How difficult is it to fill a small 4 bedroom?

[Dylan McLauchlan]

Hello all,

I've been running the numbers on an attractive property in my area. It's close to downtown, and a major university in my city.

It's a duplex with a 4 bedroom and a 1 bedroom, and I plan on living in the 1, and renting out the 4 bedroom, or possibly filling in a spot in the 4 bedroom, if money is tight.

What I'm wondering is how can I account for vacancy with the 4 bedroom unit? Are 4 bedrooms hard to fill in student areas?

My expenses will probably be around $1450

The one bedroom rents at 600$, and I'm HOPING the 4 bed can fetch $1400~$1500. Does this seem reasonable?

All advice, and input is greatly appreciated

[Aaron Montague]

How many bathrooms in the 4 bed side?

To many folks point, putting 4 people into a 1 bath place is just asking for trouble.  If you have more than 1, you should be all set.  If you plan on running a student rental, put in the heaviest duty bathroom items you can muster.  And expect to do a fair amount of work in there each time you turn them over. 

Students aren't bad tenants, just clueless ones.