Renting a 3/2 to a family of 6 wise move?

Question

Hello,
I am thinking about renting a 3/2 1500sq ft home to a family of 6. Four kids ages from 7-12 and two adults. That's two people per room. Is that considered wise to do? Is that full occupancy or more than recommended? Or am just looking for a problem.

Thank you 
John

Bill Gulley · Answer

Hi, It's best in my opinion to follow HUD standards as a landlord. In this case, at the ages of the kids it would be fine if you have two girls and two boys and the rooms meet or exceed (I believe it's) 72sq ft for each person or that bed room being at least 144 sq ft. There is no sq. ft minimum for the two adults.

A boy and girl can not share a bedroom after the age of (I think) 6 or 7. Special needs kids have different requirements.

And, what you see as a 3/2 with a den might be in their eyes as a 3 bedroom with a master for mom and dad if the use the den for themselves and use free standing clothes units.

IMO, you might be pushing the envelope here at 1500 sq ft, many have grown up in smaller places but if your lease is expected to be 3 years (I mean how long do you want to keep a tenant?) the kids at 15, 16 will be needing more room.....usually. Expect too, twice the wear and tear of a family with 2 kids, which is probably the right size for your home. Rents can be adjusted upward for more people, but don't price yourself as a 4 bedroom either.

I would certainly talk to them and see how they address the size issue for their family before renting it. Good luck!

Brandon Kamm · Answer

Always check your statues in your state.  One thing I would consider is the demand on your property, areyou desperate to rent or do you get a lot of calls.  Based on experience this situation will lead to a property having much more wear and tear when they move out.  That's not always the case, but from my experience morenoften than not.  May be soemthing to consider as you will have to rent again when they leave.

Also pay attention to credit and income of the adults. Much more expensive to cloth and feed four than one.  The risk of falling behind in rent will be greater as there are more built in expenses for the tenant.

Mike McKinzie · Answer

It is always best to check the law:

The State of California uses law set by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to set guidelines for occupancy. Section 503(b) sets guidelines for California as two people per bedroom as a reasonable limit for a landlord to impose.

Minimum Criteria
# Section 503(b) determines the maximum occupancy by square footage. The minimum footage in a dwelling is 120 square with at least an additional 70 square feet for a kitchen. The maximum residency for this space would be two people.

Additional People
# Each additional person sleeping in a room requires an additional 50 square feet. So, three people require a minimum of 170 square feet and four people sleeping in the same dwelling require at least 220 square feet.

Overcrowding
# In addition to the federal laws, the California Department of Consumer Affairs allows for a landlord to establish a standard for the number of people per square feet in a dwelling but cannot use overcrowding as a pretext for refusing to rent to tenants with children if the landlord would rent the same space to the same number of adults.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_7465091_california-maximum-occupancy-law.html

Brandon Kamm · Answer

What I was referring to was whenlooking at the big picture, a couple with 4 kids would have a more difficult time paying rent vs. A couple ith one kid if income were the same for each group.

Nothing extra would be needed, just another item to keep in mind.

Bienes Raices · Answer

But is it legal to assess their credit differently than, say, a childless couple?

John Khadiyev · Answer

Thank you for some good info. I will consider all options.
John

Mike Jakobczak · Answer

Well bigger families have a harder time finding properties that suit their living needs.  So allowing this gives advantage over the competition.

I think it comes down to your impression on the family.  Are each set of the kids in the same age group, that they wont mind living with each other.  Also are the rooms big enough for the beds.  Or will it be very cramped for the kids?

Also charging a premium for this rental would not be a bad idea.  More Cash flow!

Renting a 3/2 to a family of 6 wise move?

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