How to rent out part of a house?

Renting out part of a house is an increasingly popular practice, especially among owners of large houses who live alone. It is a good idea for those whose children have moved out, leaving a large, unused space. However, for such an arrangement to be beneficial for both tenants and landlords, it must be well organised. In today's article we suggest how to do it.

The foundation that will ensure comfort and privacy for both the owners and those renting part of the house is a separate entrance. This is the absolute minimum. There is nothing more awkward than having to walk through the owners' living room every day to get to your own part of the house.

So if your property does not have two separate entrances, then before you let part of the building to strangers, it is worth altering the house to create them. This will certainly make life easier for all the occupants. If, on the other hand, you want to let part of the house on the upper floor, it is best to build external stairs that allow access to that level without having to enter the ground-floor part.

A separate kitchen and bathroom

Another aspect is the need to provide separate kitchens and bathrooms. When we rent a flat, it is hard to imagine having to share these spaces with other occupants, unless we are 20 and living in a student flat. Otherwise, most tenants will be determined to find a fully independent space for themselves. It is hard to picture queues for the bathroom in a house where two unrelated families live, or cooking for everyone in the household in one kitchen. Not to mention the tidying up and level of cleanliness, which can easily set unrelated housemates against each other.

Sound insulation of walls

Proper insulation of the walls is equally important, because most detached houses are not designed to dampen sound as effectively as the partition walls in blocks of flats and tenement buildings. Houses are usually designed for one family, so their walls are not built as thick. To give the occupants a suitable level of living comfort, it is worth additionally soundproofing the wall between one household and the other, so that you do not have to listen to the neighbours' arguments, a child crying or a television playing loudly.

Splitting the bills

The question of bills in a shared house can be a cause of conflict. To avoid this, it would be best to divide the building into two self-contained flats by means of a notarial deed (akt notarialny). Then all the meters would be separate for each unit. Most owners, however, do not do this. What remains is installing separate gas meters and electricity meters at each kitchen and bathroom. This makes it possible to verify how much each household has used and to split the bills fairly.

Access to the cellar, garden and garage

Finally, we must mention arrangements regarding the use of shared spaces such as the cellar, garage or garden. The green area in particular will undoubtedly attract the new tenants' interest, as it is an unquestionable advantage compared with renting a flat in a block of flats. It is worth setting aside separate areas of the garden for each of the occupants. It is also worth designating a convenient space for keeping bicycles or a car.