks are amongst the most popular.
What is an landlord-lodger agreement document and why is it important?
The landlord-lodger agreement document sets out the "house rules" as well as important information such as emergency contact numbers, and the details of the financial arrangements you have agreed upon. A landlord-lodger agreement should always be produced for a lodger and should be signed. Agreements can typically be reused with little modification, from lodger to lodger.
How do I terminate the lodger agreement?
The notice period you agreed should be documented in your landlord-lodger agreement. Therefore, should either party wish to terminate the agreement, it will be understood what notice period was agreed.
How much notice does my lodger need to give?
Whatever you agreed in the landlord-lodger agreement. Fivenights.com recommend at least 4 weeks for a six month plus arrangement, and one week for anything less.
How much notice do I need to give my lodger?
Whatever you agreed in the landlord-lodger agreement. Fivenights.com recommend at least 4 weeks for a six month plus arrangement, and one week for anything less.
What bills should and should not be included in the agreement?
We recomend all energy bills, council tax and water. If you have a unlimited evening and weekend calls package, you might want to include this as well, provided that the calls qualify for the free rate.
What access will I have to my spare room?
Since you are advertising your room just for the working week, then complete and unlimited access at weekends is not unreasonable. Determine what time the lodger is likely to return for the working week - will it for example be Sunday night or will they staying at home and travelling directly to work on Monday mornings?
What about overnight visitors?
Overnight visitors would not normally form part of an agreement with a fivenights lodger. You may wish to offer some flexibility in this area, although the profile of a typical fivenights lodger does not suggest that this would be needed.
What happens if my lodger loses their keys?
Agree in advance a charge for loss of keys. If possible provide a second set to your lodger if they are for example able to securely store a set of keys at work.
Should I have a second phone line installed for my lodger?
Not unless your lodger wishes one and is prepared to pay for one, and if so, not unless you are happy to have it installed.
What household facilities should be provided?
It can be difficult to make an exhaustive list, but obvious things include some means of cooking and doing their laundry. It is perhaps better to include things that are specifically not included, for excample, the PC in the corner of the dining room.
How do I change my advert?
Easy, simply log on to fivenights.com and navigate to your personal home page, where you will see a copy of your advert that can be amended.
I have changed my advert and now I cannot see it – what has happened?
The reason for this is that fivenights.com is a moderated service. This means that all new adverts, or amended adverts are approved by fivenights.com before being available to see on the main site. This can take up to 24 hours.
Can I include photos in my advert?
Yes, fivenights.com allows you to upload up to ten photos to support your advertisment. We recomoned this since those adverts with photos are viewed more often than those without.
How do I report an abusive or offensive advert?
Please report any issues you feel need to be brought to our attention on the "contact us" page.
How long does my membership last?
This depends on your level of membership and the type of member you are. All lodgers get a 90 day advert, landlords will either have a 90 day advert or a 1 year advert depending on the payment option they choose.
What types of membership exist and how do they differ?
Those who are looking for a room to rent should choose the lodger membership option. Those who have a spare room to offer should choose the landlord membership option.