Letting my spare bedroom

[MsRigsby]

I'm planning to let my very small spare bedroom in the spring. It will have a single bed, small folding desk and chair, small chest of drawers (doubling as bedside table), reading lamp, blackout curtains. There's a built-in wardrobe. Laminate floor and I'll get a small rug. Is there anything else I should think of. The lodger will be using the facilities in the rest of the house. I'm assuming they will have a phone/table to watch tv on and will provide bedding and towels.

Assuming the current crisis is over, think about if a monday to friday let would suit you better.

You will need a standing order for the rent and an agreement of what is expected of the lodger.

Make sure you have a decent application form (to capture their details), and most importantly a good contract with any house rules you might want to include. We've had many lodgers over the last 10 years and honestly the strange things people do baffles you, so even if something seems obvious its usually best to explicitly say it! For example, if leaving the house, close and lock your window. Happy to give further advice if needed, just message me!

We put in a wall mounted tv. Is a desk the best use of space as the bedside chest is small? Are you envisaging someone working from home? Rules about inviting guests in might need to be established.

Do as Kirsten suggests and do a Monday to Friday. I had one when working away from home and made friends for life. If the room’s really small, it won’t work as someone’s permanent home. It means you have to supply bed linen and towels but you get your weekends to yourself.

A friend of mine had a Monday to Friday and it was brilliant. He was there from late Monday to early Friday. He used her washer a little and sometimes made a meal. She changed his bed linen but she had 3 nights without him. Having someone all the time will mean they will always be using the rest of the house as the room is so small