Room rentals to blue collar construction workers

[Jane Istre]

I have a 3/2 that I am considering renting by the room. It also has 2 living room areas the tenants would share a kitchen. It's not going to be a vacation rental more like a college rental. Basically just a place for blue and white collar construction workers who are working in our area temporarily do to plant expansions. They usually stay 1-2 years, I'll pay all bills. It's in a C blue collar neighborhood but with in a mile of the job sites and a few blocks from a boat dock to world class fishing. How do I advertise the wording for this situation to attract potential renters. Any pros and cons would be appreciated. I have been a land lord for 10 years and have several properties, I understand the SFH market but not this new market that is developing in our area. Market rents for this situation would be 200.00 per week per room. As a single family home it would only generate 800.00 per month. It's in a not so good school district.

[Paul Sandhu]

I have 22 furnished houses that I rent specifically to refinery contractors.  (Welders, pipefitters, electricians, boilermakers, etc).  Read some of my old posts.  I also charge $175-$200 per bedroom. 

Some of the things that you should provide:  cable, wifi, 1 smart tv with BluRay, regular TV's in the bedrooms, a gas or charcoal grill, a poker table, the sofa in the living room should be a sofa bed, washer/dryer with starting detergent, soap, tp, paper towels, cleaning supplies, vacuum cleaner.

Your dining room will never be used as a dining room.  Put a bed there.  Now your 3/2 can sleep 5 and you can charge for 5.

If you want to get fancy like I have done, put an outdoor picnic (beer drinking) area with a fire pit and fire wood, an archery or small arms shooting range, a kegorator. access to a garage with tools. When you have 5 paying people in the house, buy the house a keg each week they are there.  The extra rent from the 5th person pays for the keg.  You can also offer once a week housekeeping for an extra charge.  If there are day and night shift people sharing a bed, offer extra sheets but don't charge double.  Don't put up artwork of ponies, kittens or flowers.  Put up artwork of, men playing sports, muscle cars, wild game, those sorts of things.

The contractors generally have a mobile trailer at the job site where QC, GF, Safety and other higher paid workers stay.  Go to the trailer and put up a flyer about your house.

On rent day, go there with a box of small goodies (6 packs, small liquor bottles, candy, beef jerky, penthouse magazines, etc.).  The first person that pays gets to pick the first goodie out of the box.  Also, cash their paychecks if they need it.  I once was cashing about 15 paychecks a week, my charge was 1 beer per check.  Also offer them a fax service, and offer to check mail for packages.  Flat tires are another thing.  There is no place in my town to fix a flat before 8:00 and after 5:00.  They normally work from 7 am til after 5.  Fix their flats.  It also helps if you know how to weld.  I once had to weld a cracked rim of a flat tire.  Know where all the emergency walk-in clinics are.  You might need to pick someone up and give them a ride to and from the clinic.  Keep a weeks supply of penicillin or other antibiotics in the bathrooms.  Keep a skin stapler there too, you can get one from a veterinarian supply.  Be prepared to buy someone a one way bus ticket on your credit card, they pay you with cash.  Be prepared to drive them to the bus stop. Explain certain rules and regulations unique to your town so that they don't get in trouble.  For me, I tell them not to park on the grass in the front yard or else its a ticket.  Side yard and back yard parking are fine.  It's ok to drink beer on the porch, but if they go on the steps or in the yard its considered public consumption.  No indoor furniture (sofas, recliners, etc) can be on the front porch or else the owner gets a ticket. Warn them about house whores (that's what we call them).  Local women that offer cleaning, cooking & companionship in exchange for being robbed or otherwise parted with their money.  Don't let stray animals come in the house.  Strays carry fleas, the house will have fleas.  Round toilets bad, elongated toilets good.  Put a fancy cutlery set and a good set of seasonings in the kitchen.  Don't forget about a big stock pot.  Learn some Spanish.  Put a laptop computer in there.

I think that about covers half of it.