How to Rent a Room in Your Home: 10 Steps

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

You have decided to rent a room in your house, but you have doubts; follow these steps to do it successfully.

Steps

Step 1. Check your city planning laws

The place you live may have regulations that do not allow unrelated people to rent without a permit or license, or set limits on the number of unrelated individuals you can rent to. You can find out about your city's zoning laws on the council's website or by visiting the library and asking for assistance in locating local ordinances.

Step 2. If you live in the United States, check the state laws for landlords and tenants

Your state may have rules that apply to those who rent a room in their home. You can find these laws by searching for them on your state's official website, where a link to this code is usually posted. To find this web page, write "your state.gov" or "abbreviation of your state.gov" in the address bar. For example, if you live in New Jersey, try "newjersey.gov" and "nj.gov", either will take you to your state's official website.

Step 3. Decide which room or rooms to rent

While the obvious choice is the room that isn't already being used, here are some considerations to include:

The proximity of the room to yours and those of your family members. For example, if you have three bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs, you may want to rent the latter to avoid having a stranger's room close to yours and those of other people in your family.
The location of the bathrooms in relation to the rented room. You can make more money from renting a room with a private bathroom, but it may not be the case if you only have one bathroom for everyone. At this point, your choice will depend on your specific circumstances and whether you need money more than privacy.
Access to an entrance and an exit from the rented room. You might consider renting a room near an exterior door so that the tenant's entries and exits don't disrupt your family's organization.

Step 4. Determine the cost of the rent

You may decide to get paid monthly or weekly. The sum of the rent can be based on multiple factors, including:

The proximity of the home to a university, shops, major cities and / or local attractions. If your home is located near a university, there may be a lot of students constantly looking for rooms to rent, so you can raise the price of the room. Rooms for rent near shopping districts and large cities generally carry a higher rent, and the same goes for local attractions, such as a beach, park or lake.
The amenities you offer, such as access to kitchen equipment, use of the laundry room or private bathroom.
The size of the house, the number of other occupants and the type, quantity and use of common areas, such as living rooms, leisure rooms, spas or swimming pools.
The current average rent for rooms comparable to yours in your area. If there is a university near your property, the student housing department may be able to tell you the average cost of a room in the area, otherwise, check your local press or peek at the classifieds on -line to determine what is currently rented in your neighborhood.

Step 5. Prepare the room for a renter

As clean as your home and the particular room you will be renting, unless you have recently emptied the entire room to sort, inspect, and make repairs, you will need to take care of this prep work. To do it:

Clear the room. Remove all personal items, decorations, paintings and furniture from the room. Including everything in the closet.
Wash the walls, ceiling, baseboards, and trim. Using a liquid dish detergent or hand laundry detergent and warm water, thoroughly wash the walls, ceiling, baseboards, and trim with a rag or sponge.
Clean all lighting fixtures and switches. Remove all light bulbs and glass fixtures from the ceiling or those stuck to the walls and wash the fixtures with soap and water, drying them thoroughly. Clean the armatures with your favorite glass cleaner or all-purpose cleaner. Clean all switches with a disinfectant, such as a bleach-based one.
Clean all the doors. Do this with soap and water and disinfect both sides of the door handle as well as all furniture handles.
Make any necessary repairs to the walls, cabinet doors, ceiling, lighting fixtures, and windows. This includes plugging holes, replacing doors that are broken or difficult to open or close, tightening screws, and replacing missing trim or floor parts.
Clean the floor. Vacuum and then wash the floor, of whatever type it is; however, if you have carpet, use a carpet cleaner.
Choose the furniture for the room and change it. Make sure that the pieces of furniture you choose are clean, in good condition, matched with the other items in the room and well matched with the room in general, leaving enough space for you to move around.

Step 6. Write a draft of a lease

The agreement should include the following information:

Property description. This should include the address of the residence, the specific room to rent (for example, "small blue bedroom on the second floor" or "back room on the first floor") and which common areas the tenant will have access to..
Rental information. The monetary cost of the rent and how often it will be paid (weekly or monthly) and the date of payment (for example, every Friday or the first of the month). You should also include the day or due date and what kind of fees you will charge for late payment. If you have decided to allow your tenant to do some chores around the house, such as gardening, preparing meals or babysitting instead of paying part of the rent, you will need to provide this information as well.
Termination of the lease. Make sure you indicate the term of the lease. For example, you will need to specify whether it is a monthly or annual rental. You should also state the date of the tenant's transfer or the date on which he should take possession of the room.

Step 7. Make a list of the House Rules

Create a list of rules to attach to the rental agreement. This will ensure that your renter knows what you expect and what you will allow. Leave a space at the end of the list for the tenant to sign, stating that they understand the rules and agree to abide by them. Some factors you might include in the list:

To smoke. Is it allowed to do this in your home? Are there certain areas for smokers? Or do you not allow this option in your property at all?
Alcohol. Is your tenant free to drink alcoholic beverages in the common areas of the house or should this consumption be confined to his room? Do you object to the option of your renter drinking alcoholic drinks?
Guests. What to do if your renter wants to invite his friends? Can they stop for the night? Can the guests use the common areas of the house or can they stay only in the tenant's room?
Use of common areas. Are there any time restrictions for cooking or doing laundry? For example, will you allow your tenant to turn on the washing machine at any time? Using the kitchen in the middle of the night? Watching television in the living room at any time?

Step 8. Look for a renter

Post an ad in a place where there is a better chance of finding a suitable tenant or roommate for your needs. Be as specific as possible in the description of the room for rent; enter information about the furniture, privileges and amenities included in the room. Some places to consider for posting the ad:

Local university newspaper. If you are looking for young renters, post your ad in this magazine.
Notice board of the church or community center. If you are looking for older roommates, you can post the ad in local churches or community centers.
Newspapers. General circulation periodicals are another good place to post your ad.
Online, on sites like Subito.it or, if you live in the United States, Diggz, Roomates.com and Roomster. They offer assistance for those looking for a room to rent.

Step 9. Evaluate the candidates

Most likely, more than one potential renter will respond to your ad and you will need to choose one. To evaluate candidates and choose the best one, here's what to do:

Ask for a document that proves his income, such as his paycheck, past year's income tax documents, or a business letter describing the prospective tenant's hiring date, weekly working hours, and salary.
Request the tenant's personal references. If the applicant has already lived in a rented house, ask him for the contact details of his former landlord. If you have never rented a house before, ask for the contact information of two or three professors, employers or friends who can provide you with reference letters.
Arrange an interview. Sit down with each candidate to discuss the property, room, house rules, job, schedule, hobbies, and anything else that can help you decide which one is right for you.