backend/controllers/households.controller.js

@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ exports.updateMemberRole = async (req, res) => {
     const { userId } = req.params;
     const { role } = req.body;
 
-    if (!role || !['admin', 'member'].includes(role)) {
-      return sendError(res, 400, "Invalid role. Must be 'admin' or 'member'");
+    if (!role || !["owner", "admin", "member"].includes(role)) {
+      return sendError(res, 400, "Invalid role. Must be 'owner', 'admin', or 'member'");
     }
 
     // Can't change own role
@@ -182,14 +182,29 @@ exports.updateMemberRole = async (req, res) => {
       return sendError(res, 403, "Owner role cannot be changed");
     }
 
-    const updated = await householdModel.updateMemberRole(
+    let updated;
+    if (role === "owner") {
+      if (req.household.role !== "owner") {
+        return sendError(res, 403, "Only the household owner can transfer ownership");
+      }
+
+      updated = await householdModel.transferOwnership(
+        req.params.householdId,
+        req.user.id,
+        parseInt(userId, 10)
+      );
+    } else {
+      updated = await householdModel.updateMemberRole(
         req.params.householdId,
         userId,
         role
       );
+    }
 
     res.json({
-      message: "Member role updated successfully",
+      message: role === "owner"
+        ? "Household ownership transferred successfully"
+        : "Member role updated successfully",
       member: updated
     });
   } catch (error) {

backend/models/household.model.js

@@ -162,6 +162,47 @@ exports.updateMemberRole = async (householdId, userId, newRole) => {
   return result.rows[0];
 };
 
+// Transfer household ownership from one member to another atomically.
+exports.transferOwnership = async (householdId, currentOwnerUserId, nextOwnerUserId) => {
+  const client = await pool.connect();
+
+  try {
+    await client.query("BEGIN");
+
+    const promoteResult = await client.query(
+      `UPDATE household_members
+       SET role = 'owner'
+       WHERE household_id = $1 AND user_id = $2
+       RETURNING user_id, role`,
+      [householdId, nextOwnerUserId]
+    );
+
+    if (promoteResult.rows.length === 0) {
+      throw new Error("TARGET_MEMBER_NOT_FOUND");
+    }
+
+    const demoteResult = await client.query(
+      `UPDATE household_members
+       SET role = 'admin'
+       WHERE household_id = $1 AND user_id = $2
+       RETURNING user_id, role`,
+      [householdId, currentOwnerUserId]
+    );
+
+    if (demoteResult.rows.length === 0) {
+      throw new Error("CURRENT_OWNER_NOT_FOUND");
+    }
+
+    await client.query("COMMIT");
+    return promoteResult.rows[0];
+  } catch (error) {
+    await client.query("ROLLBACK");
+    throw error;
+  } finally {
+    client.release();
+  }
+};
+
 // Remove member from household
 exports.removeMember = async (householdId, userId) => {
   await pool.query(

