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Renting out a spare room - Tilda's story

 

Tilda shares her experience of renting out a spare room in her home in Wood Green, North London.

Tilda on the right, with her flatmate (or lodger) Gemma Tilda on the right, with her flatmate (and new-found best friend) Gemma

"I have a two-bedroomed flat in Wood Green, and whilst I could have covered the mortgage on my own, I knew things would be a lot easier with the income from a lodger. So I advertised the room on SpareRoom and got lots of replies. Gemma was one of the first to call up, and when we spoke on the phone, there was just something about her - I knew immediately we would hit it off. She was the first to view the room and I called her to let her know it was hers, but made her wait for the news, as I'm a big fan of dramatic pauses.

I'm no great shakes in the kitchen, so Gemma does most of the cooking when we're in together. She's practically banned me from the kitchen, but that's no great loss as she's a much better cook than I am. Her food is amazing!

Now Gemma's really become part of the family. My brother got us both into boxing training, but Gemma laughs at me because I can't punch. And my mother, who lives across the way, has been known to hang out with Gemma in the garden, the two of them chatting away and drinking wine until late.  I get a lot more than just the rent out of this relationship. I wouldn't have met my best friend, if I hadn't rented out my spare room."

Tilda benefits from room rents in North London averaging around £680 per month, which means that almost all her rental income is tax free, thanks to the Rent a Room Scheme.

If you'd like to make your spare room work for you, post a free room ad now, and start getting enquiries.

Place a free ad

Or, to find out more about your tax free rental allowance under the Rent a Room Scheme, download your free guide.