subject: Want To Rent A Room? Finding A Flatmate Is As Easy As One, Two And Three [print this page] As the cost of living increases and job security wavers, many people have decided to take on a lodger and offer a room to rent. This private renting of a room will help them cover their household bills and their mortgage - giving them a bit of a financial cushion.
The number of potential flatmates too may be on the increase as some tenants may find that they can no longer afford to rent a flat on their own. Instead, they may turn to a private renting of a room in a house or flat to spread the costs.
The potential income from renting a spare room can be substantial, especially if the room to rent qualifies under the Government's Rent a Room Scheme. This allows property owners and tenants offering private renting of furnished rooms in their home to earn up to 4,250 of rental income tax free a bit of good news for cash-strapped homeowners and tenants.
Three tips for offering a room to rent and finding a flatmate:
1 Get ready to take on a lodger
Before you offer your spare room to rent, get prepared. Make sure your mortgage lender knows about your plans and ensure your home meets all the safety requirements. If you are a tenant, you'll need your landlord's consent. You should also find out the going rate for a renting a room in your area and decide how you want to share the household bills. Be sure to prepare the room to rent for your lodger by getting any maintenance work done, giving it a good clean, and putting in the furniture.
2 Decide what type of flatmate you want
As you will be sharing your home with someone make sure you have a clear idea of what type of flatmate you are after. Do you want a male or female, smoker or non-smoker... carnivore or vegan? Would you prefer to rent a room to a student, recent graduate just starting their career or established young professional?
3 Advertise your spare room
It will make your life easier if you think carefully about where you want to list your room for rent. You could use just the corner shop or local paper, but then only locals will see your advertisement.
Alternatively, those looking to rent a room in their home can list it online. This has the advantage of promoting your room to rent to a much wider audience, including students and young professionals looking to relocate to your area.
Instead of hoping that your ad to rent your spare room sparks interest with the right type of person, you could use a new online property portal that aims to link potential landlord with tenants and home owners with lodgers, such as that offered by u-rooms.
This innovative new website lets people with a room to rent or property to let explain the type of attributes they are looking for in a tenant or lodger. It also lets potential tenants and flatmates create a profile online. Landlords looking for tenants or homeowners (or tenants) offering the private renting of a spare room can look through the profiles to see who is looking for accommodation in their area. By linking these two parties online, u-rooms can speed-up and simplify the home searching process.
With more people looking to offer a private renting of their spare room to help with their household expenses, and more students and young professionals looking for a flat-share, at last an online property website has connected the two making finding a flat-mate a breeze.
Want To Rent A Room? Finding A Flatmate Is As Easy As One, Two And Three
