How to Rent Out a Garage Apartment

Rent out a garage apartment to make bring in some extra money. Gather all the necessary information you need before you find a tenant. It's a good idea to know the rules of your neighborhood and the potential tenant's background information before signing a lease with them. Undergoing all the necessary preparations will allow you to make solid choices before finalizing the details with your new renter.

1. Check on zoning regulations to see if you can list your garage as a rental. This step is especially crucial for those of you who live in neighborhoods where an association dictates certain rules. Find out by talking to the association to see if you can rent out a garage apartment. Wait to see if anyone in your neighborhood objects to someone living in an apartment of this type. Your neighbors will receive a notice and will have 30 days to respond in restricted areas. You can follow through on your plans to turn your garage into an apartment once the 30 days pass without an objection. Potential problems that neighbors may come up with include the possibility of loud noise and parties.


2. Decide on which price you to rent out your garage apartment for. Check listings in your area to see what the average price that renters pay to live in this type of apartment. Figure out what to charge from the figures you gathered. List the price for the garage apartment on the advertisement.


3. Rent out your garage apartment by placing ads online, on community billboards and in your area's local newspaper. Search around to find free places to advertise your garage apartment. Craigslist and some local newspapers allow for free advertising.


4. Conduct an interview with a potential renter to see if he or she will fit well with you and your family while living feet away from your front door. Look for clues to similar habits and mannerisms to see if he or she will merge into your environment without too many hassles. Understand, though, that sometimes skirmishes do crop up and the best way to diffuse them involves calm approaches and clear communication.


5. Run an extensive background check before setting a move-in date to see if any potential problems pop up relating to past criminal activity or issues with your new tentant making payments on time.