How to Rent a Room in Your Home

There are many things you need to do and consider when renting a room in your house. First and foremost is safety. Next is actually getting a tenant to rent the room. Here are a few steps you can take to get you on your way to renting a room in your house.

Instructions

1. First thing you must do is decide which of your rooms you would like to room. Take the time to walk through the room and determine if anything needs to be repaired or painted. Then clean the room by washing any marks off the wall, vacuuming the carpet, and cleaning the bathroom if it has a separate one.

2. Look at other ads in your area that have rooms for rent. Take note of the amount of space and the rent prices. This will help you determine a reasonable price you can rent your room for. Also take the time to decide how you will collect rent whether it will be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. A reasonable deposit is half or the full amount of one months rent.

3. If your renting the room you will need a contract for the tenant to sign. These can usually be purchased as lease agreements and local office supply stores. If none are available you can write up your own. Be sure to include any details such as lease length, rent price, etc.

4. Now you need to get prospective tenants to view the room. The best way to advertise the room is to take a AD out in the local paper. You can also make fliers to hang on local bulletin boards. If there is a local college be sure to get the word out there.

5. If you have people interested in renting your room you will need to screen them. This is a very important step and should not be skipped. You need to ask for proof that they have the ability to pay the rent. This could be paycheck stubs, letter from an employer, or bank statements.

6. You also need to screen a future tenants background. Background checks can be obtain online for very little cost. I would not advise to skip this step. Your safety is more important than saving a few dollars.