Tacoma, WA · Member since 2015 · 6 posts · 2 votes
I have a house I am just about finished remodeling and planned on renting it out. The only bad part is I use a old barn to store some of my things so I would like to be able to still use the barn while renting the house out. I wasn't sure if I will do anything in particular to make this work properly besides informing any potential renters that I will be coming and going about once a week to pick up/ drop off stuff at the barn.
Hanford, CA · Member since 2013 · 5k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
I would advertise the house for rent. When people come to look at it, emphasize the house is for rent not the barn. That the barn will still be used and write it into your lease. i would not say anything in the ad, just at showing and in the lease.
Hanford, CA · Member since 2013 · 5k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
I would advertise the house for rent. When people come to look at it, emphasize the house is for rent not the barn. That the barn will still be used and write it into your lease. i would not say anything in the ad, just at showing and in the lease.
Real Estate Investor · Norfolk, VA · Member since 2014 · 33 posts · 43 votes
11y
I do the same thing with detached garages on some of my properties.
Make sure in the lease that you have a specific section addressing this. I state that it is for my exclusive only, and not tenants use. ( If you let them use it a little or a lot you are opening a can of worms here, with co-mingling of stored personal property, etc.) I include the physical location of the building along with size, the reason for my use, and stating that tenant will provide access for ingress and egress at all times, and not block or obscure the entrance. That way there is no question about it later.
Investor · Vancouver, WA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
11y
It will work if the barn has easy access which does not involve you entering and exiting the part of the property the tenant is renting. Define the space the tenant is renting, do so with fencing if you can or a clear line.
We have a house with a detached garage, fenced back yard and a storage shed. The house is rented with the garage and yard, but we use the storage shed for our rental property business needs. We access this shed easily from a public alley at the back of the property where it sits next to the alley and is not within the confines of the fenced yard. We advertise the house, garage, and fenced yard. We do not mention the shed. When we show the property, we tell the prospective tenant the shed is not included. It is outside the defined space which they are renting. We've never written this in the rental agreement and never had a problem with it, but I'll follow the suggestion of @Elizabeth Colegrove and @Steve Toth and include it next time.
Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 30k+ posts · 20k+ votes
11y
@Account Closed
Welcome to the site.
All great suggestions above.
I think the key is to it working well is the Barn being far away from the tenant. You do not want to be on top of them interrupting them. Barns are usually only on large properties so I assume this should work well for you.
We use garages at some of our properties as well. We keep it to the multi unit properties as the outside is all common space so I do not think it is intrusive. I think using the garage in a small SFR is a bit intrusive so we don't use any of those garages.
Tacoma, WA · Member since 2015 · 6 posts · 2 votes
11y
Yes the garage has easy access without intruding too close to the house. Putting the fence in between the two is a good idea though as to also keep clear of any confusion.
It is a 3/4 acre size lot. With a long driveway that pass first by the house and then ends at the garage. There is probably only 250 ft from the house to the barn but there is a lot of shrubbery in the way and if I put a fence I think that should be good enough. I wont be going there that often. I may lose a few possible leads because of it but I don't think it is that much of a deal breaker and if it is I will reconsider and possibly just rent the whole place out.
Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 30k+ posts · 20k+ votes
11y
@Account Closed
That sounds like a good plan to clearly define the two spaces. Doing it that way does not seem intrusive.
Is this barn/garage the only storage building on the property?
If so another thing to think about is the yard. With all of our SFR the tenant is responsible for lawn care if there is a storage building on the property. Those that do not have a shed or garage we cut the grass. It is a pretty hard sell to make them responsible for the lawn if they are not provided a place to store a lawnmower.
Tacoma, WA · Member since 2015 · 6 posts · 2 votes
11y
There is a 2 car garage attached to the home but that is also a good point and I wouldn't be opposed to mowing the lawn myself. I work nearby and am usually in the area quite often.
Investor, Entrepreneur, Educator · Springfield, MO · Member since 2009 · 21k+ posts · 12k+ votes
11y
I've had a barn property and detached buildings as well.
I laid out some 2x4s as a bottom plate, utilized interior posts, put up a top rail and wire fencing with a gate/door that provided a secure area for stuff and the tenant used the other space.
That building would be described in the lease as a "common area" of the property with an assigned area for tenant's use.
Also, need to address the fact that the tenant has the responsibility to secure the building, but has no custody of items not owned by the tenant that may be stored inside.
Don't want a tenant to feel like they have to watch your stuff or be responsible for it.
The secured area protects both of you. For insurance, the tenants property is covered as personal property on premises, you property is under your coverage as property away from your premises or under your landlord policy as on premises, coverage amounts are different for these classifications.
My lease also addressed personal property and substances kept on premises, restricting flammable, toxic, acidic or corrosive materials not normally found for or in residential properties and that common materials are stored in proper containers.
(Had a young tenant who put gas in an ice cream plastic bucket with a lid to clean paint brushes! It leaked gas with paint poured across the floor.)