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How To Safely Find A House Mate

– Contributed content –

Apartment

(LEEROY Agency, Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/apartment-accommodation-flat-loft-406901/)

27 July 2021. Renting out a room in your apartment is a great way to make some extra income. If this is the first time you are renting out any type of room or space, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed regarding the whole thing. But, there is no need to fret, as we have put together a simple step-by-step guide.

The first thing you need to do is advertise your room on the Internet. There are numerous websites that enable you to do this, some of which allow you do so free of charge. Once you have done this, you should hopefully get numerous people who are interested in renting out the room. You then need to vet your tenants. Conduct the necessary checks to ensure they are able to afford the rent and to make sure they haven’t had any bad rental experiences in the past. Before renting out a room, you also need to write an inventory of everything that is inside of it and any existing damage. Make sure the tenant agrees to this.

Next, set some ground rules. You need to make it clear what you expect from your tenant from the outset. You may think it’s common sense that you don’t want them coming in at 4 am every Saturday morning, but unless you say so, they may assume otherwise. Aside from this, you need to request a deposit, inform your insurance supplier, and check your council tax. You are entitled to a reduction of 25 per cent with regard to your council tax if you live alone, and so you will no longer be entitled to this when you rent a room out. Check out ??https://www.accuplan.net/blog/guide-non-recourse-loan-ira/ if you’re looking to purchase a property with the aim of renting rooms out.

Safely finding someone to share your home

A safe way to find a roommate is something that a lot of people search online. After all, when you are inviting someone new into your home, you can feel a bit wary and uneasy. But, before you even choose a tenant, you are going to show numerous people around your property, and this alone may make you nervous. Below, we have some safety tips to help you out.

Firstly, when you are looking to find a roommate, you need to pre-screen any potential tenants that you allow into your property. Not only is this important in terms of safety, but it will also stop you from wasting time on people that are not qualified to rent a room. Pre-screening involves asking a few questions to find out more about the person. Example questions include: What is your monthly income? When would you expect to move in? Why are you moving? What is the best phone number to contact you on? It is vital to make sure you do not ask any questions that could be deemed discriminatory.

You also need to ensure you ask the same qualifying questions to each prospect in order to give them a fair chance. It is also a good idea to get the applicant to fill out a pre-screening application form, so that you have the answers to the questions in writing. In addition to this, never allow people to view the property while unattended, hide all-important documents, and do not give out your last name. And, finally, trust your gut.

Screening potential roommates

Pre-screening is such an important process when you are looking to find a roommate. You should never, under any circumstances, make an offer to someone on the phone without seeing them. You need to interview candidates first. After all, the personality someone projects over the telephone can be very different to the one you experience in person. It is also advisable to make sure you have a family member or a friend with you when you interview the person. Not only is this recommended for your safety, but also it is good to get a second objective opinion about the candidate.

You should also give yourself plenty of time to conduct the search for a roommate. If you are in a rush to rent a room out, you may find yourself compromising on the type of tenant you choose. It is unlikely that the first person you interview is going to be the perfect place. Also, when advertising your spare room, don’t include your full name. The most important tip of them all is to listen to your instincts. If there are alarm bells going off, even if you don’t know why, don’t make that person an offer.

Dealing with problem lodgers

Problem lodgers are something a lot of people worry about when they are thinking about renting a spare room out. Luckily, problems do not occur anywhere near as much as you would expect, but there are steps you can take if they do. Read on for more information.

When you rent a room out, it is important to deal with any problems with your lodger as soon as possible. If they are not complying with one of your house rules, or they have not paid their rent, you need to address the problem sooner rather than later. Find out why they have broken the agreement. You may find that it is a weight off the tenant’s shoulders to speak with you about it and you can come to an agreement. If they have been too noisy or been coming home too late, they may not even realize they have been doing something wrong, and your conversation may nip the problem in the bud.

If the issue persists, you should write to the lodger, setting out what the issue is. Make sure the letter is dated and keep a copy of it. If things still do not get better, you should send them another formal letter, stating that you will ask them to leave if things do not improve. You are able to evict your lodger, so long as it is for valid reasons, yet you do need to give them a reasonable amount of notice, for example, 28 days.

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