list of questions to ask tenant

Doglover88

im soon to be letting my spare room and after a list of questions to ask the possible tenants, does anyone have a list they can paste for me or point me in the right direction?
I dont want to not ask enough but at the same time i dont want to come across as a too intrusive

RHemmings

One of the problems with asking questions of tenants is that the questions you really need to ask are ineffective.

"Are you honest?" Honest people will answer "yes", dishonest people will answer "yes".
"Are you sane?" Ditto.
...

black-saturn

What are your working hours? How do you hope to pay the rent (cash in hand or by direct debit or cheque?) Have you shared a house before? Do you smoke (if you see that as a problem?)

tincat

What about asking for the name and contact details of the people they currently live with as well as proof of recent bills or accounts at their present address to enable you to check them out.

Even if it's their parents, at least you'll be able to get some background on them.

Ask them what time they have to be at work and get home, whether they prefer to cook in, or takeaways etc (that could be useful so you can get an idea of bathroom/kitchen arrangements)

What about asking them for a basic summary of their week, i.e. what they like to do in the evenings, weekends, etc. Once you have an idea of what they like to do, you can possibly judge what will fit you.

Don't give them clues as to what you like doing first though or they will just say what they think will make you happy.

Doglover88

Thanks people, would it be too intrusive to ask if they currently have a partner? And its not unreasonable to say no overnight guests is it? Last thing I want to do is have 2 people practically living in a room designed for (and being paid for by) one

Guy_Montag

glenbat wrote: »

Thanks people, would it be too intrusive to ask if they currently have a partner? And its not unreasonable to say no overnight guests is it? Last thing I want to do is have 2 people practically living in a room designed for (and being paid for by) one

No overnight guests is a bit harsh - I see your point, but just because they're single now doesn't mean they will always be single. You are also saying that they can't have, for example, an old friend to stay one weekend.

Lavendyr

Hmm, off the top of my head:

- What do you do for a living?
- What are your working hours?
- Will you want evening meals or will you cook for yourself? (leads to questions about eating habits, dietary requirements, how much you'll charge extra for a cooked evening meal every night, whether you're prepared to share your kitchen with lodger, etc)
- Will you need a parking space for a car?
- Will you be around at weekends/what time are you usually home on weekend nights?
- Do you have any particular hobbies (practising violin for example!)?
- Can you provide references?
- How will you pay?
- How clean/tidy are you generally?
- (If you, the owner have pets/children) Are you OK with pets/children?
- Do you have any allergies/any special needs?
- Will you be able to provide your own bedding?
- How often will you need to use the washing machine?

You also need to consider for yourself things like:
- Will you let the lodger use the landline?
- How much will you charge for bills?
- Will you allow overnight guests? (suggest: no more than 2-3 nights per week without extra charge)
- How much rent to take in advance
- Whether you want a sociable lodger (who will spend time with you) or someone who will mostly keep to their room
- How much cleaning/chores they will be required to do (make this clear to them as well in advance)
- Are you OK with the lodger cooking in your kitchen (surprising how this can often become an issue!)?

bristol_pilot

Ask why they are looking for somewhere to live. The right answer is that they have just moved to the area for work etc. Wrong answers are that they either cannot afford the rent where they are living now, don't get on with current housemates, have just split up with gf/bf etc. (The last one may require some explanation. Often there has been a row, there is no split, they are not really looking for somewhere to live, they are a timewaster and if you let the room to them you will soon be looking all over again).

If they say they smoke but will not do so in your house, do not believe them! If you want a smoke free house, only have a non-smoker as a lodger.

The rules about others staying do need to be spelled out from the start. My rules are - guests can stay but cannot move in, they must not be given a key, they cannot smoke in the house, they cannot be left alone in the house, they sleep in the lodgers room (i.e. my living room is not a guest bedroom).

Personally I think it is unfriendly to impose rules about numbers of baths that can be taken, heating used, or washing machine used. Accept that household bills will increase when you get a lodger and charge a rent that covers it easily. If you are currently a single adult household, that will include the loss of 25% discount on your council tax.

I would not ask for household bills at a former address. Many younger people move house frequently and will not have had bills in their name at their current address.

eco-friendly_2

If your an attractive Landlady PM me


I now know all the answers to give .

noyk

If they say they smoke but will not do so in your house, do not believe them! If you want a smoke free house, only have a non-smoker as a lodger.

Thats slightly harsh, are you saying all smokers are dishonest? I smoke, and have rented rooms and flats that i have never smoked in. I suppose your talking from experience, but still it's wrong to tar (pun intended) all people with the same brush because of one bad experience.

noyk

most important question you need to ask yourself:

Do you like the person?