What do you think is fare room rent?

[Michgranny]

I live in SW Michigan. I have a walkout basement, with living room, kitchen, full bath and 2 bedrooms

I have been charging $300 per month per bedroom everything included. Well my easy guy is moving, he had no pets etc.

The Gal that rents the other room has 2 horses and a cat. She is not very clean, dirty dishes everywhere, which will make it hard to rent the other room, also the living room is now all saddles and horse stuff.

She does buy the hay for my horse, at a cost of $70 per month. But my electric bill goes up about a hundred per month in the winter because she has a large heated water tank.

I just realized that I sound like an idiot! But I need the money so very bad!

[bassmaster17327]

What does it cost to rent an apartment? My gf pays 450 a month for a bedroom wcich includes everything including internet

[Fire-Man]

Originally Posted by Michgranny

I live in SW Michigan. I have a walkout basement, with living room, kitchen, full bath and 2 bedrooms

I have been charging $300 per month per bedroom everything included. Well my easy guy is moving, he had no pets etc.

The Gal that rents the other room has 2 horses and a cat. She is not very clean, dirty dishes everywhere, which will make it hard to rent the other room, also the living room is now all saddles and horse stuff.

She does buy the hay for my horse, at a cost of $70 per month. But my electric bill goes up about a hundred per month in the winter because she has a large heated water tank.

I just realized that I sound like an idiot! But I need the money so very bad!

I think your room rent is in range, Here a bedroom with shared bathroom and kitchen rents from $300 to $400 average with everything furnished.

If I was her landlord there would be rules. Anything that is hers personally stays in her room including saddles and the cat----NEVER allowed into the shared area---If she needs more storage she can rent a storage unit or buy something outside. She can also get a plastic tote and put all dirty dishes in her bedroom till she wants to wash them. Each tenant would have their own dishes their own pots and seasoning. If you furnish a fridge that would be good to have one in each bedroom and do away with the one in the kitchen. If they were going to share a fridge I would use a divider in the middle so each one would have their own side. Sounds like she needs to rent the entire basement.

Edited to add, I do not think heating a aquarium(if thats what you are talking about) would cost any where close $100 per month----something else is burning that electricity like maybe a portable heater etc.

[Michgranny]

I guess I am just venting! It will not be easy to rent the other room and I am sick of taking care of her horses.

I,m thinking $350 month rent, plus 25% electric bill and $50 a month per horse.

Then I will just have to sell my horse, which will hurt me and then I will not want any horses on my property.

[Michgranny]

Fire-man

You brought up some things, that yes, I need to take care of!

[Fire-Man]

Originally Posted by Michgranny

I guess I am just venting! It will not be easy to rent the other room and I am sick of taking care of her horses.

I,m thinking $350 month rent, plus 25% electric bill and $50 a month per horse.

Then I will just have to sell my horse, which will hurt me and then I will not want any horses on my property.

See Michgranny we do not know everything, Like why are you taking care of her horses and she is buying your hay and why she is renting a bedroom and has taken over the living room and kitchen of a shared apartment and why would you rent the whole thing for $350 when you were getting $600 and why would you not have her to to move her mess to her room so you can rent the other room again and why would you have to get rid of your horse??? I am Confused.

[MJsLady]

We charged our sons $200.
son rents rooms in his home now and charges $400.

[Fire-Man]

I would go to her and tell her that if she wants to rent the whole apartment----she can rent the other half for a additional $300 then she can use the other bedroom to keep some things in, then if she says that she can not afford to do that then I would tell her she will have to get all her personal things out the shared area including the kitchen so you can re-rent the other bedroom. No need in you loosing money because of her sloppiness.

[unregistered5595]

In the upper midwest:
A rooming house within an hour of here, no cooking, no kitchen, shared bath, charges $75/week.

The extra bedroom here is $100/week with use of the kitchen, shared food, shared bath, shared internet, small storage area.Chores are required, dishes, cooking, own laundry, yard work, garden work.

That is less than half of what it costs to get an apartment, pay heat, pay phone, pay internet, pay own food, pay for laundry or buy a washer and dryer. Get an apartment with a friend and pay half. Hope that the room mate pays their bills.

[Michgranny]

Fire-man

You have very good ideas, that I have not thought of. I will tell her she needs to keep everything including dirty dishes and her cat in her room.

Thank You

[Michgranny]

Heather,

Yes, everything is included. Electric, heat, garbage, cable tv, wireless internet, kitchen, stove, fridge, micro. Plus, washer and dryer.

[Kris in MI]

Are the horses on your property? Are you also charging board on them? Because even a pasture w/a shed for the horse to shelter in and self-care around here costs at least $75 a month per horse.

ETA if you are doing the care of her horses, pasture board is more like $100-$150 a month each. Then subtract whatever feed she supplies.

