What Are The Pros & Cons Of Renting Out A Spare Room? & Would You?

I couldn't let a stranger share my home. Just couldn't do it.

Personally no im not sure I could I dont think I could share my home with a complete stranger no matter how tight money was id rather work two jobs I think. I like my own space and like to be able to do my own thing I would have to be dressed and such like at all times and thats just not me if I want to lounge in my pjs all day then I want to do that without fear of some stranger sitting there watching me id feel too uncomfortable!

I haven't had real good luck with roommates. It always starts out on a good foot, but always ends on a bad one, even if its ended amicably. I had a roommate when I was 7 months pregnant with my second son who after only several months decided she wanted to move in with an ex-boyfriend. It left me high and dry and I had to move into a homeless shelter, where I might add, I ended up bringing my second son home to. I'd be hard pressed to consider that situation again.

I would only rent a room to someone if I knew them very well, and was sure that I was not going to be hiding them out from the police! I have seen and heard of women who did not realize that they were actually aiding and abetting the hiding of someone wanted for crimes committed in the last five years! So I would be very careful!

hi ellie-interesting discussion but even though i may be short of money i like my home to be my castle so wouldn't entertain having a lodger as it would intrude my space-the one way that assures me is that though my son lives with me he pays rent but lives his life and i do my own thing we never get under each others feet whereas having a lodger or stranger in my home would be an invasion of my privacy to me-i would rather just live on my own even if it was difficult-blessings littleowl

im still looking for a decent boarder.. lol the two ive had in the past went very very badly, and they were tossed to the curb rather quickly. the first one after 3 months when i found out he was attempting to get my then 11 year old child into his room at 2am.. the other lasted 8 days and got pitched into the streets in the middle of the night when one of my friends finally tld me hed sexually assaulted her. no tmuch luck with the boarders for damned sure.. ;sighs;

I have never done it. I think it can be difficult sharing her home with a family member sometimes, and a stranger would be worse. If you decide to do it, I would suggest someone you are familiar with.

I have rented out rooms a few times and will say for sure that I definitely will NOT be doing that again. people like to take advantage of other people too much and I am just tired of having to deal with that. either they don't pay their rent or they steal or don't know how to treat the children that live here. I allowed on different occasions family and friends to rent a room. family stole from me, didn't pay rent, would eat my families food without even thinking of replacing it. left messes through the house. I mean they stole money, my puppy and my son's clothes. one friend I let stay here decided that she would go out about every night and leave me to watch her kids. she didn't pay me to watch them or anything. even on school nights I was watching them and it was hard because they wouldn't listen and would keep my kids up way past bed time and then they would be too tired to wake up for school in the morning. on nights she wasn't out partying she'd be going to the casino. I only received $20 for childcare ONE time. not only that, she'd have different guys in the house all the time and then get angry when my fiance speaks up and says he doesn't want them here. we do NOT want our children having that type of behavior around them, seeing someone bring different people in the house all the time, what kind of message does that send to them? and to her own kids?! but it was fine with her because they were "just friends"... I have a rule that visitors do not go to the upstairs for any reason. my children and myself sleep there and I just do not allow it. my family would wait til we were asleep and have people come over and be drinking and my 2 oldest sons told me that one night a lady they didn't know peeked her head in their door and was talking to them. oh I was so furious about that. finally I just kicked them out and threw their belongings out of my house. I will NEVER let anyone stay here again. it ends up being a bad experience each and every time.

If we were that hard up for money, I would go back to work. I had my fair share of room mates when I was younger. You lose all your privacy. I've had one who "borrowed" something and they never returned it. The lady that used to live here had locks on all her doors including her own bedroom. That is no way to live. If we had to rent out a room, it would only be to a close friend. Too much violence in the world to trust a stranger in your home. You never know who they will bring into the house.

I would consider renting it out but I sure would hate to lose my privacy. I wouldn't like the wear and tear on my home either. I have never rented a room in my home but I have let family stay with me and it invades your privacy after a while, even though you want to help them out. There is also extra wear and tear on the home at the home owners expense. The income we got was not really extra. It went to utilities and repairs.

