The five things you should do when your partner or adult child moves in
Sharing your home with another adult can affect bills, benefits and the amount of tax you pay.
Sharing your home with another adult can affect bills, benefits, and the amount of tax you pay.
It happens - your adult kids might have had to move back home with you. Or you and your partner have taken the leap of love (love sounds better than faith, don't you think?) and moved in together.
No matter whether it's a temporary or long-term arrangement, here are some things you should do when someone new (or in the case of your kids, not so new) moves in.
Talk about finances before they move in
Finances can be an awkward subject but, have a chat about money early on. Although sharing can make economic sense for everyone, your household costs will likely increase by having more people staying in your home.
A contribution to cover the extra food and utility bills will make sure you don’t lose out while costing your new house guest far less than it would to rent privately.
If you don’t need the money, you could put it aside to help them with a deposit when it’s time to move on.
Are my home and contents insurance affected?
Dumbbells, houseplants, an espresso machine (if you're lucky) - a new housemate means new stuff moving in too. You might need to tell your insurer, so their belongings are covered.
Valuable items like laptops, jewellery, or sporting equipment might need to be insured individually, especially if they cost more than £2,000. If their things add pounds to your premium, then you might want to raise that with them.
You’ll also need to tell your insurer if your home will be occupied or unoccupied for longer periods than before, or if anyone plans to use it as a business address. These things can change the cover you’ll need.
Will my car insurance be affected ?
If another adult is now sharing your car, as well as your home, you’ll need to update your car insurance to ensure you have the appropriate cover in place.
If your car insurance goes up or if you’re spending more on fuel, you might want to split the cost. Sometimes adding a second named driver can make your insurance cost less, so you might get a partial refund.
Drivers with our comprehensive car cover are insured to drive other people’s cars. With our comprehensive insurance, drivers are covered with third party only insurance to drive someone else's car. A multi-car policy Footnote [1] can also be used to insure more than one car, often at a discounted price. Please check your policy for terms and exclusions.
Check your benefits
Some benefits will be affected when another adult moves in, like your privacy or being able to sing in the shower without fear of embarrassment. Government benefits may also be affected.
If you claim benefits that might be affected, let the government know.
Do I need to tell the council if my partner or adult child moves in?
If you’ve been living alone, you’ll most likely have claimed the 25% off your council tax bill. But if another adult moves in, you’ll lose the discount. Let your local council know, so you can make sure you’re paying the right amount of tax.
If the adult you live with is over 18 but is either in full-time education, completing an apprenticeship, or if you’re their carer, you may be entitled to another council tax discount. Take a look at the government’s website. Footnote [2]
Your new housemate will need to:
- Tell their bank, insurance company, employer, the council, and DVLA their new address.
- Redirect post.
- Join the electoral roll.
- Put any non-essential items into storage.
- Cancel direct debits used for previous bills and set up any new ones that are needed.
- Get a parking permit if they've got a vehicle and parking permits are applicable on your street.
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