What does lodger mean?
A lodger is someone who lives in a room or part of a house owned or occupied by another person, normally paying rent or offering payment in another form. The word is commonly used for tenants who rent a room in a private home rather than occupy a self-contained flat or apartment, although it can also refer more broadly to anyone who stays in temporary accommodation. “Lodger” is not inherently negative, but it often implies a more personal, sometimes less formal arrangement than “tenant.” It is especially associated with shared houses, boarding arrangements, and people who provide accommodation in return for rent, help, or domestic service. The term can also suggest a person who is established in a community through lodging, as in the historical expression “a lodger in the parish.” In contemporary English, its main use is straightforward: a person who occupies a room in someone else’s home.
nounA person who rents or occupies a room in another person's house, typically on a temporary or long-term basis. The term may also refer to a person who is provided with accommodation in return for payment.
- A person who rents or occupies a room in another person's house, usually for a fee.
- A person who is provided with accommodation in a private home, sometimes in exchange for help or services.
"The lodger paid the rent promptly and was considerate of the other residents in the house."
"The family takes in a lodger during the summer months."
"As a student, he worked as a lodger in a large, welcoming household."
The regular plural is “lodgers.”
"The landlord was careful to treat all lodgers fairly."
A lodger is more than a tenant: the word often evokes a room rented in someone else's home and a life that intersects with that of the host.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lodger come from?
The word “lodger” was formed in Middle English from the root “lodge,” which had already been used for a place of temporary shelter and later for a rented room. “Lodge” comes through Old French loger and ultimately from the Latin lauria, meaning a hut made of branches or brushwood. The suffix “-er” was added to form a noun denoting a person who lodges, and modern usage developed the sense of someone who rents accommodation in another person’s home.
How lodger is actually used
The word is neutral in tone but is especially associated with renting a room in a private home. In British English, it can sometimes suggest long-term accommodation or a boarder-like arrangement; in American English, it is also used for any person who lodges in another person's home.