People looking to raise extra cash to help pay off their mortgage or bills should think carefully before taking in a lodger, Zurich Insurance warns.

In some cases, disgruntled landlords got more than they bargained for with nearly one in five saying that their property had been damaged by a tenant and around a quarter felt that their lodger had been disrespectful.

A quarter also said that their experience of having a lodger was so bad that they will never have another. Nearly two thirds said they felt their privacy was invaded and 40 per cent said they ended up feeling uncomfortable in their own home.

But many homeowners said they felt they had to take in a lodger in order to meet their financial commitments. One in five said they could not otherwise afford their mortgage repayments whilst over a third wanted the extra cash.

However, nearly one in five who brought in a lodger for financial reasons claimed that rent payments were not made on time.

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

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

"Three quarters of people questioned by the survey didn't run any checks on their lodger before inviting them to live in their home," she added.