Inviting a lodger to come and rent a room in your house in an attempt for you to bring in more money could be detrimental to your home insurance policy.

Inviting a lodger to come and rent a room in your house in an attempt for you to bring in more money could be detrimental to your home insurance policy.

Nearly one in five of British homeowners who have opened their home to lodgers found that their property had been damaged by the renters, according to a recent survey.

Around 25 per cent of landlords in the survey by home insurer Zurich said that lodgers had behaved disrespectfully towards them and their property.

Despite these problems, many are turning to this practice because of financial problems.

"Property prices and the cost of living mean that many homeowners are feeling the pinch," said Maria Donald, Zurich spokesperson.

"Bringing a lodger in seems like the perfect way to earn a bit of extra cash if you've got spare room, but as this research shows, it does need some careful thought and planning beforehand."

A quarter of the respondents said their bad experiences have put them off lodgers for good.