Advice for Renting out a basement apt.??

:indiff2:I need some advice on renting out a basement apt in my townhouse.:scaredeyes:
I advertized on Craig's list and I am getting some strange replys.
How do I find the perfect room mate? What kind of questions should I ask?
Do I need to get a lease agreement and where do I get one??
I dont want anyone that is going be drinking it up and partying around here. I dont want any party's.. I dont want any slobs.ANd how can I trust someone in my house when I am not here???
One girl called me and asked if she can come by tomorrow and look at it but she also called me at 11;40 pm saturday night. there's a red flag there!!!
DO you know anyone that would be a perfect fit for me and my girls.
this is scarey!!! HELP!!!

 

Have no experience in this area but if it were me I would avoid Craig's list. I think I would try to employ an agency that could do a thorough background check; criminal, financial, employment, etc. It may cost some money but could save you some heartache, problems in the end. Of course there's no guarantee you would get a stellar tenant this way. But they could also provide a boiler plate lease and advise on legalese necessary to protect you if a tenant fails to pay; eviction proceedings in Virginia, etc.

You would want to set some hard fast house rules as well, especially if part of the house would be shared and there is no separate entrance/exit for the tenant. Suppose you find a quiet single professional that has a well behaved cat? Do you allow it when the tenant could be ideal? The rules should be clearly spelled out.

Finally, I would stay away from agencies that offer to help you find tenants as well, especially if unsolicited on your part.

This has to be a very tough decision to make especially when you have children in the house but you want or need some extra income for whatever reason.

There are probably horror stories out there but many more successful outcomes. Be deligent in your screening process and you should be okay.

 

Its a huge risk allowing a stranger to be in your home, especially when you have children. What about a cowrker, not one you work directly with necessarily, but someone with something to lose by behaving badly? Or a referral from trusted friends. There will always be something about a tenant that you'll wish you could change, so think hard about what you can tolerate. A friend of mine was very neat and thought she found an ideal roommate, turns out the woman simply wasn't NEAT enough. She also brought a pet, which my friend okay'd, but a week in it turned out she was allergic. She luckily got out of it without too much drama but she learned that SHE was the one who wasn't reoomie material! Lol Good luck, you hav e tough task ahead of you. Excuse my misspellings, typing on my phone and I have fat thumbs!

 

Definitely find an agent to handle all of the details for you. That way they can do all of the paperwork and screen the tenants for you. It's worth it!

 

I had great luck with Craigslist when we needed a live-in nanny, but I did a complete background check and called every single reference and every past job, and personally checked out every single fact there was to check. I agree that with kids in the house you must be completely paranoid and be prepared for the worst from anyone. Have an action plan in mind in case things don't go well.

 

thanks for all your advice. I will lwt you all knlw how it goes. If you do know someone that is a quiet professional working female please pass this information on.