what do you think I should charge my friend to live in my house. With direct tv and dsl internet?

Answer 1

Split the cost: rent, utilities, DSL, TV down the middle and each pay half. If you feel that is too much then charge less, it is your call.

Answer 2

The answer to this question isn't really that different from how "professionals" - apartment building owners, for example, establish their monthly rents.

In order to determine a "fair" rate for your friend, you'll first need to find out what a comparable (similar) living space is rented for in your neighborhood. A "fair" rate in Des Moines, Iowa and a fair rate in Manhattan are two entirely different numbers. That being said, a fair rate in one Des Moines neighborhood may not be a fair rate in another neighborhood across town. Neighborhoods differ.

Once you have a sense of what your friend would have to pay on the "open market" - if they had to just find a space in a nearby apartment - you'll need to figure out how you'll handle your utility bills - having another person living with you is going to increase your electric bill, your water, your phone - etc. Remember, most renters pay for utilities on top of the monthly rent that they pay to the landlord.

The DSL and DirecTV is a little trickier - having a roommate doesn't increase your DSL or DirecTV bill, so you'll have to ask yourself the question whether you want to ask your roommate to help cover your internet and tv bills. That's not saying that it's not right to ask - but you definitely need to work out a way to handle the bills that WILL increase (electricity, water, phone) and then you can worry about the bills that aren't dependent on the number of people living with you.

Finally - if you can afford it - you might want to total up what the rent SHOULD be - and then knock a few bucks off for a "friend's" discount.

Oh, one more thing - no matter how friendly you are with this person - do yourself a favor and write up some kind of agreement that you both can sign. Arguments happen amongst the best of friends, and the last thing that you want is to be left with a bunch of unpaid bills and maybe some damage to your property. Without a written agreement, there's nothing to indicate who is responsible for what, and your ability to collect from your "former" friend is limited to what they're willing to pay.

Good luck!

Answer 3

This really depends on where you live and what kind of place you're renting. Is it a house, apartment, condo, other? What kind of accomodations is your friend going to have? Own room, shared room, a couch? Does the friend have a bathroom in the room or a shared bathroom? How much do you pay per month (if anything) and how many people are you splitting the rent with? If you have a master bedroom with a bath, for example, you will naturally pay more since your room is bigger and you have your own bathroom.

Those are some of the variables you will need to take into consideration. Then I would suggest you look at your local paper's classified ads to check out comparable prices for similar living arrangements in your area.

As far as the internet and cable are concerned, you might want to have your friend split up those costs with you.

Answer 4

How good of friends are you? Not a good thing to do. Letting a friend live with you even though you do charge a monthly fee can have very negative results. Say this person comes up short a couple months whose going to pay that part of the rent? And if you let it slide don't think it won't happen again. In the end your friendship could be down the tubes.
Good luck. I've seen this happen multiple times.

Answer 5

I would recommend not even going this route unless its a last resort. Living with friends, especially having them rent from you, is a huge cause of broken relationships. Any little thing or difference in opinion could cause a fight. If you do need to do it I would charge what the going rate is for something comperable in the area. The direct tv and stuff is something you got so I wouldnt include it.

Answer 6

If they are getting a room to themselves and private bathroom included rent could be $350-$400 a month or higher in California. Whatever you chose, you could round it off and make it a little higher and include all electricity, gas, water, garbage and amenities such as DSL and Direct TV in the cost, so there is only one thing to pay each month to you.

Answer 7

I live with my sister and her family. I have a section of the house all to myself-3 rooms. But no seperate bath or kitchen. I have digital cable and internet access. I don't pay any money, but I do buy things needed for the home, like groceries and such. We all just help each other out when needed. I do the laundry-which is a lot! and I keep the kitchen cleaned up.

Answer 8

Depends on a lot of things. Look in the newspaper to see what rooms for rent are going for in your area. You can charge more if they're getting their own room than if they're sharing a room. Also, you can either charge less rent and have them split the cost of utilities and tv/phone/internet, or include it in the rent.

Around here, a room and bathroom to yourself with only one other person living in the house would go for $1000 per month easy, but in other places it would be a lot less.

Answer 9

Half of the direct TV and dsl bills. He should also pay his part of the other bills too.

Answer 10

Are you doing a favor or is he/she becoming a roommate? My brother stayed with me for about a year and I charged him $100 a week. That was for living there, buying all his groceries, everything,. But I was doing him a favor.