Renting out Basement

[Ben Capriolo]

Hi All,

I currently live in a 3 bedroom 3 bathroom house in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia (about an hour from D.C.) I have a basement that is about 700 sq ft that I am considering renting out. It has it's own full bath, own entrance, and access to a washer and dryer. It does not have a kitchen, though I may considering buying a fridge/microwave to be more appealing. I have a few concerns I was hoping to resolve. I would like to keep the door from the basement to the upstairs (my living space) locked and they can only enter through the basement door. The problem with this is, you would have to walk around the house through the grass to get to the door. Is this acceptable? Would I have to make a path that is lit up? Also, my washer and dryer are down stairs, should I avoid entering down there at all or would it be acceptable for to me to say I need to use the washer/dryer once a week? Is there any laws or regulations I need to look out for?

Thanks for any help!