renting my spare room

[white_van_man]

So the time has come, the moneys running low and i dont want to take any more money out of my car fund. Im going to have to rent out my spare room. What is the best way of doing this. All my friends are either alredy in a place or saving to buy so they are out of the question.
A few questions
1) where do i advertise the room
2) what kide of interviewing should i do
3) how do i charge the rent do i charge a fixed fee or rent +bills etc

Thanks for your help
WVM

[simpo two]

How about:

'This room is advertised under the terms of the Sexual Equaltiy Act but only foxy-looking chicks need apply'?

[Kinky]

What kind of house/room is it?

Might be worth hitting local companies and advertising via them - ie - target the kind of person that you want - as opposed to sticking an ad in the Bracknell Gazette - which is pure pot luck and hit and miss.

K

[speedychrissie]

i had a spare room to rent over the summer and i advertised it on www.gumtree.com
i guess it would only really work if live in an area that is properly covered by it, but it worked really well for me. no costs and i had about 10 people apply within a week.

with regards to the interview:
set a time when they are able to come see the room, and so you can answer any questions. when they arrive offer them a cup of tea (doesnt seem so much like an interview if you are offering them a drink) then while you are sitting on the sofa just informally ask them questions and noting down any important answers "so you can quickly remember who they are". important things to check:
do they have a job or daytime commitment meaning that they will be away a fair bit?
pets?
habits? smoker? (if important to you)
attached (useful to know how often they are likely to be away/bring people back)
reason for wanting to leave their current place?

make sure you let them know about any important contract stuff eg:
are bills included, (i would suggest that you dont include bills just to be on the safe side). how long do you want them to stay. minimum notice for kicking them out/them leaving. any other costs specific to your house.

hope this helps.
chris

[princeperch]

Kinky said:

sticking an ad in the Bracknell Gazette K

From the time I have spent in Bracknell, I would say that is a perfect strategy for a pure miss..

[ZR1cliff]

Are you sure you want to give up your privacy,have you done it before and do you know the drawbacks like someone around when you dont want them to be, cant get in the bathroom,kitchen.
Ive done it before loads of times and would never go back there again, OK its a bit of extra dosh say £300-400 a month tops but it comes at a cost,have you thought about getting a partime job say one or two nights a week?
Sorry for being negative just want you to know all angles.

[alfaman]

ZR1cliff said:

Are you sure you want to give up your privacy,have you done it before and do you know the drawbacks like someone around when you dont want them to be, cant get in the bathroom,kitchen. Ive done it before loads of times and would never go back there again, OK its a bit of extra dosh say £300-400 a month tops but it comes at a cost,have you thought about getting a partime job say one or two nights a week? Sorry for being negative just want you to know all angles.

good points - I let out some of my rooms when I was a lot younger - only did it for 6 months or so as I didn't think the extra ££ was really worth the : loss of privacy/hassle/shared facilities etc. .... and my lodgers were all quite good actually. Its *very* different to sharing a house with friends.