What advice on renting a room out?

[bruceb58]

I rented a room to a cousin. Besides almost flooding my house by letting a bathtub overflow, he didn't pay me rent for the last 6 months after he quit his job thinking he could get a better one.

 

[Earl Cordova]

If you are real laid back and don't care what stupid crap the renters do, then rent it out.
I had a duplex in the early 80's as my first house so that I would have rental income to offset the mortgage payment that was 12.5%.
Once I could afford to, I quit renting out the other side.

But did come to the conclusion that if I did have to rent out anything,
the best tenant is a not so good looking girl with no boyfriends.

 

[909]

If you must rent out a room:

Only accept older tenants that are established. Seniors are great. If you rent to a millennial you're crazy.

Setup auto withdraw monthly from their account. Help them set up a new bank account at your bank if necessary.

Hold a deposit. A big one. Someone is less likely to get too comfortable and disrespectful if they know you have thousands of their dollars in your pocket that they expect to get back.

Don't sign any leases. Accept them as a room mate. Your house. Your rules. If chit ever hits the fan, you maintain more control .

 

[redneck joe]

roommate, or tenant - get anything in writing and do month to month. No paperwork is bad and some states allow 'i live there' where they will not intervene until a civil case is finished. THat can be a year or more.

 

[Scott Danforth]

case in point

it took my mother and sister 7 months of court orders to get my brother to leave mom's house. he would not leave, had no job, smoked weed and other things and was a general slob. He also would not be physically around when the LEO's were called and ignored all eviction notices.

sell your hair to a wig shop, make bird houses and sell on etsy

do no rent a room out