backend/tests/households.controller.test.js

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+jest.mock("../models/household.model", () => ({
+  getUserRole: jest.fn(),
+  transferOwnership: jest.fn(),
+  updateMemberRole: jest.fn(),
+}));
+
+jest.mock("../utils/logger", () => ({
+  logError: jest.fn(),
+}));
+
+const householdModel = require("../models/household.model");
+const controller = require("../controllers/households.controller");
+
+function createResponse() {
+  const res = {};
+  res.status = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(res);
+  res.json = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(res);
+  return res;
+}
+
+describe("households.controller updateMemberRole", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllMocks();
+    householdModel.getUserRole.mockResolvedValue("member");
+    householdModel.transferOwnership.mockResolvedValue({ user_id: 7, role: "owner" });
+    householdModel.updateMemberRole.mockResolvedValue({ user_id: 7, role: "admin" });
+  });
+
+  test("owner can transfer household ownership", async () => {
+    const req = {
+      params: { householdId: "3", userId: "7" },
+      body: { role: "owner" },
+      user: { id: 1 },
+      household: { id: 3, role: "owner" },
+    };
+    const res = createResponse();
+
+    await controller.updateMemberRole(req, res);
+
+    expect(householdModel.transferOwnership).toHaveBeenCalledWith("3", 1, 7);
+    expect(householdModel.updateMemberRole).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(res.json).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      message: "Household ownership transferred successfully",
+      member: { user_id: 7, role: "owner" },
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("admin cannot transfer household ownership", async () => {
+    const req = {
+      params: { householdId: "3", userId: "7" },
+      body: { role: "owner" },
+      user: { id: 1 },
+      household: { id: 3, role: "admin" },
+    };
+    const res = createResponse();
+
+    await controller.updateMemberRole(req, res);
+
+    expect(householdModel.transferOwnership).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(res.status).toHaveBeenCalledWith(403);
+    expect(res.json).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        error: expect.objectContaining({
+          message: "Only the household owner can transfer ownership",
+        }),
+      })
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("owner can still update a member to admin without transfer flow", async () => {
+    const req = {
+      params: { householdId: "3", userId: "7" },
+      body: { role: "admin" },
+      user: { id: 1 },
+      household: { id: 3, role: "owner" },
+    };
+    const res = createResponse();
+
+    await controller.updateMemberRole(req, res);
+
+    expect(householdModel.updateMemberRole).toHaveBeenCalledWith("3", "7", "admin");
+    expect(householdModel.transferOwnership).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(res.json).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      message: "Member role updated successfully",
+      member: { user_id: 7, role: "admin" },
+    });
+  });
+});

frontend/src/components/manage/ManageHousehold.jsx

@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ export default function ManageHousehold() {
   const [isLeaveModalOpen, setIsLeaveModalOpen] = useState(false);
 
   const isManager = ["owner", "admin"].includes(activeHousehold?.role);
+  const isOwner = activeHousehold?.role === "owner";
   const isMemberOnly = activeHousehold?.role === "member";
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -276,14 +277,27 @@ export default function ManageHousehold() {
     }
   };
 
-  const handleUpdateRole = async (memberId, currentRole, memberName) => {
-    if (currentRole === "owner") return;
-    const newRole = currentRole === "admin" ? "member" : "admin";
+  const handleUpdateRole = async (memberId, nextRole, memberName) => {
+    if (!nextRole) return;
+
+    if (
+      nextRole === "owner" &&
+      !window.confirm(`Make ${memberName} the household owner? You will become an admin.`)
+    ) {
+      return;
+    }
 
     try {
-      await updateMemberRole(activeHousehold.id, memberId, newRole);
-      await loadMembers();
-      toast.success("Updated member role", `Updated role for ${memberName} to ${newRole}`);
+      await updateMemberRole(activeHousehold.id, memberId, nextRole);
+      await Promise.all([
+        loadMembers(),
+        nextRole === "owner" ? refreshHouseholds() : Promise.resolve(),
+      ]);
+      if (nextRole === "owner") {
+        toast.success("Transferred household ownership", `Transferred ownership to ${memberName}`);
+      } else {
+        toast.success("Updated member role", `Updated role for ${memberName} to ${nextRole}`);
+      }
     } catch (error) {
       const message = getApiErrorMessage(error, "Failed to update member role");
       toast.error("Update member role failed", `Update member role failed: ${message}`);
@@ -560,8 +574,20 @@ export default function ManageHousehold() {
                   </div>
                   {isManager && !isSelf && member.role !== "owner" && (
                     <div className="member-actions">
+                      {isOwner && (
                         <button
-                        onClick={() => handleUpdateRole(member.id, member.role, member.username)}
+                          onClick={() => handleUpdateRole(member.id, "owner", member.username)}
+                          className="btn-primary btn-small member-owner-action"
+                        >
+                          Make Owner
+                        </button>
+                      )}
+                      <button
+                        onClick={() => handleUpdateRole(
+                          member.id,
+                          member.role === "admin" ? "member" : "admin",
+                          member.username
+                        )}
                         className="btn-secondary btn-small member-role-action"
                       >
                         {member.role === "admin" ? "Make Member" : "Make Admin"}

frontend/src/styles/components/manage/ManageHousehold.css

@@ -495,12 +495,16 @@ body.dark-mode .member-card:hover {
   display: flex;
   gap: 0.55rem;
   flex-wrap: wrap;
-  justify-content: flex-end;
+  justify-content: flex-start;
   align-items: center;
   padding-top: 0.75rem;
   border-top: 1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-border-light) 82%, transparent);
 }
 
