House hack tenants

Seattle / Boise · Member since 2025 · 2 posts · 4 votes

I am an 18 year old college student in Boise Idaho, and am planning on doing a house hack next school year (26-27) with a one story 4-2 home. Since all my peers are already beginning to sign leases for houses or apartments for rent, and I won’t be purchasing a property until the summer, I am just wondering if chances are okay that I will find tenants for this house hack when the time comes. My tenants of course don’t have to be students, although that would be preferred. So if anyone has any knowledge about tenants and filling up rooms, would be greatly appreciated!

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James JonesPro Member

Investor · Collierville, TN 38017 · Member since 2017 · 583 posts · 437 votes

9mo

Hey Elias, great thinking this early, most people don’t even learn about house hacking until years later. You’re already ahead of the curve just by planning now.

Boise actually has a solid demand for rooms, especially near colleges. As long as the home is in a decent location and priced fairly, you won’t have trouble finding tenants, student or non-student. The key is timing: advertise 60–90 days before move-in. That’s when students and young professionals start locking in housing.

A couple tips that’ll make your first house hack smoother:

• Don’t wait for summer to start marketing. Create demand early.
• Set clear house rules upfront. Saves you a ton of headaches later.
• Screen for personality fit, not just credit score. In shared housing, compatibility matters just as much as finances.

You’re thinking the right way. House hacking your first property is one of the smartest moves you can make at 18. If you keep the numbers tight and treat it like a business, you’ll be in a great spot next school year.

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James JonesPro Member
Investor · Collierville, TN 38017 · Member since 2017 · 583 posts · 437 votes
9mo
Hey Elias, great thinking this early, most people don’t even learn about house hacking until years later. You’re already ahead of the curve just by planning now.

Boise actually has a solid demand for rooms, especially near colleges. As long as the home is in a decent location and priced fairly, you won’t have trouble finding tenants, student or non-student. The key is timing: advertise 60–90 days before move-in. That’s when students and young professionals start locking in housing.

A couple tips that’ll make your first house hack smoother:

• Don’t wait for summer to start marketing. Create demand early.
• Set clear house rules upfront. Saves you a ton of headaches later.
• Screen for personality fit, not just credit score. In shared housing, compatibility matters just as much as finances.

You’re thinking the right way. House hacking your first property is one of the smartest moves you can make at 18. If you keep the numbers tight and treat it like a business, you’ll be in a great spot next school year.
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Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
9mo
To be able to buy a home at 18 is pretty amazing and renting out the rooms is a great way to cut your costs and increase your income. I'd make sure you have all of your finances set up and try to purchase a bit earlier than you need it with a longer close.
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Aaron ZimmermanBusiness Member
Accountant · Chicago, IL · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
9mo
Congrats on the upcoming house hack. Being 18 and thinking about this is already going to put you way ahead.

I'd think that the highest and best value would be renting to college students as that's where you'll get more cash flow. I'd consider the timing of the other lease to coincide with when students are looking to move so you may need a shorter lease for the initial term before renting to students
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Joey BanasihanPro Member
Investor · Boise, ID · Member since 2019 · 233 posts · 187 votes
9mo
Hey @Elias Saarela! Fellow Boise house hacker and investor here. Filling tenants around the summer time isn't too hard, our property management usually looks for 12 month lease cycles from April - August becuase this is peak season for rentals in the Boise area. Happy to grab coffee or chat more about this strategy! I will DM you.
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Jake AndronicoBusiness Member
Realtor · Reno, NV · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 938 votes
9mo
@Elias Saarela
Love this idea! I'm certainly bias, but I've done this twice in Reno, NV and it's changed my life.
Here's what I learned and what I regret:
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Janice Carter
Real Estate Broker · Atlanta · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 604 votes
9mo
Elias, house hacking is a smart move, especially at your age. If the property is priced well and in a good location, you shouldn’t have much trouble filling the rooms as students and young professionals are always looking for affordable housing. Start marketing early next summer to give yourself plenty of time to secure good tenants. Also, try to structure your leases so they end in peak rental season. That might mean doing an 18 month lease instead of the standard 12 months and you may need to offer a small incentive to make that longer term more appealing.
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Wale LawalBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Houston | Dallas | Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
9mo
@Elias Saarela
I think if the property is clean, reasonably priced and conveniently located near campus or transportation, it will be easy to fill rooms in a student heavy market like Boise. Also I know that majority of students sign leases early, but transfers, late planners and those whose housing fell through always bring in a second wave in the late spring and summer. I suggest you should you aggressively market the rooms through Facebook groups, campus housing boards, Zillow and word of mouth.
Good luck!
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Rick Albert
Real Estate Agent · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
9mo
Between the escrow period, rehab, furnishing, and marketing for tenants, summer may be too late. I would consider starting the hunt in January/February depending on inventory levels. I would start analyzing properties now to set expectations.
I would also join all the Facebook groups for housing in the area and read what people are posting. For example what's coming online, what tenants are looking for, etc. This is a great guage to the market, including prices that people are willing to pay.
For college students, think about what they would want. For example internet is $80/month for the entire place. Since you need it anyways, offer it for the students. There are even ways to set up separate accounts so each person has some level of privacy. Also consider things like bike racks, etc. Create a brand around it. I see it all the time for housing near the University of Southern California. Some call themselves "Trojan Housing," etc.
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