Britain is becoming a nation of ‘home hoteliers’, with 4.9 million people playing host to house guests who stayed for an average of eight weeks in the last year, according to research published by Churchill Home Insurance.
Thousands of students unable to secure employment upon graduating from university are descending back on their parents’ homes, expecting free board and lodging. Almost 500,000 people have returned home to live with their parents in the last year, the majority of which are students leaving university or older children ‘boomeranging’ home to save money for property deposits.
However, it seems that house guests are really treating these homes like a hotel, running up huge bills for damage because they fail to treat the property with respect. ‘Home hoteliers’ have found themselves facing bills of over £66 million after guests left a trail of devastation, including broken furniture, prized heirlooms and antiques.
House guests’ failure to treat their lodgings with care also puts a huge strain on relationships. One in five (22 per cent) people who allowed a guest to stay in their home ended up in an argument with their partner, and 10 per cent found themselves rowing with relatives. Nearly one in twenty people got into a fight or physical altercation with a guest staying in their household. Another 15 per cent ended up trading insults with the home hotel guest.
Vicky Perry, spokesperson at Churchill, commented: “More and more people are opening their homes to guests who stay for prolonged periods of time. With graduates struggling to find jobs after university and prospective homebuyers struggling to pay rent while saving for deposit, a return to the comforts of the family home is proving increasingly attractive. Whether it’s with friends or family, it is important to set firm ground rules and establish how long a guest is set to stay before they check in, otherwise they could find themselves adding to the 180,000 householders who have had a house guest live in their home for over two years.”
Regional findings
With soaring property and rental prices, one in three Londoners had a house guest stay in their property for a prolonged period without paying rent in last two years. Residents of Yorkshire and Humberside were the least likely to open their houses, with less than one in ten residents having friends, a colleague or family member live rent free in their home in the last two years.
Percentage of householders whose property became a home hotel in the last two years
| Region | Percentage of householders that opened their home to guests in the last 12 months |
| London | 37% |
| South West | 24% |
| East | 23% |
| North West | 23% |
| South East | 21% |
| Scotland | 20% |
| Wales | 16% |
| North East | 16% |
| West Midlands | 16% |
| East Midlands | 16% |
| Northern Ireland | 11% |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 7% |
Source : Churchill Press Release
