Roomline started because my girlfriend rents out the rooms in her house. A lot of the work happens before anyone moves in. You have to decide what comes with the room and what they pay each month. You also need a place to keep the lease. This is what I’d go through before posting a listing.
Before you post the room, write down what comes with it and what they’ll pay. Then decide how you’ll handle applications and move-in.
Start with the room and the shared spaces
“Private bedroom, shared kitchen” still leaves a lot of questions. Can they use the garage? Which bathroom is theirs? Do they get a parking spot or just the street? Walk through the house and write it all down.
Say two rooms are open but there’s only one driveway spot. If both listings mention parking, you just promised the same spot twice. Give each room a name and keep its stuff with it.
Also check with your city or county first. Read your HOA rules if you have one, and tell your insurance company. Having a spare room doesn’t automatically mean you’re allowed to rent it.
- Their space: the bedroom, plus any bathroom or storage that’s only theirs.
- Shared space: kitchen, laundry, living room, yard. Whatever they get to use.
- Parking and keys: which spot, which keys, how they get in.
- Furniture: what stays in the room, with photos of what shape it’s in.
Make the monthly cost understandable
“Utilities included” and “utilities split” are not the same thing. Pick one before anyone comes to look. If bills get split, say how, and show them the actual bill. Check your local rules before adding fees or utility charges.
Here’s an example. It’s not a suggested rent or a lease. The point is keeping things separate, so nobody mixes up the monthly rent with the deposit or a bill that shows up later.
| Item | Example offer | What to clarify |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly rent | $850 | Due date, payment method, and the period it covers |
| Internet | Included in rent | Whether the tenant needs their own equipment |
| Electricity | Charged separately | The agreed split, bill dates, and access to the bill |
| Security deposit | Listed separately | Amount and handling under the applicable law |
| Parking | One assigned space | Which space belongs to this room |
Set up screening before applications arrive
Write down what you screen for. Make sure it’s legal, and use the same rules for everyone. In your ad, talk about the room and the terms. Federal fair housing law bans discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. Your state and city can add more, so check those too.
If you run a screening report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies. You need a permissible purpose, and you tell the reporting company it’s for housing. Follow their consent steps and check your state and local rules.
If the report is any part of why you say no, you have to send an adverse action notice. Same if it’s why you ask for a co-signer or a bigger deposit. Even if it was only part of the reason. The FTC says the notice needs the reporting company’s name, address, and phone number. It also has to say the company didn’t make the call and can’t explain it. And it has to tell the applicant they can dispute mistakes and get a free report within 60 days.
If you used a credit score, you have to share more, on paper or electronically. That means the score, where it came from, the date, the range, and the main things that pulled it down. The FTC page below has the details. This isn’t everything, and I’m not a lawyer.
Put the everyday details in writing
Renting a room means living together, not just paying rent. Talk about guests, quiet hours, cleaning and pets before anyone signs. Have someone local check the lease and house rules. A checklist can’t tell you if a rule will actually hold up.
Keep the signed copy somewhere you can both find it. Months later you want to open the lease, not scroll back through texts.
- Lease: which room, who’s on it, how long, rent, due date, what’s included.
- Shared costs: what’s included and how the rest gets split.
- House rules: the version they agreed to, kept with the lease.
- Contacts: how to report a repair and who to call in an emergency.
Make a small, useful move-in record
Take photos before their stuff comes in. One wide shot of each wall, then close-ups of any marks already there. Write down the date, the keys you gave them, and any repair you promised. Let them add their own notes, and keep it all together.
This is basically why I built Roomline. Everything about a room lives in one place. If you’d rather use a folder and a spreadsheet, that’s fine. Just use the same room name in both so you can find things later.
