Useful tips for writing an add for Spareroom.
If you're looking to replace a flatmate who is leaving or to rent out a spare room in your main home, posting an advert on Spareroom.co.uk can be a great way to source lodgers and tenants. However, it is important to follow certain steps when writing your advert to attract the right applicants and avoid surprises during the rental period. Without an advert on a flatshare site, it will be difficult for you to find applicants even if you are offering rooms in a great flat with a great location. This article shares the steps you need to follow to write a compelling ad for the spare room or property you are trying to rent out.
What type of lodger or tenant are you looking for?
When advertising a room to rent, you may want to consider what type of lodger or tenant you're looking for. This will be determined by who the existing housemates are and if the house has any rules. For example, the house might be non-smoking, non-pets and for professionals only whereas other houses might be student only for council tax purposes. Knowing who you are trying to appeal to will help you write effective adverts.
What key information would that lodger or tenant need to make a decision?
Once you have identified who you are targeting, you need to put yourself in their shoes and think of the key information they would need to know to feel like your offering is what they're looking for. For example, if they are a young professional, is the property close to work or well located for public transport. If you are looking for a family, are you letting out the whole property and is it located in a great area for schools and parks? If it's a flat share should also provide details about the other members and if the room rental is ensuite if ever there are less bathrooms than rooms. Take clear photos and videos with as much natural light as possible to make the prospective applicant want to live in your property. You should also provide your contact details and explain the process they will need to go through to rent the room or property.
Writing your spareroom advert and distributing it
When writing a spareroom ad it's important to keep it simple and authentic and to think about posting it on other platforms such as Facebook to increase your likelihood of finding the right applicant. You can also post ads on local boards and set up email alerts for room seekers who are posting ads in your area. You can choose the free ad option to see if it's enough to source quality applicants when you post your ad for the first time, but do consider upgrading if there is not enough demand for your opportunity.
Once you have written your spare room ad, sourced a wonderful tenant or lodger for your property, you must enter into an agreement to formalise the terms of the relationship. If you are living in the home you will need a lodger agreement. If you are not living in the home then you will need a sole-occupancy, HMO or bedsit agreement depending on whether you are renting out the whole property or a room in a house share. To create and electronically sign a lawyer-approved tenancy or lodger agreement which meets your requirements, sign up to Legislate today.