Have you (or would you) ever rent out a room in your home?

My mother has, on occasion, had someone living with her. She sometime has a "Lady Bountiful" complex and is convinced that she is the only person who can help. One friend who stayed with her for several months was totally controlled by her "voices". She couldn't get started in the morning until the "voices" had told her what color she was to wear today or if she was supposed to leave the house or even what she was supposed to eat. I expressed to my mother my fear that one day that her friend's "voices" were going to tell her it was a fine day to burn the house down or something, but Mom wouldn't hear anything against her friend. Finally she moved on and I was relieved.
 

Years ago, when we were discussing retirement, I wanted to know what my options were. Would I be able to live in the house we now own. Old Mack said I could always rent out his man-cave and if that didn't work out, I could rent out the house, get an empty refrigerator carton, cut holes in it for windows and a door and live in the backyard. We still have the portable gas grill, don't we? Guess who slept on the couch that night. He says I can't take a joke. But these are things we need to know.
 

At this point in my life, I would not rent a room with an eye towards making money. I would look for other ways to economize and not sell my privacy for the few dollars that renting a room would generate.

When I was young I rented rooms two different times to people that I knew and it worked out fine. I have to admit that the rent money seemed to evaporate as soon as it was paid and the additional income did not seem to improve my standard of living.

Today I would only rent a room to a young person that needed a little help to get on their feet. I'm sure that we would both hate every minute of it but I would do it if I thought that it would help them. The arrangement would have to have a definite end date that both of us could focus on to help preserve our sanity!!!
 
Been there/done that. Never again. Did not work out. Our personalities did not mesh, she was not an honest person. I ended up evicting her. I would try anything else in the future.
A friend once suggested that if we were alone when older we should move in. Now, we get along great, and she is a good friend. But I am not sure it would work. We met as roommates in college and butted heads often. We now have been friends for over 30 years and get along much better since we are no longer living together.
 

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