If you’re looking for a way to start your own side business without really having to put a lot of effort into creating an actual business, getting into the rental industry could be a great place for you to start. As long as you own any kind of property, you can likely find someone who would pay to rent it from you.
However, to best protect yourself and your property, you’ll want to make sure you take care of a couple things before you start renting. To help you with this, here are three things to consider when renting out part of your property.
Determine What You Want To Rent Out
The first thing you’ll need to figure out if you want to start renting things on the side is what pieces of your property you are willing to rent.
According to AJ Smith, a contributor to Smart Assets, you can rent anything from living space, working space, transportation, storage space, clothes, or other personal items. Especially if you’re wanting to spend more money on something but you can’t afford it all on your own, like if you’re wanting a big home but are worried about paying the home loan, renting out a room or other space could help subsidize those costs. As long as you’re comfortable sharing whatever it is with someone else or having less privacy in this area of your life, renting it out may work for you.
What Improvements You’ll Make
Sometimes, before you choose to rent something out, you might want to make improvements on it so that you can charge a premium from your renters.
Most times, people who rent out their homes or cars will be the only ones looking to make improvements. But when you do start making improvements, Janet Mulroney Clark, a contributor to Chron.com, recommends that you should only make improvements that will allow you to make more money off of your property. This means that just because something might look great or be more beneficial to you doesn’t mean that it makes financial sense to improve unless you’ll be able to get a return on your initial investment.
Figure Out What You’ll Charge
Once you have something that you’re ready to start renting, the last thing to determine is what you’re going to charge for each rental.
Generally, you’ll want to base your base price off of the market in your area so that people take you seriously. But if you have any added features, that will allow you to charge more. When figuring this out, Tyler Nicely, a contributor to Zillow.com, shares that you’ll want to take a lot of variables into account here. For example, if what you’re renting has more amenities than what your competitors are offering, you can justify charging more for your rental.
If you’re wanting to start you own rental side business, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you get start with this new venture.