MondaytoFridayers' Guide to MondaytoFridaying

to MondaytoFriday:  to share someone’s home during the working week

a MondaytoFridayer:  a person who lives away from home and closer to work during the working week. Also known as a mondaytofriday lodger.

a MondaytoFriday host:  a person who shares their home with a mondaytofridayer during the working week.

Who mondaytofridays?

All sorts of people MondaytoFriday: People who live near enough to work to commute but find the journey too tiring, inconvenient or unreliable; People who have taken a new job but want to be sure it works out before committing themselves (and their families) to moving house; Freelancers taking on a contract in another part of the country; People who want to make their home in the country, but still need to live in the city – or vice versa. There are many reasons why mondaytofridaying makes sense, whether it’s for a few weeks, months or even years.

And the range of people who become mondaytofriday hosts is equally wide. All ages and stages, across the whole UK. These are people who offer to share their home during the working week, but want to have their homes to themselves at weekends. Their motivations vary: For some, the opportunity to bring in extra income (£7,500 of it tax free) is their primary reason; whilst others may like the idea of the company that comes from sharing their home for a few evenings per week.

What should I consider when renting a room?

Before you start looking for a MondaytoFriday home, it's worth doing some homework, and a bit of soul searching. Work out where you want to be and what sort of arrangement will suit you. After all, the whole idea is to make the working week easier!

Here are a few questions to get you started:

• How do I want to get to work – drive, cycle, walk, public transport? Use the Cycle to Work Calculator to find out how much you could save by getting onto 2 wheels.
• What’s the longest journey I’m prepared to do to get to work?
• Where do I want to live during the week?
• Do I want to be able to use a kitchen and sitting room?
• Do I mind sharing a bathroom, or is sole use a must-have?
• Do I want to be able to smoke?
• How much am I prepared to pay for a MondaytoFriday room?

Now it’s time to search mondaytofriday.com for rooms that match your criteria, create a wishlist of rooms or take the plunge and send a message to the hosts whose rooms you’re interested in. Tell them a bit about yourself, where you work and your daily routines. Arrange to meet and view the room.

When you meet a potential host, remember to check:

• If you’re going to drive, where can you park?
• If you’ll have a bike with you, where will you keep it?
• Are there any particular house rules? Eg: Times you can use the kitchen, noise, guests etc.
• When and how will the host want to be paid?
• What’s the arrangement over bed linen, cleaning of your room etc?
• Can you leave a few things in the room over the weekend, or do you have to remove everything?
• And, of course, whether you think you will both get on with each other. 

If you go ahead, your host will probably want some information to confirm you’re who you say you are! Expect to provide evidence of your home address and employer/work. Some people may want to contact a reference/credit agency, but they will need to ask for your permission to do this.

We think it’s a good idea – for both parties – to have a written agreement. This could just be an email, but many people go for something more formal. Take a look at our thoughts on drawing up a MondaytoFriday Agreement.