Hi, Ellie! My personal choice would be to try EVERYTHING I can before renting a room. I would have a yard sale and get rid of everything I haven't used in the last year or so. I am actually about to do this soon myself to pay for a mission trip. I have had roomates before and while for the most part it was positive, it can put a strain on your friendship if you don't openly decide on some ground rules up front. Ground rules can feel awkward if you're good friends. If you are renting from someone from you don't know, I would strongly suggest first asking people you know and trust for referrals. If it has to be a complete stranger, check LOTS of references! Again, ground rules come in handy here, too.

I rent a room to a friend. He pays friend rent. He does not pay utilities. He does not pay for cable or internet. He pays way too little and is disinclined to go out on his own. My personal advice.. don't offer a friend a low rent. My friend has avoided moving out because he doesn't need to. The market is such that a wise person would buy their own house, but it is easy for him to remain in mine. Going from $300 a month rent to something like $1000 is hard to justify. And, in the meantime, I wish I didn't have to tiptoe around my friend weird sleep hours and excessive need for quiet from my daughter in the morning.

You would definately have to do a background check on that person. Especially if you have children in the house or even teenagers.. Also make sure that he/she will blend in with your family and that his/her friends will feel comfortable around you. If you like different experiences I would say it is nice to have a different face in the house for a while...

i don't have a spare house, so maybe i'm not suitable here for such a discussion. but as a lodger who rents house, i'd like to share u sth. renting a house u have to strike ur luck, if you come across a good lodger, your house will become much better than it used to be. my former landlord rent me a house, it was very dirty, i rent at 550 CNY a month, i cleaned the house everyday for the first 1 or 2 months. the moment i left, he rent his house at 650CNY, increase by 100CNY, money's not that very important, and the price rises all the time, but find a lodger who cherishes your house is very comfortable and delight. on the contrary, what if the lodger don't clean your house for 2 years? i met this, i've just changed the house, and it's in a mess~~~~ in fact, it's the house for wedding, after 2 years dispoal at random, it's nothing. heart breaking~~

There are good advanages and bad advanages, If you get a long with the person that is a good thing, but people change once you get to living with them, you never know a person untill you live with them, that is for sure.

the advantages is extra money, companionship, but the disadvantages could be many, the person does not life the same lifestyle with as you do, they are dirty you are clean, they are rowdy you are quiet, or you just don't get along. the trick is to screen the people you have stay with you, lay down the rules of your house before you even allow them to move in and kick them out if they don't adhere to it the first time it happens the longer you wait the harder it will be to do it later on. I have friends who rent rooms to help pay the mortgage they have been doing it for years and usually rent rooms to the foreign students at the university. They say it has its ups and downs. each roomer is different but to lay the ground rules in the beginning is easier all the way around.

I've wanted to find a roommate for a year now but unfortunately my home was not really in livable condition (I could deal, but I doubt anyone else could! ). Now I'm forced to leave, move somewhere else and to get a roommate, after living alone for the last 13 months (my daughter chose to live with her father ). I'd do my best, try to find reliable roomies (people who could pay the rent--I don't need to be friends) and learn to deal with the changes. It's really not dissimilar to being single and then getting married--you learn to compromise.

If I am really tight and I know the person, I am open to allow any of my friends to rent it! But, I have to know the person better, I should know her best! Then give some rules to still keep my privacy and of course, my things too! I don't like to share my things but I would rather give if I have extra but not share it!The good about it, I will have an extra income plus I have also company if ever I am alone.Disadvantages, no 100% privacy and you will always consider the person in everything you do!

I have rented a spare room and would again if money was tight. Generally speaking if you are careful about who you rent to and get references and such like, there isn't normally a problem. Obviously you take extra precautions if it is someone you do not know. I had a lock put on my bedroom door so I could lock away private papers, money etc. And firm house rules should be set down even before the agreement begins regarding food, bills, guests etc. It is not for everyone, but it can really help at times when the extra income would really help.

I rented my spare room when i lived in the city. I found it very frustrating because the individual didnt clean up after themselves, it was hard to get the rent money from them and...I couldnt leave certain things out in the main areas of the apartment for fear they'd go missing. I also shared an apartment later on with my sister and That was a bad idea because without our mom to intervene we clashed alot. It took about 3 years AFTER we werent sharing an apartment to be able to do things together again without coming to blows over some minor thing.