Myth Number One: I won’t feel at home in my place anymore

This is a common concern, but renting out a room in your home doesn’t have to mean that you won’t feel at home in your place anymore. 

This is precisely why we have designed a set of house rules for our hosts and their guests. By having some house rules in place you can decide which parts of your home you want to share or keep private. You can also use the house rules to keep things like kitchen usage to a schedule that works for you and to put in place some key rules to ensure that everyone feels at home. Having house rules in place allows you to live more harmoniously with your guest and enables you to feel at home in your house while you rent out the spare room. If you’d like to read more about how to feel at home when you rent out your room, have a look at this blog post here. 

Myth Number Two: It’s not actually tax free

Another common misconception about renting out your spare room is that the income you earn won’t be worth it because you’ll have to pay so much tax on it. Well, thanks to the rent-a-room relief scheme, you can keep all the rent you earn. 

Your rental income is tax free once it meets the rent-a-room relief scheme criteria. 

To learn more about how to qualify for the rent-a-room relief scheme and how to declare the tax free income correctly you can read this blog post here.

Myth Number Three: I’ll have to cook and clean for them

When you rent out your spare room to a Hosting Power guest you will never have to prepare their meals or clean for them. Our guests are mature and self-sufficient. They can cook their own meals and they are responsible for cleaning up after themselves too.

In our house rules we make it clear to our guests that they are in charge of keeping their own room clean and tidy as well as washing their own bedsheets. You can also request that they pitch in with the cleaning of the common areas too, as long as these house chores are shared equally amongst all people living in the property. 

By renting out your spare room to guests who are more mature and self-sufficient, you are not responsible for taking care of them, which makes it all the easier to rent out your spare room.

Myth Number Four: I have pets so I can’t rent out my room

Many people worry that the fact that they have furry family members means they can’t rent out their spare room as it might be a problem for a guest. You might worry about how the guest will react to your pets or whether they might have an allergy. 

The good news is you can rent out your spare room when you have pets. We love pets, and so do many of our guests. When you have a pet and are renting out your spare room, all you need to do is make it clear in your listing description that you have a pet. That way, our guests can decide whether or not they want to book your room and take into consideration the pets living in the home. Many of our guests may actually choose to book your room because you have a pet.If you’d like to read more about hosting with pets you can read this blog post here.

Myth Number Five: I live too far outside the city to rent out my room

Hosting is not just for people living in the city centre. If you have a spare room to rent out and you live outside of any major city you can absolutely still become a host. 

Many of our guests may prefer to live outside of the city or might have secured a job close to where you live. They may also have their own transportation and choose your location because it suits them. 

The key thing is to have a detailed listing description that tells potential guests about where you live. We make sure our listings include a good description of the area the property is located in and include important information such as where is the closest public transport, how far away the local amenities are and if having their own means of transportation is essential to book the room. That way the guests that book your room will do so because the description in the listing appeals to them and is exactly what they are looking for. If you’d like to learn more about creating a detailed listing you can read this blog post here.

Myth Number Six: I’ll have to publicly advertise my address to get a guest 

This is not true, we never recommend that our hosts share any personal information publicly. That’s why we go to great lengths to protect the privacy of our hosts when it comes to sharing the exact address of their home. When we post your listing online we never share your address or any information that could identify you in any way. Instead, we make sure a detailed description of the area you live in is available to any potential guest interested in booking your room. The guests will be able to understand where the closest public transport is and will know what district the property is located in, such as Dublin 8, for example, but they will not have your address unless they actually go ahead and book your room. 
 

In Summary

Renting out your room is a great way to earn tax free money from your spare room. There is a lot of misinformation out there about renting out your room and it’s important to have all the facts and understand that you are in control when you rent out your spare room. You can easily rent out your spare room and still feel at home in your place, even if you have pets, all while earning tax free income. 

And if you become a Hosting Power Host we can make sure that the whole process is safe, easy and that you are supported every step of the way. 

If you’d like to know more about how you can become a host, tap the button below to apply today.