+.member-owner-action {
+  box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.12);
+}
+
 .member-role-action {
   background: rgba(30, 144, 255, 0.14);
   color: var(--primary-dark);

frontend/tests/invite-link-management.spec.ts

@@ -192,3 +192,112 @@ test("household management shows pending invite approvals and can approve them",
   await expect(page.getByText("No pending join requests right now.")).toBeVisible();
   await expect(page.getByText("Members (2)")).toBeVisible();
 });
+
+test("household owner can transfer ownership from household settings", async ({ page }) => {
+  await seedAuthStorage(page, "owner");
+  await mockConfig(page);
+
+  let households = [{ id: 1, name: "Approval Home", role: "owner", invite_code: "ABCD1234" }];
+  let members = [
+    { id: 1, username: "manager-user", role: "owner" },
+    { id: 2, username: "nico-admin", role: "admin" },
+  ];
+
+  await page.route("**/households", async (route) => {
+    await route.fulfill({
+      status: 200,
+      contentType: "application/json",
+      body: JSON.stringify(households),
+    });
+  });
+
+  await page.route("**/households/1/members", async (route) => {
+    const request = route.request();
+    if (request.method() === "PATCH") {
+      const body = request.postDataJSON() as { role?: string };
+      if (body.role === "owner") {
+        households = [{ id: 1, name: "Approval Home", role: "admin", invite_code: "ABCD1234" }];
+        members = [
+          { id: 1, username: "manager-user", role: "admin" },
+          { id: 2, username: "nico-admin", role: "owner" },
+        ];
+      }
+
+      await route.fulfill({
+        status: 200,
+        contentType: "application/json",
+        body: JSON.stringify({
+          message: "Household ownership transferred successfully",
+          member: { user_id: 2, role: body.role || "member" },
+        }),
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    await route.fulfill({
+      status: 200,
+      contentType: "application/json",
+      body: JSON.stringify(members),
+    });
+  });
+
+  await page.route("**/api/groups/join-policy", async (route) => {
+    const request = route.request();
+    if (request.method() === "GET") {
+      await route.fulfill({
+        status: 200,
+        contentType: "application/json",
+        body: JSON.stringify({ joinPolicy: "APPROVAL_REQUIRED" }),
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    await route.fulfill({
+      status: 200,
+      contentType: "application/json",
+      body: JSON.stringify({ ok: true }),
+    });
+  });
+
+  await page.route("**/api/groups/invites", async (route) => {
+    const request = route.request();
+    if (request.method() === "GET") {
+      await route.fulfill({
+        status: 200,
+        contentType: "application/json",
+        body: JSON.stringify({ links: [] }),
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    await route.fulfill({
+      status: 201,
+      contentType: "application/json",
+      body: JSON.stringify({ link: { id: 10, token: "new-token" } }),
+    });
+  });
+
+  await page.route("**/api/groups/join-requests", async (route) => {
+    await route.fulfill({
+      status: 200,
+      contentType: "application/json",
+      body: JSON.stringify({ requests: [] }),
+    });
+  });
+
+  page.on("dialog", async (dialog) => {
+    await dialog.accept();
+  });
+
+  await page.goto("/manage?tab=household");
+
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Make Owner" })).toBeVisible();
+
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Make Owner" }).click();
+
+  await expect(page.locator(".action-toast.action-toast-success")).toContainText("Transferred household ownership");
+  await expect(page.locator(".action-toast.action-toast-success")).toContainText("nico-admin");
+  await expect(page.getByText("👑 Owner")).toContainText("Owner");
+  await expect(page.getByText("🛠️ Admin")).toContainText("Admin");
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Make Owner" })).toHaveCount(0);
+});