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renovating garage for rent a room or other

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  • 15-11-2023 10:17am
    #1
    tom1ie
    Registered Users Posts: 10,445 ✭✭✭✭


    hi all,

    I'm looking for some advice here, we are planning on converting the adjacent attached to our house garage into:

    a utility that will be accessed from the kitchen,

    a downstairs bathroom with shower

    the remaining space will become a study/ double bedroom

    The downstairs bathroom and the study/ double bedroom will be accessed from the hall of the main house which is obviously accessed by the front door.

    The kitchen facilities are available in the main house.

    We plan to have the study/ bedroom available for family members in the future living with us but with some degree of privacy- however in the mean time could this be used under the rent a room scheme so that the person renting would be a licensee and therefore we wouldn't have to register with the RTB etc?

    If this setup wouldn't qualify as a licensee setup then we wouldn't bother.

    Thanks for the advice all!



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    #2
    Idbatterim
    Registered Users Posts: 17,852 ✭✭✭✭Idbatterim


    could you have a door from the new bedroom into the bathroom and also the corridor? that way, the door can simply be locked onto the corridor, when that room is rented out. then the only shared space is the kitchen and potentially living room... or go a step further and have a garden as the persons living space , accessed from the back of the garage...

    https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/owning-a-home/home-owners/renting-a-room-in-your-home/

    Renting out a room in your home (citizensinformation.ie)



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    #3
    meijin
    Registered Users Posts: 1,266 ✭✭✭meijin


    you should read this https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121364825/#Comment_121364825



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    #4
    timetogo1
    Registered Users Posts: 862 ✭✭✭timetogo1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370399#Comment_121370399

    He said the bedroom will be sharing the kitchen with the other occupants of the house. That's not self contained and the renter is a licensee. Unless I read the purpose of your link incorrectly.


    OP. As long as you're living in the house, the person is renting for longish periods (over 28 days) and you're sharing the main house (kitchen, probably living room) then the renter is a licensee.

    I've been renting out a couple of bedrooms for a few years. We love it. I'll do this for as long as we can (or until the RTB start imposing daft rules). Vet the applicants obviously and make any rules you have clear before they apply to stay (stuff like quiet house after 10PM, clean up as you go etc. etc.). That way if they don't agree with anything they know before applying and it's their choice to apply or not. We've never had an issue with any of our lodgers and our current ones have been here over a year.

    You do lose some privacy in the shared areas. But not as much as you'd think. Our guys work and we could go a week without seeing them.



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    #5
    meijin
    Registered Users Posts: 1,266 ✭✭✭meijin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370419#Comment_121370419

    ah, yes, it was a little confusing for me on the exact setup, but looks like the space will be shared



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    #6
    tom1ie
    Registered Users Posts: 10,445 ✭✭✭✭tom1ie


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370419#Comment_121370419

    Hi time to go1 many thanks for this info.

    A few more questions I have that you may have answers to, but PM me if you don’t wanna post here but want to give advice?

    Do you draw up a contract with the license with the rules of engagement drawn up and get both parties to sign?

    How is rent paid for? Ie revolut transfer or cash and do you have to give a receipt?

    I don’t think you have to register with RTB if it’s a licensee setup right?

    How do you vet the applicants? Referral or something?

    Any other pointers?



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    #7
    timetogo1
    Registered Users Posts: 862 ✭✭✭timetogo1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121371051#Comment_121371051

    A contract limits you. E.g. if you write into a contract that there is one months notice then this is better than what a licensee could be entitled to. But once you put it in a contract you have to abide by it. So up to you.

    I do put a list of rules and requirements. E.g. The rules I mentioned above and when rent is to be paid. I do put a notice period of one month (as that benefits me too) but also have a line saying if the rules are broken or the safety of anybody in the house is compromised by actions of the lodger then they may be required to move out with no notice. (I don't know how legal this is, all of our lodgers have been fine).

    How they pay you doesn't matter. I prefer electronic as it keeps a track of it. Whenever I receive rent I send them a WhatsApp saying something like "Rent received, thanks very much" as a receipt. You have to keep track of this as you have to report this to revenue each year. You don't have to pay tax on it (unless it's over €14000) but you have to report it. They will also report to revenue that they pay rent (as they can claim an allowance from Revenue) so report it yourself.

    RTB aren't involved. Thank fuk. If they ever become a requirement I'd say I'd stop renting out our rooms.

    Vetting is complicated. Maybe I've been lucky. Vetting is more a process of meeting them and chatting. I advertise on the Facebook groups. You can see from their profiles when they respond what kind of responses they've given to other people. If they're a whiny person on FB, they wouldn't be top of my list.



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    #8
    tom1ie
    Registered Users Posts: 10,445 ✭✭✭✭tom1ie


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121371130#Comment_121371130

    Excellent advice timetogo1 thanks very much.

    Also I believe if the rent you get exceeds 14000 a year you are then liable for tax on the whole lot, so if rent amounted to 14100 there would be tax on the whole lot not the 100 but if rent amounts to 13000 there is no tax but as you say it has to be reported to revenue.

    Are there particular Facebook groups or do you just search for rent a room etc?



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    #9
    timetogo1
    Registered Users Posts: 862 ✭✭✭timetogo1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121371182#Comment_121371182

    Yep. One cent over €14000 means you're paying tax on the lot. Not a likely problem when renting only one or two rooms though.

    A couple of Facebook groups I'm in are

    "Rent in Dublin"

    "Dublin airport accommodation"

    "Rent a room in Dublin - Host Families for Students and Young Professionals"

    There are probably more but those have been enough for me.



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    #10
    KevRossi
    Registered Users Posts: 4,471 ✭✭✭KevRossi


    If you're looking at renting a room then install a decent Smart TV, at least a 32 inch for them.

    Younger people today don't sit in sitting rooms fighting over the remote to watch Home & Away, or Eastenders. They watch everything on demand, or on YouTube etc. Bigger the TV, the more likely they are to stay in their rooms and you get a wee bit more space for yourselves.

    You can get a good brand, like Samsung, or Phillips, from a reliable retailer like Harvey Norman or Curry's for around €300. It's a good investment IMHO.



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    #11
    tom1ie
    Registered Users Posts: 10,445 ✭✭✭✭tom1ie


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121371205#Comment_121371205

    Great idea will do!



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