Renting out your home can be a tricky business. If you are unable to sell your house in this recession, then renting it is a good option. Also, if you are in need of money, and do not wish to sell your house, then renting is an alternative. While thinking of renting out your house, there are many issues that need to be considered.
There are various advantages of renting out your home. It can provide a steady cash flow that you can use to cover your expenses, and taxes. It allows you to retain ownership of your home while making a profit out of it. If you are living in another location, and have a free property, then it is best not to let it go to waste. Moreover, if you are moving to another location on a temporary basis, or are not sure if you will shift back or not, it is better not to take the risk of selling your house. You can just put it up for rent, and enjoy the income until you come back.
The value of property has been hit hard by recession; just like it has affected all other businesses. If you are not getting a suitable buyer for your property, then it is better to wait till the property market recovers. Meanwhile, you can rent it out on a reasonable sum of money.
One can avail a tax break during the time when the property is on rent. It is quite costly to maintain and manage the property. Nevertheless, once it is rented out, then all problems of such expenses are washed away. You shall no longer have to pay the mortgage interest payments, insurance payments, property taxes, maintenance, repair, and cleaning services. You might be surprised to know that all costs of collecting your rent like travelling, local transportation, maintaining, and repairing your rented property can be deducted from tax. Moreover, the depreciation expense is also taken care of by the amount of rent that you are getting. Hence, you get a good tax shelter, and save a lot of money.
All expenses related to the collection of rent including travel, local transport, management, and maintenance of the rented property can be deducted from tax. It also affects the depreciation expense, because your property might have depreciated, but the income from the rent shall cover all your expenses giving you a tax shelter.
There are also some disadvantages of renting your house. When you rent your house, you become the landlord which is a big responsibility. In addition, the tenants may damage your house, or misuse it in some way, which can put the costs of repair, and maintenance on you.
If you decide to rent out your home, the first step is to assess the value of your home, and an appropriate amount of rent. If you have a mortgage on your property, you must notify, and take permission from your lender, or you could be facing legal charges.
It is also important to ensure that your house is in good condition, so that you can find tenants easily, and can ask for a reasonable rent. It is a good option to hire agents who can guide you through the entire process, and give you financial advice. It is also important to select good tenants who do not cause you problems in the future.
Author Resource:
James L Harrison is a real estate expert and has written many books on this subject, to learn more about estate agents Manchester please visit his recommended websites http://www.mancitylettings.co.uk .