hi

I've been thinking :huh: for a while now about renting out my attic room which is a large double (21ft) room.

I'm really undecided about having someone in my house but the drive is there as i need the money....:help:

I love my own space and living on my own and i feel the downsides would be:
knowing someone is using my things/waiting for bathroom/polite conversation/if they turn out to be a nightmare/security/someone bringing friends, family around and my space just generally not being my own...oh and if they turn out to be a pyscho! :o

So....i was wondering if anyone had rented a room in their house and what their experience of this was....good or bad, things to watch out for/avoid/do/not do/would you do it again or avoid it like the plague!!?

Advice/experiences would be appreciated! :thumbsup:


xx

Hmmm, if you're that worried and like your own space so much then you might find it hard. I don't like living on my own so I like having people around....but I've always lived communally so you get used to it. But if they're renting your room then they'll want to feel at home, not they have to hide away in the room all the time.

Depends how much you need the money....maybe just do a monthly contract and if they annoy you too much then hit on the head?

Oh and consider the good sides too, you might find a friend! It can be quite exciting really!

hi

I've been thinking :huh: for a while now about renting out my attic room which is a large double (21ft) room.

I'm really undecided about having someone in my house but the drive is there as i need the money....:help:

I love my own space and living on my own and i feel the downsides would be:
knowing someone is using my things/waiting for bathroom/polite conversation/if they turn out to be a nightmare/security/someone bringing friends, family around and my space just generally not being my own...oh and if they turn out to be a pyscho! :o



xx

I think you have already talked yourself out of it.

I think you have already talked yourself out of it.

No, just very undecided as it's a big thing, hence why i've posted on here!! :rolleyes:

Having a stranger in the house is a big risk (for me) and just wanted other people's experiences....

and yes, it could be great and i could make a great new friend!

I don't think it's a 'risk' as you can vet the person beforehand, maybe go for a drink or something and usually you can tell if someone is going to be normal or not!

Give it a try!

personally I couldn't do it, even if I needed the money. I'm a very private person and I like my own space too much. M best friend rents her atic bedroom at the moment, but she's very outgoing and doesn't care if the lodger leaves pots in the sink or the house in a tip (coz she's a messy bugger herself)

Hope this helps in some way :)

I love my own space and living on my own Probably not a good idea then.
knowing someone is ........waiting for bathroom/polite conversation/if they turn out to be a nightmare/security/someone bringing friends, family around and my space just generally not being my own... You probably would have to make some conversation and wait for the bathroom. What you would also need to consider is that your tenant may have a partner who wishes to visit/stay over/watch your tv etc. I suppose it comes down to your reason for wanting to do this. If it's financial then I guess you may have to vet your tenants well and have a stiff upper lip about it all.

We let the attic to a friend for about 2.5 years, worked pretty well, but then we were friends before he moved in and we'd all lived in shared student accomodation together, so we knew how to share.
It's not quite the same as a mutual rent though, if it's yours then you set the rules, so long as the tenant accepts that then it should work fine.

That said, we wouldn't do it again, you can't really sit around naked posting on the forum (for example) if the lodger could walk into the house at any moment.

Hia, I've had a few lodgers over the last couple of years and I also really like my own space! Mostly I've been lucky and they've been great but I did have my friend stay who was a complete fruit cake but that was temporary... thank god.
I've advertised on the Forum and met potential lodgers first (sometimes you get an idea very quickly if you DON'T want to share your house with someone) I've also got a contract that states clearly rent, deposit amount and how long tenency is (you can get blank contract packs from WH Smiths).
If you're not sure it might be better the first time to advertise or answer an ad for someone that's looking for a short term rent, about 3 - 6 months which will get you used to sharing your space.
Boyfriends stoppng over etc is a bit more tricky but you'd hope your lodger wouldn't take the mick, I mean if you wanted their bloke there all the time you'd have advertised for a couple and got more rent!!!!
Hope this is of some help anyway :)

I think if you need the money, this is really the way forward. Motivation is key: imagine that holiday/ home improvement/ whatever waiting for you. But you need to make sure you understand the implications: that you are going to give up some of your space to share with someone who (initially) will be more or less a stranger. Some ways around the problem: you could advertise word of mouth among friends and relatives, to see if they know anyone who needs a room, or in a work newsletter; you should put together an inventory of what is in the room and get it checked and signed on their arrival and departure dates; asked for a month's deposit in advance; and get two character references. As a former tenant, I have been asked all of these and I have considered it reasonable.
My only problem is when as tenants we have been treated as cows to be milked for money eg. our existence not even acknowledged when the landlord had friends around, and the usual conflicts about cleanliness of common areas/ use of bathroom. But laying out some rules in advance, you should be fine. I think this kind of situation is more difficult for tenants, with this Catch 22 of 'cannot afford to buy, let's rent, but then I cannot afford to save for a deposit' a nightmare to break.
Good luck whatever you decide to do! And shall I say that we have actually kept in touch with one of our ex-landladies and she is lovely and a long-term friend.