DictionaryRenting

Lodger: what it means

A lodger is a person who lives in a room in a house where the owner also lives. According to the California Department of Real Estate's guide, the owner may enter all areas the lodger uses and has overall control of the house.

In Spanish it is

Huésped (lodger)

Also written as: single lodger

A man smiles on a bench outside his apartment building.

Verified on October 17, 2026

1 official source

See the whole dictionary

The full explanation

Most lodgers have the same rights as tenants. But when there is a single lodger in the house, the owner can end the arrangement with written notice, without an eviction lawsuit, giving the same notice required for any other periodic tenancy. These are California's rules.

An example

Rosa rents a room in the house where the owner lives, in California, and she is the only lodger. If the owner wants her to leave, she must give Rosa written notice with the same time the law requires for a month-to-month rental.

You will see it in…

Ads for rooms for rent inside a home
The agreement to rent a room
A written notice to leave the room

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

1. California Department of Real Estate · California Tenants: A Guide to Residential Tenants' and Landlords' Rights and Responsibilities (single lodger in a private residence) (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026