Renting my flat to a friend for a month...

[Karbea]

is this going to be more hassle than its worth?

I have a flat but could move in with my fiance for a month.

I've just had a text from a friend and she has been talking to another friend who currently lives in a 4 bed house (rented) but is being chucked out in a week, and has found something for 1st March (so she will be homeless for a month). She has asked whether i'd be happy to have them move in for that month.

I know the girl but not well, seems like a good offer, they would be happy to pay half the going rate.

ANyone know if I'd need to tell my mortgage company, insurance, tax etc if it's only a month. I would get something legal written up to make sure they went on 1st March.

Any thoughts/advice/experience????
What do you think?

I don't really understand what's in it for you if they will only pay half the going rate. I suppose if you really wanted to you could, if you had an agreement drawn up and if you had checked her contract to make sure that she actually was moving into wherever she said she was in March but, I don't know, it sounds as if things could go wrong. What if she damaged something/refused to move out/moved someone else in while she was there/registered under a false identity at your address? I know all these things are worst case scenarios but is it really worth the hassle?

Honestly? Not worth the hassle.

I've done this before - I was staying abroad for a summer and it suited me to have someone in the flat to water the plants, make sure everything secure etc. If you are staying with fiance anyway I'd certainly do it. Money for old rope!

Make sure your accidental cover is up to date, remove anything you would hate to lose/get damaged, make a note of electric/phone/gas totals before and afterwards, create ground rules (are they allowed parties? anything they need to know about rubbish collection? particular quirks to the central heating? smoking indoors allowed?).

I've actually been in the particularly weird position of being asked to a party in my own flat - which truly was bizarre especially since the renter rushed round me every five minutes assuring me that people were using coasters and ashtrays! LOL!

If I was still living there, I'm not sure I'd do it though - lots of hassle to move myself somewhere else and they aren't even paying you the going rate.

Truly would not bother, quickest way to ruin a friendship. I did this years ago and it was a nightmare, issues ranged from daft things like letting my plants die depsite her agreeing to water them periodically, to loosing the grill for the BBQ to have full blown parties and really peeing off my lovely next door neighbour.

So not worth it.