Im considering letting out my spare room any ideas of the best way to go about it?

Answer 1

First thing is to ask a few letting agents the pitfalls and also the value of a spare room.You will need to know that whoever you have living in your home,is reliable,respectable and honest.You could go to your local police station,hospital,schools and ask if anyone on their staff is looking for a home share.I would also get a safe put in for your valuables and also have locks put on the bedroom doors. Make some house rules before you agree to a tenant and then there is no argument afterwards.Will the room rent include the utilities or will there be an additional charge?Will you be supplying clean bed linen and towels and is that included in the rent?Renting out a room in your own home can be financially advantageous but you have to pick the right person.Make sure it is someone with a similar life style and attitude as yourself and do'nt be too soft! Good luck.

Answer 2

Before you let some-one into your house, decide what the limitations are going to be ..

Do you want a 'no pets' rule for example ?

Consider how much access the Tenant will have to the rest of the house .. if, for example, the room is downstairs (& so is toilet/kitrchen) you might have a 'no upstairs' rule ..

Think about the other areas that casued friction when you were sharing accomadation as a student .. for example, I suggest your equip their room with a fridge and say 'no access to familiy fridge/freezer contents' (otherwise you could be upset when they keep using the last of the milk for their midnight cup of cocoa ...)

If you simply say 'act as you would in a friends house', is it OK if they wander around nude going to the bathroom for a couple of hours every morning ? ...

If they have access to the kitchen, is it OK if they take over kitchen for 2 hours each evening to prepare their gourmet meals ??? if not, then is it OK if they watch your TV / video whist eating Chinese take-away on the couch, the remains of which they leave in the fridge for tomorrow ??

One approach is to have a 'Tenants are expect to act as Guests' but have some explicit additional rules eg. 'never use the TV etc. after nidnight'

Other issues are likley to be :-
How will the Rent be paid (I suggest 'standing order'), what deposit ? what notice periods ? when wil the rent be reviewed ? what if they go away on Holiday, what if they have a friend over to stay? how to deal with breakages (they replace or your replace & charge them ?) etc. etc.

NB> don't forget to review your house Insurance .. Tenants have been known to copy & "loose" house keys in retaliation for being charged for breakages etc, and after the house has been ransacked the insurance refuses to pay out when they discover 'no break in' (i.e. a key was used)

Answer 3

Advertise in the local paper and then invite people round, saying you will make a decision in X days once you have seen everybody. Try to arrange for everyone to come on the same day so you can remember them all, make the decision on the same day and inform them the same day. Make sure you discuss what they are and are not to pay for, is everything included, ie telephone, council tax etc. Make a space in the bathroom & in the kitchen give them a cupboard and area in the fridge so you do not get each others things muddled up.

Answer 4

i like to use craigs list and do month to month leasing, its really great offsets my mortage like a charm and you meet some fun people. I normally take on college students

Answer 5

why, has it put on weight?