| You can make thousands of dollars of extra income | | | | Usually it is only slightly more to run the ad for two |
| renting rooms in your home. You can even rent | | | | days instead of one. Check to see what specials |
| rooms in an investment property, as a way to get | | | | they have too. I typically paid about $12 for a |
| more income from it. But how do you find the | | | | two-day ad, but this varies greatly with the paper. |
| renters? Try the following. | | | | What The Ad Should Say |
| Talk To Your Renters | | | | Whether you advertise on bulletin boards or in the |
| If you already have rooms rented, talk to your | | | | newspaper, tell the reader everything that they need |
| tenants when you have a room available. More than | | | | to know. In addition to listing important information, |
| once I have had one of the guys that rented from | | | | sell the benefits of renting from you. If you run the |
| me tell me that a friend is looking for a room. It cost | | | | ad more than once, try a different ad, to see which |
| you nothing to ask, and the added bonus is that if a | | | | gets the most calls. Here is an example of a couple |
| tenant helps you find a new renter, she can hardly | | | | advertisements that worked well for me: |
| complain about that person. | | | | "Simplicity. Everything from utilities to cable TV |
| Post Notices On Bulletin Boards | | | | included. Nice room, nice home, nice yard. Just $75 |
| If you have a bulletin board at work, start with that. | | | | week, and no deposit. Call Steve at 555-1212." |
| If there are bulletin boards in grocery stores or other | | | | "Room for rent in good home close to town. $75 per |
| stores near you, post ads there, with several | | | | week includes all utilities, cable TV, phone, washer, |
| tear-off tags that have "room for rent" and your | | | | dryer, and more. Call Steve: 555-1212." |
| phone number on them. The closer to your house, | | | | "Room, with use of whole house. Includes utilities, |
| the better, because then those who respond | | | | phone, cable, washer, dryer and more. $75/week and |
| probably work in the area near your house. They are | | | | no other bills to pay. 555-1212 Ask for Steve." |
| prime candidates. | | | | When They Call |
| Talk To People "In The Know" | | | | Give the caller the basic information. If they are still |
| A guy I worked with was always up to date on the | | | | interested, start asking your qualifying questions (see |
| latest gossip and he talked to everyone. Once, when | | | | the next chapter). Take notes! If you are still |
| I had a room available, I told him I would give him | | | | interested in renting to the caller, set a time for him |
| $20 if he sent me a renter who took the room. He | | | | to meet you at the house, and be sure to get a |
| did so within a few days. One advantage of doing it | | | | name and a phone number where you can reach |
| this way is that you don't pay until you have a rent | | | | them. |
| payment in your hands. | | | | If you have rented the room already, don't hang up |
| Talk To Friends And Family | | | | on subsequent callers before getting a phone number. |
| When you know you will have a room available, why | | | | Tell them the room is rented, but you will call them |
| not use it as an excuse to keep in touch with friends | | | | back if that person backs out. You never know for |
| and family? Just call them all and ask if they know of | | | | sure until they are in the room and the money is in |
| anyone who might need a room to rent. I have | | | | your hands. |
| found more than one renter this way. | | | | One more trick. If you see advertising for a similar |
| Put A Classified Ad In The Newspaper | | | | room rentals, call that owner and agree to send |
| This is perhaps your surest way to get renters. I | | | | renters to each other. If you rent your room first, |
| have had the best luck with running an ad for two | | | | you can tell other callers about that other room, and |
| days at a time, usually Saturday and Sunday. See | | | | the owner of that other room can do the same if he |
| when others are running their rental ads. If the local | | | | is the first to rent his room. If his room or yours is |
| custom is to advertise rentals on Mondays, that will | | | | just too far from a renter's job, or there is a similar |
| be the day when renters look in the paper, and so it | | | | problem, you can send those prospects to each |
| will be the day you want your advertisement in | | | | other too. |
| there. | | | | In most towns renting rooms is easy. |
