Newcopia

Have you ever considered renting out your extra bedroom to supplement your income? More and more people are doing it. A great place to start is by calling up the college in your city, and asking to have your name added to their tenant list. They will ask you a series of questions that you will need to have already thought out. For example: Are you going to charge a deposit? How much will you charge for rent? Is there kitchen access? Will they have access to a laundry area? Will they be required to come in at a certain time of night? You can also place ads on other online sites and the local paper announcing that you have a room available for rent. Make sure that it is obvious that this isn’t a roommate situation; you are simply renting out a room in your personal home.

Some landlords, especially elderly couples, rent out a room at a discounted rate to tenants who help with household chores that may be harder on the landlords. This could include yard work, trash, babysitting, etc.

Make sure that before your new tenant moves into the room you have provided, it is comfortable and clean. You want your tenant to feel at home, and look forward to coming to a comfortable and cozy area. You may or may not provide furniture. If you do, make sure that you offer up a television with cable or satellite service, and certainly a decent bathroom.

Always provide a rental agreement. This agreement should be inclusive of the room, the house, including kitchen, laundry, parking, noise, pets, curfew, and any other rules that may be important to you. Make sure that your tenant has read all of the rules, and ask if they have any questions or concerns. Be willing to amend some items that may be custom to the tenant. For example if they work at a gas station until 11pm, work with them on that.

This agreement can be month to month, every three months, or for the entire semester. Make sure that both you and the tenant are comfortable with everything, and you both sign and keep a copy. Hopefully, the relationship will go smoothly, and you will be able to keep this tenant for a long amount of time. Keep in mind that during vacations you may have some quiet time. Be open and honest about everything, and provide a comfortable home for them to come home to.