What is rent-a-room relief?

Anna Stubbs • April 14, 2023

Renting out a spare room in your house is one way to bring in a little extra income. But did you know that you can claim rent-a-room relief rather than calculating the actual costs incurred. Claiming rent-a-room relief will generally simplify the administration burden and reduce (or even eliminate) the tax charge.

But what are the key rules to bear in mind?

What is rent-a-room relief?

Rent-a-room relief is a tax relief that’s available for people who rent furnished rooms in their home for residential purposes. It does not apply to unfurnished rooms, and does not apply where the rental is for an office or other business purposes.


Who can claim the relief?

The relief can be used by a resident landlord who takes a lodger into their place of residence – i.e. where you and your lodger live in the same property. You can also claim the relief if you’re providing guest-house or bed-and-breakfast (B&B) services.


How much relief can be claimed?

The amount of relief is capped at £7,500 (£3,750 each if split between two joint owners). If the income from the rented room (including amounts for goods and services like meals, cleaning and laundry) are below that level, no tax reporting is required and profit is treated as nil.

If the income from the room is above £7,500, taxable profit can be calculated by deducting either £7,500 or by deducting the actual costs and capital allowances that are applicable.


Talk to us about rent-a-room relief

If you’re thinking about earning some extra income from letting out part of your home, come and talk to us. We’ll explain the available reliefs, including the rent-a-room scheme, and can also outline the recordkeeping and filing that will be needed as a landlord.


If you think that the scheme may apply to you, we’ll be very happy to help.

By Anna Stubbs January 29, 2026
Having adequate access to adequate funding is fundamental for any startup. In the early stages of getting your enterprise off the ground, you need working capital to reach the all-important minimum viable product (MVP) stage, rent premises and hire staff. But where does this initial funding come from? Let’s look at the UK Government's Start Up Loan scheme and the funding options it offers.
By Anna Stubbs January 29, 2026
Question: “Can cost-saving measures in the business truly be a key driver of profits?” Running a profitable business is one of your key goals as an owner. Without profits, there’s no capital to reinvest in the business, no funds to grow the company and no money for your own dividend payment at the end of the financial year. So, is cost-saving the answer in these challenging economic times? Answer: “Careful management of costs is a fundamental way to improve your profit margins and profitability as an enterprise” Cost-saving measures will have a direct and measurable impact on your profits. This is usually achieved via two main mechanisms. Firstly, reducing your variable costs (like raw materials or direct labour) increases your gross profit margin. This retains more revenue from each sale you make as a business. Secondly, lowering fixed overheads (such as rent or software licenses) directly reduces the total expenses on your profit and loss statement, leading to a higher net profit. This immediate bottom-line improvement makes you a more financially healthy prospect to investors and lenders – which, in turn, can often make it easier to access funding and grow the business. Want to know more about cost-saving measures?  Talk to the team about your profit goals and we’ll advise you on the key ways you can reduce your overheads and expenses to drive improved profits.
By Anna Stubbs January 29, 2026
We all hope that our pathway along the business journey will be smooth and uncomplicated. But the reality is that accidents can happen, along with unplanned injuries, damaging weather events and legal suits from disgruntled clients. So, what can you do to protect your business from these potential negative consequences? The answer is to take out the relevant business insurance for your company.