Lodgings

Lodgings. Lodgings are part of a house, and may be let and taken in the same manner as lands and tenements. Usually, however, they are let either by written agreement or verbally, and are either furnished or unfurnished. A written agreement is often desirable to avoid dispute. Formerly a lodger's goods were liable to the rent of the house, and could be distrained upon therefore even if the lodger's rent were duly paid; but by the Statute 34 & 35 Vict., c. 79, passed for the protection of lodgers' goods, it is provided that if any superior landlord shall levy a distress on any furniture, goods, or chattels of any lodger for arrears of rent due to the superior landlord by his immediate tenant, the lodger may serve the superior landlord, or the bailiff or other person employed by him to levy such distress, with a declaration in writing made by the lodger setting forth that the immediate tenant has no right or beneficial interest in the furniture, etc., so distrained, and that such furniture, etc., are the property or in the lawful possession of the lodger, and also setting forth whether any and what rent is due from the lodger to his immediate landlord, and the lodger may pay to the superior landlord that rent, if any, so due as last assessment, or so much thereof as shall be sufficient to discharge the claim of the superior landlord. And it is also enacted that any payment made by any lodger pursuant to the above provision shall be deemed a valid payment on account of any rent due from him to his immediate landlord. Compensation may be awarded up to £15 by a police magistrate for wilful damage done by lodgers.