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SpareRoom

Let a spare room to a lodger (UK rent-a-room scheme potentially tax-efficient).

  • Monthly earnings

    Varies

  • Startup cost

    under £100

  • Time per week

    2-5 hrs

  • Difficulty

    Harder

Earnings are estimates from published sources. Difficulty is our rating: needs a real skill, upfront work or a longer wait for income.

ROOM£

The basics

What it is and how it works

Advertise a room, screen enquiries, agree terms with a lodger. Not a side-hustle app in the survey sense — it's housing income with legal responsibilities.

Where the money comes from

How the model works

  1. You list what you own
  2. Renters pay to borrow it
  3. The platform pays you, minus its fee

Honest numbers

What you could realistically earn

Varies hugely by city (hundreds of £/month common for a room in many UK cities). Check local listings; Rent-a-Room Scheme may allow tax-free receipts up to the HMRC threshold if eligible.

No reliable monthly figure is published for SpareRoom. What you make depends on what you have and how much you put in, so we don't show a scenario chart.

Step by step

How to get started

  1. 1

    Confirm you are allowed to take a lodger (mortgage/lease/insurance)

  2. 2

    List on spareroom.co.uk

  3. 3

    Screen applicants and agree house rules

  4. 4

    Use a written agreement; declare tax as required

  5. Start on spareroom.co.uk →

Costs

Optional featured ads; setup/cleaning; higher bills

Restrictions

Right to rent checks; insurance; licensing in some areas; deposit rules if assured shorthold vs lodger

Risks and catches

Personality clash; legal complexity; notice periods; void periods

Sources

Last checked: 9 November 2026. Terms change, so always check the platform before you sign up.

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