[Michgranny]

Yes, her horses are on my property, with a run in shed and a heated tank. She pays a total of $300 per month and one $70 round bale for my horse.

[Wendy]

She is getting off way too cheap! $370 per month for herself & 2 horses. This includes all of her utilities plus washer,dryer, fridge, stove, & whatever else. Her heated water tank is costing you an extra $100 a month which means in reality she is only paying you $270 per month. They do not need a heated tank. Just need water taken to them more times per day.
If it were me, she would pay the $300 per month for herself & another $300 per month for her horses. She would need to keep her horse stuff in the barn where horse stuff belongs. She would need to keep her cat in her own personal area & not allow it in the shared areas. She would need to keep her dishes cleaned up & anything else that might affect the other tenant. If she doesn't like it, let her move. You can easily rent it out for that price when it includes everything you mentioned. I think you are way undercharging for what is included.

[Common Tator]

You have an apartment downstairs, right? It sounds like you are renting the bedrooms of the apartment separately, but this lady has taken over the whole apartment with her mess and her horse stuff, and has made it unpalatable for other renters. In fact, from your description, most people wouldn't consider living amid other people's stuff. And they can't relax in the common area because it has basically been claimed as hers.

And now she has the whole place to herself and doesn't have any pesky roommates taking up her newly acquired space. She has no reason to clean up after herself or put her saddles and tack out in the barn, because than you might rent out part of "her" apartment.

So explain to her that the common areas are to be kept clean so you can rent the other room, and give her a few days to do it. And tell her in advance that if it isn't clean in whatever timeframe you give her, you will start charging HER for rent on the second bedroom. If she wants the whole apartment, rent it to her, for fair market rent!

If there isn't room in the barn for her tack is there room where she could put a shed to keep her stuff? This would be a shed that she buys, and sets up. This would be something that she takes with her when she moves. But it would be a place where she can keep her tack, and all of her other clutter.

As for the horses, it sounds like she is getting off without having to pay you to board her horses. Look around your area for what fair market board is in your area, and charge that. She has you thinking that she is doing you a favor because your horse is eating from the round bale that she buys. If you were getting fair market rent for your apartment, and fair market board for your paddock, you could afford to feed your own horse!

Bear in mind that she might move out rather than pay for what she is currently getting. If that happens, fine. It will give you the opportunity to clean up the place and find better renters. You may want to offer board for other people's horses. In the end you will have more income. Also, if other people are keeping their horses on your property, are you requiring the to carry equine insurance? Liability? You should! That is what the pros require on every horse boarded in their facilities!

[haypoint]

I was renting a room in West Bloomfield, MI. Nice upscale area. Includes utilities, wi-fi, shared washer/dryer, kitchen, living room. No quests, ever. No mail to the house, must use PO Box. Clean dishes as you use them. Nothing personal in the shared areas. No clothes left in washer, dryer. Equally divided cupboards, equally divided freezer and Refrigerator, labeled. Designated shower times. A few dishes and cookware provided. No pets. No smoking. No drinking.
Owner rents the garage to a landscaper to store his trailer with mowers, etc. So, no one can park in front of garage door during the day. Nice deck and back yard. $400 a month. Three bedrooms rented, plus the owner.

[||Downhome||]

Originally Posted by haypoint

I was renting a room in West Bloomfield, MI. Nice upscale area. Includes utilities, wi-fi, shared washer/dryer, kitchen, living room. No quests, ever. No mail to the house, must use PO Box. Clean dishes as you use them. Nothing personal in the shared areas. No clothes left in washer, dryer. Equally divided cupboards, equally divided freezer and Refrigerator, labeled. Designated shower times. A few dishes and cookware provided. No pets. No smoking. No drinking.
Owner rents the garage to a landscaper to store his trailer with mowers, etc. So, no one can park in front of garage door during the day. Nice deck and back yard. $400 a month. Three bedrooms rented, plus the owner.

Being the Knight in Shining armor that I am Just not Sure I could do the no quests thing.

[Michgranny]

I have gotten a lot of very good advice from everyone and I thank you!

I know I need to put my big girl pants on and make some changes and now is the perfect time.

I have been checking craigslist and rooms are going for about $400 to $500 in the nearest large city about 15 miles away. Not everyone wants to live in the country.

I am debating on whether to charge $300 per month and 25% of electric or a flat $350 per month. I am thinking maybe they will try to conserve electric if they must pay part.

I have rented those rooms for over 15 years, not to the same people and I have never raised the rent as I always was happy with the extra money.

I also don't have written rules, just a verbal no over night guests. That is going to change

I am very easy going, there is plenty of room to put up a storage shed or have a garden, but I have found that people who rent a room, don't do those things as they eventually move on with their life.

[Molly Mckee]

Sounds to me like you are paying her $30.00 a month to have her horses there.