OK, so you’re ready to advertise your room. It’s clean and inviting and you just know someone would love to live in it. How should you approach advertising it? Here’s what you should bear in mind:
- It’s not just about the room
- You’ll need to be able to live with whoever you rent to (and they’ll need to be able to live with you) so think about who you’re letting to. Which leads us onto…..
- Be honest about the type of person you’re looking for
- If you really don’t want to share with a smoker then say so, it’ll save any confusion at a later date. You don’t want to appear picky but you also want to make it clear what you’re looking for in a tenant. Also….
- Be honest about the room
- It’s no use overselling the room to get people out to see it and hoping they’ll take it once they get there. If it’s a large single then say so, people won’t thank you for wasting their time and you won’t rent out a room by pretending it’s something it isn’t.
- Be clear about what is and isn’t included in the rent
- Get all of the niggly detail tied down in advance so there are no unpleasant arguments later. Get it in writing, it’s for their protection as much as yours.
- Don’t expect your tenant to be your next best friend/girlfriend/soulmate
- If they are then great but don’t put that pressure on them. In a shared house with 3 or more tenants then there’s always a certain social element, but as a live in landlord it can make people a bit uneasy if they think they’re there to enhance your social life.
For more information, see our book "The Essential Guide to Flatsharing"