Should I Rent to 6 Adults in a SFH?

[Doug Spence]

My Pensacola SFH is currently up for rent. A lady reached out to me who runs an organization affiliated with Notre Dame which sponsors grad school teachers to teach at a school in Pensacola. The problem is, they want 6 adults to live in the home (3/2, 2100 sq ft). My concern is the increased wear and tear on appliances, plumbing, etc that come with 6 adults living in a home. I proposed increased rent to account for this concern, but they are all on fixed incomes and can't afford increased rent.

They are open to a larger security deposit, but I said that doesn't really cover regular maintenance and repairs. They are also open to some type of up front maintenance fee to account for increased usage. The individual tenants will be on the lease, but the organization said they would agree to an addendum that holds them responsible for ensuring the rent is fully paid.

Has anyone encountered something like this before? What's the best way to mitigate the risk of increased wear and tear without increasing the monthly rent?

[Nathan Gesner]

My answer is a solid no.

1. Extra wear-and-tear on a home designed to fit two adults and a couple kids.

2. Six adults means up to six cars. That can be a nightmare for your neighborhood.

3. When a company or organization rents a property and then places the occupants, the occupants typically don't respect the home. After all, they're not footing the bill. I only allow this with increased rent, an increased deposit, and a mandatory, non-refundable cleaning fee.

Look at Fort Collins, Colorado "You Plus Two" policy. I designed my policy after theirs. If three or more unrelated individuals want to rent together, they must EACH make at least 2x the rent. It's a high bar and I'm sure your folks don't meet it.

Unless you're desperate, pass this one up.