Renting out room - help/advice needed

HelenR_3

up here in sunny leighton buzzard , we rent a two bedroom house , with driveway in a cul de sac , for £550 p/m with £110 CT , and we were going to rent our spare room (double size) for £300 inc all bills but telephone.

skintchick

Thanks everyone for your help and advice! :j Have had some more replies from people happy to pay what I'm asking, so am going to meet up with them and see how we get on.
It's interesting how much it all varies though - like anything I guess you have to shop around. I was going on what the ads say in the paper.
But as am totally skint already and don't get paid till the 6th of the month I don;t have a lot of choice
I have £20 for food, fuel, etc to last me until then - any ideas peeps?

r.mac_2

skint chick - go with the person you like the best. I've lived with strangers lots over the years and gutt instinct is always right in my case! I hope it works out.

As for eeking out your £20 look at the Old style board and try the storecupboard challenge. There are loads of recipe ideas for basic items and cost cutting methods. If you have an 'odd' combination of foods in the cupboard try posting what you have, people are very helpful at making meal suggestions from that.

HTH

ms_london

Hey SkintChick.

How you doing? :0)

Glad to see things are going well & youve had responses.

£20 til the end of the month. When is payday for you? Do you have a lot of food in already? Thats going to be tough, it depends on how much fuel/food etc etc you need & if you could survive on the bare minimum and what you have in your cupboards at the moment.

If you try & spend as little as you can during the week, then you'll have the bulk of it for the weekend?

How soon are you hoping to get a lodger in? Are you asking for a months deposit in advance too? (most places do).

Let us know how you get on.

Ms_London

competitionscafe

sophiedb wrote:

The second best bit of advice I ever got regarding lodgers was take references with a pinch of salt and go with your gut instead. This is on the basis that some people will give a great ref just to get rid of a terrible tenant. Our trick is to just have them visit and see how you get along, have a chat and some tea/coffee, maybe even meet up in a pub. If you can't get on with them then there's no point in them moving in, cos you'll hate sharing the house and will regret the whole thing.

That's very good advice, there's nothing worse than sharing your home with someone who you don't get on with and creates an unpleasant atmosphere. The problem I find is that it's very hard to judge what somebody is like when you have only met them for 5 minutes. I also had someone renting a room who was great for 4 months, they went on holiday for a month and when they came back it was like they had had a personality transplant! I also had someone who didn't pay the rent on time and was way behind on the bills and then did a runner when I was away for the day as well as helping themselves to some of my stuff that they thought might come in useful in their new flat! (duvets, radio etc). Don't want to put you off though - those were the 2 bad experiences but I have also had lots of positive ones and shared with some really really nice people which is a lot more fun than living on your own. In fact some of the best flatmates I have had I didn't even meet before they moved in! (because they were in another city or country) but through a few emails and phone calls you can get a good idea of what they are like and go by your 'gut instincts'.

My advice would be:
#take a deposit of at least 1 months rent (to cover damages, bills) and get them to setup a direct debit/standing order into your account for the rent so you don't have to remind them every month.
#try and choose someone who shares common interests - gives you more to talk about and you may even enjoy similar things on TV or similar music which makes for less hassle.
# Get them to sign a contract (could just be a basic letter) - just confirming the rent amount and that they will pay that amount monthly on x date, 4 weeks notice (or whatever) for leaving, that they have paid a deposit from which you will deduct unpaid bills and/or damages, etc - I hate the formality of all this as I am very laid back but on advice from the police and CAB I been told that you should to do this to protect yourself.

HelenR_3

[QUOTE=competitionscafe#_Get_them_to_sign_a_contract_(could_just_be_a_basic_letter)_-_just_confirming_the_rent_amount_and_that_they_will_pay_that_amount_monthly_on_x_date,__4_weeks_notice_(or_whatever)_for_leaving,_that_they_have_paid_a_deposit_from_which_you_will_deduct_unpaid_bills_and/or_damages,_etc_-_I_hate_the_formality_of_all_this_as_I_am_very_laid_back_but_on_advice_from_the_police_and_CAB_I_been_told_that_you_should_to_do_this_to_protect_yourself.[/QUOTE]


Thats also good advice but remember if you pick the wrong tenant and they !!!!!! off without warning or mess you about otherwise , unless they have broken the law , then youre contract will be a civil matter , which means you will need to have money , to be able to get there money , if you see what i mean, i`ve been in the rooms rented area before and a contract is worth very little.

competitionscafe

True, but at least if you decide to pursue the matter through the small claims court you then have some evidence to show that they lived there and had agreed to paying x amount of rent, etc. (Which was what the CAB said - the more physical evidence you have rather than your word against theirs the better the chances of the court ruling in your favour).

As for it being a 'civil matter' (not criminal) you are right there too and this is exactly what the police said to me too. Although to me, not paying rent, bills or council tax and leaving me several hundred pounds out of pocket (over £1000 if you count the 'lost' rent because they did a runner and gave no notice so it took time to find a new tenant) amounts to 'theft' anyway. I had to pay everything they owed from my own pocket and so was basically financially worse off by that amount because of them - although as you say they can get away with this very easily.

skintchick

I've been away on holiday, but so far no update Have seen one girl who decided to live somewhere else nearer her work, a guy who I wasn;t sure about, contact from two girls who later decided they didn;t want to move after all, and now contact from a guy who is 49 but says he goes away every weekend which woudl be ideal. Seeing him tomorrow.

To the poster who said their mate has a double room for ££50 in Henley - well done to them as the Henley Standard has rooms mostly at 400 plus in the ads. Your mate got a bargain.

Gonna keep looking...

sophiedb

Good luck with the weekend-away bloke - my current lodger is away Thurs night to Monday night most weeks, and it's fantastic! Not that we don't get on, but I'm certain it's reducing her impact on the bills :beer: