What is a Room Rental Agreement and How does it Work?

If you have some space in your home that stays empty through the year, you can definitely rent it out. But before renting, you may ignore certain matters that can be problematic for you and your tenant later; in general, renting out without a room rental agreement is a bad idea.

An essential agreement can help both parties know their positions and prevent future conflicts. It protects the owner’s property and safeguards the tenant’s rights.

Adding necessary details about various aspects of shared living in the agreement helps establish a good relationship between owner and tenant.

Hence, in this article, you will get to know about the room rental agreement and essential points that should be included in it to make your rental time easy and peaceful.

Definition

It is an agreement between the homeowner who wants to rent out or lease his room to a tenant; this document outlines the complete details of tenant and homeowner obligations and rights that are imposed on both parties once the document is signed.

It is also referred to as a lease agreement. As it is a legal document, it holds a legal position in enforcing both parties’ responsibilities and rights.

Is the Room Rental Agreement different from the Roommate Agreement?

Though both seem identical, the room rental agreement is different from the roommate agreement. The former is used when a new tenant moves in a separate room and follows all lease obligations.

The latter is used when a tenant shares an already occupied space with a tenant as a roommate. The roommate doesn’t directly need the homeowner’s permission.

What should be added to the Room Rental Agreement?

Generally, a room rental agreement will include the following elements:

1. The date when the tenant started living in.
2. Contact information of tenant and homeowner and property details. If tenants are more than one, all should be mentioned in the agreement. As a result, rules apply to all the members who rent the room. Moreover, this ensures that only mentioned people are allowed to live in, and the owner can evict those who violate the rules.
3. Terms of the tenancy. Depending on the tenant’s and owner’s decision, the duration of the tenancy in months or years.
4. Lease specifics.
5. The rental amounts and security deposits to be paid by the tenant.
6. Tenants obligations and duties.
7. Division of utilities among homeowner and tenant and how will they pay for utilities.
8. Details about parking facility being given or not and how many vehicles can be parked.
9. Tenant’s responsibility of maintaining the room in clean and good condition and repair on damages he causes.
10. Terms of owner’s entry into room to inspect the room.
11. Tenant’s obligation to follow ethical standards while consuming alcohol, cigarette or tobacco, noise prohibition, and other related prohibitions.
12. Special permissions allowed by the homeowner to the tenant, such as keeping pets or allowing the guests.

Who can rent your room?

With skyrocketing prices of real estate, getting your own home is not easy. Instead, people prefer to live at rent rather than buying their home. When you talk about renting a room in your home, certain people will be more likely to rent a room:

• Students, growing young professionals, or entrepreneurs may have their homes at far-off places and work in your area. They can rent your room.
• Couples; Husband and wife or girlfriend and boyfriend may move in.
• Small families that may rent a room for a short period while planning to move into their permanent residency.
• Group of 2 or 3 friends or people who may live together to work on the same project.

While you discuss rental room agreements, utilize that time to know your tenants and get as much information as you can. Knowing them can shun unnecessary conflicts and give you peace of mind.