January this year saw the highest ever figures of homeowners renting out rooms as the post Christmas pinch hit cash strapped families.

The UK’s lodger population has risen to record levels according to figures compiled by the flat and house share website SpareRoom.co.uk.

January saw a huge spike in lodger numbers in early January with 6000 new homeowners renting out spare rooms by the end of the month.

January was a record month for new lodgers which saw a 15% rise on the previous record set in August 2011. New lodger numbers in January were also 83% higher than December 2011 and 22% higher than January 2010.

Renting out rooms has proved an easy way to earn cash for families struggling with mortgage payments, utility bills and personal debts.

Matt Hutchinson, director at SpareRoom.co.uk, said: “Millions of people across the UK will be struggling to pay off loans and credit card debts. If that isn’t bad enough, unemployment is still rising and the economy is showing little by way of improvement.”

He added: “For some people the monthly income from a lodger will be the difference between losing their home and keeping it.”

Since the country sank into the recession, renting out spare rooms has become a popular solution to money woes.

The UK’s lodger population has exploded in the past five years as first time buyers find in increasingly difficult to get on the property ladder.           

My Hutchinson said:  “It’s not surprising that he lodger population is expanding so rapidly as homeowners look for ways to boost their incomes.

“With the Government’s Rent A Room scheme allowing people to earn the first £4250 per year without declaring any tax on the income, it is still one of the easiest way to earn some extra cash.”

With the average UK room rent at £398 per month, or £677 per month in London, families can earn thousands of pounds every year from lodgers.

With no sign of the economy picking up, there is every chance that 2012 will see homeowners continue to take advantage of this tax free income, to help them buffer against rising living costs.