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But it has to be something related to the house and the insurance coverage. Such as if you let them have an aggressive dog and it gets out and bites someone the homeowner would be responsible, but if the roommate claims personal bankruptcy or cheats on their taxes etc, your home has nothing to do with it and is not in danger. If they do get hurt because they slip and fall on ice that you did not clean up they can sue but so can anyone else who walks on your sidewalk in front of your house if you are responsible to keep it clear, and if you have a handrail missing on steps into the house or it's loose and they fall you insurance would cover them.
If they steal or vandalize and you have proof you can charge them with a crime. This is why you have to check them out first and if you get any inkling that something may be wrong, don't be the nice guy and just say no. In theory, thought it's no common they can kick you out of your own home if they say you assaulted them and get a restraining order. Most people are fine, you would have to run into a psychopath or sociopath for that to happen. If you watch the movie Pacific Heights you may never want to even rent out an apartment to anyone. There are always risks and crazy and evil people out there.
Ideally the best person to rent to is a friend that you trust and get along with. You have to treat them like a guest in your house and they have to act as a respectful guest.
It's your home you are welcome to put in a surveillance camera in the common area as long as you let the tenant know, you can always turn your smart phone camera to document any problem. If you are a good judge of character people will show you who they are when you meet them or if not soon thereafter.
not how things work and you only learn this after it happens to you . here is the problem ..... in most states anyone living in your household is covered as a household member after living in your house for x-amount of hours . here in ny it is 72 hours .
if someone in my household commits any act of "liability " if i have an umbrella they are automatically covered .. any act is covered if they are liable and it is a covered act in my policy . .
the problem with someone stealing if they live in your house is it is not a crime ... it becomes a he said she said civil matter ... he told me i can have the tv set ... he told me this computer is now mine ... it is no longer a criminal offense taking something as it becomes a civil matter when they are a household member .
long story but i went through this when i tried to help my step brother out by letting him stay with us for two weeks .. supposedly he was clean from drugs but apparently not ... i told him he had to leave and the next day much of our stuff was gone along with him as he went in to the wind ...
the insurer would not touch it because they are an insured under the policy by living in my house for 72 hours . , in the eyes of the insurer this is an insured committing an insurance job , since they are covered the same as you are ... the police said they can't consider it a crime since he lived there . they can't say whose stuff it was and what he was deemed his .
so these are the things you learn after the fact. this why landlord insurance is so important when you have a tenant .. it breaks the automatic link to being a household member and they are on their own . this is why standard homeowners is for owner and household member occupied only , no renters or outsiders .
Last edited by mathjak107; 03-19-2019 at 08:36 AM..
here is the problem ..... in most states anyone living in your household is covered as a household member after living in your house for x-amount of hours . here in ny it is 72 hours .
if someone in my household commits any act of "liability " if i have an umbrella they are automatically covered .. any act is covered if they are liable and it is a covered act in my policy . .
the problem with someone stealing if they live in your house is it is not a crime ... it becomes a he said she said civil matter ... he told me i can have the tv set ... he told me this computer is now yours ...
long story but i went through this when i tried to help my step brother out by letting him stay with us for two weeks .. supposedly he was clean from drugs but apparently not ... i told him he had to leave and the next day much of our stuff was gone ...
the insurer would not touch it because they are an insured under the policy ... the police said they can't consider it a crime since he lived there . they can't say whose stuff it was and what he was deemed his .
so these are the things you learn after the fact
A person living in your house of renting a room does not have to be part of your household. They are their own household. they are not counted in your taxes, You can dispute these matters of course an insurance company will try to cheat you because they want to take and not pay. A person is only in your household if you share all things such as food and necessities. If you rent a room and let them use your appliances and utilities it's paid for and included in their rent unless it's a separate itemized charge. Your spouse and children are part of your household, a tenant is not which is what a person renting a room from you is. If you let a family member stay rent free and eat your food they can be considered part of your household.
A person living in your house of renting a room does not have to be part of your household. They are their own household. they are not counted in your taxes, You can dispute these matters of course an insurance company will try to cheat you because they want to take and not pay. A person is only in your household if you share all things such as food and necessities. If you rent a room and let them use your appliances and utilities it's paid for and included in their rent unless it's a separate itemized charge. Your spouse and children are part of your household, a tenant is not which is what a person renting a room from you is. If you let a family member stay rent free and eat your food they can be considered part of your household.
not true at all , you are making up your own criteria . taxes have zero to do with .. i went through this , while you are saying what you think should be.
read tyour policy definitions and see how insured is defined and whether it applies to household member or family members . here in ny it reads household and is defined by anyone living in your home with your consent for at least 72 hours. they become an insured -end of story . an insured cannot vandalize , arson or steal and another insured puts in a claim ... been there , done it
not true at all , you are making up your own criteria . taxes have zero to do with .. i went through this , while you are saying what you think should be.
read tyour policy definitions and see how insured is defined and whether it applies to household member or family members . here in ny it reads household and is defined by anyone living in your home with your consent for at least 72 hours. they become an insured -end of story . an insured cannot vandalize , arson or steal and another insured puts in a claim ... been there , done it
I don't have any criminal family members that have ever been arrested or that I would not trust in my home or who would steal from me. I hope your brother gets clean and gets his act together.
I don't have any criminal family members that have ever been arrested or that I would not trust in my home or who would steal from me. I hope your brother gets clean and gets his act together.
It is a step brother but irrelevant , it applies to anyone living in your house ... when you have a tenant and no landlord insurance ,regular homeowners can get you in a bind as that is strictly for owner occupied , no tenant or renter is allowed so everyone is automatically a household member.. the whole purpose of landlord insurance is it is not for just owner occupied and allows the severing of the link to your insurance by a renter .
nothing is ever a problem until it's a problem .
Last edited by mathjak107; 03-19-2019 at 09:23 AM..
Just make sure to use a background check first (I used Cozy). But besides that, if it's in a scenario where you can tolerate living with someone else and they're paying for some of your mortgage, go for it. I did it in the past and it saved me so much money every month. Faster way to pay off mortgage and you could make a good friend out of it.
As others have said a background check, a credit check, a signed lease, and a damage deposit.
Our neighbor rented her downstairs to a great guy for several years. Prior to that was a guy who never paid rent, clogged up the plumbing several times, and refused to move out. What a nightmare.
"A policy often defines "family member" as a person living in the named insured's household who is related by blood, marriage or adoption. ... A typical insurance policy may define a resident or household member as someone who has physical presence in your household with the intention to continue living there."
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