Renting Out Rooms
Updated: Apr 24
Sometimes I'll get asked by a prospective buyer if they are able to rent out rooms of their home, and sometimes someone will contact me who is looking to rent a room from others. Someone reached out to me today who was looking to help someone find resources to rent out a room. Below I'll be answering the question for both parties, specifically geared toward SE VA.
Above, one of the rooms I rented out when I was a bachelor. Image courtesy AirBNB
I. Am I able to rent out a room to others?
Buyers/Owners
While buyers & owners have less restrictions than tenants for renting out rooms, they still need to abide by the law and any home owner's association or condo association rules.
Tenants
Tenants looking to rent out rooms, whether by a sublease or otherwise, still need to abide by the rules of the landlord/property manager as well as abide by the law and any homeowner's association or condo association rules. If you're looking to sublease a room or co-lease a space, be sure to ask the question in advance of a showing so that you don't waste your time.
Home Owner's Association/Condo Association/Apartment Restrictions
The most restrictive on subleasing is generally going to be apartments, then condos, then HOA's. It's important to find out about any restrictions prior to renting out a property (or prior to purchasing if considering sub-leasing to subsidize your rent).
Legal Restrictions
Keep in mind that I am not an attorney & the best person to consult about the law is the city & a real estate attorney.
This spreadsheet can be used as a reference, but ultimately you should confirm directly with the city/county/state websites (& even better, both there and by calling them, since laws don't typically get changed the moment they pass if a law has immediate effect after passing) that any laws or other terminology I quote is up to date. In it I go over some of the restrictions related to renting out rooms in various SE VA cities/counties. Often the definition of family is a significant issue when dealing with single-family homes, with some cities in SE VA defining a family very differently than others. Conversely, some homes that may be single-family now are permitted by right for multi-family.
II. Where do I find places to advertise a room for rent or find a room for rent?
This question depends in part on location, since options that are best in some areas may be minimal or completely unavailable in other areas.
Where to Look | Inventory | Reviews Present |
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