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Wondering how to generate rental income from your home & property? Check out our guide and learn 7 top ways to make the most of today’s real estate market.
You’d be surprised how you can generate rental income from your primary home.
Many new and existing homeowners with mortgages in Canada face a historic market correction that will weaken the market.
Today, I wanted to discuss ways to generate extra money using your home.
There are both pros and cons to generating rental income, which I want to discuss today.
Canada’s Interest Rate Hike
The Bank of Canada’s interest rate hike of 1% — rising from 1.5% to 2.5% — earlier this month has sent a shockwave across the market, indicative of the bank taking a much more aggressive approach to consumer inflation and the rampant growth in real estate prices.
More interest rate hikes are expected through the end of 2022.
Daily Hive
When this happens, homeowners who overpay for a house due to a seller’s market will owe more than the home is worth.
Over the past two years, there was no shortage of ridiculous home prices in Canada, but people bought into it.
Some homeowners took the money and ran or poured their equity into a bigger, overpriced home.
Doing so will likely lose some or all of the money when the market correction happens.
Couple this with rising food, utility, and transportation costs, and Canadians will feel a financial tug.
It is massive for some and not so much for those who own a home without a mortgage.
Even so, everyone still has to pay for increased prices on just about everything in Canada due to inflation.
Late Mortgage Payments
Being house-poor is not something anyone signs up for; however, not all buyers consider the costs of owning a home.
There’s more than a mortgage to pay when you buy a house, so don’t walk in unthinkingly to the biggest purchase of your life.
Plop new or existing debt on a mortgage, and you’ve done a banana split.
The ice cream might melt faster than you can eat; before you know it, you’ve wasted time and money.
If you can’t meet your monthly mortgage payment, you have options.
One of those options laid out in your mortgage agreement could be one missed mortgage payment allowance.
Let your bank or mortgage lender know you’ll need to use your lifeline as you are short on money.
Don’t wait until the day your mortgage payment is due to find out if your policy covers a missed cost.
You’ll need to determine how to increase your net income or face potential mortgage default.
Nobody wants that to happen and have their mortgage company take possession of their home.
Types Of Insurance For Homeowners
If a homeowner does not put in a 20% downpayment, then mortgage loan insurance is necessary by the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CHMC).
However, if a homeowner defaults on a payment, the mortgage insurance is for the lender and not the homeowner.
On the other hand, mortgage life insurance is optional and will pay down a mortgage or what remains if the homeowner dies.
Term life insurance is the option we chose when we bought our first home, which pays the beneficiary the total amount of the house.
Home insurance covers you and your family; however, you must inform your insurance company if you rent a room, basement apartment, or other parts of your property.
Every insurance company is different, as are their policies, so it’s best to shop around.
Your home insurance company may deem your home a business while using parts of it as a rental.
If the homeowner generates income from the home or property, you need upgraded protection with a different insurance policy.
The downfall for homeowners is that their insurance company will have a potential price increase.
Rental Income Could Be Your Answer
The good news is that you may generate more rental income than increased insurance premium costs.
In the situations below, before jumping in and listing your property for rent, it’s best to talk to your insurance company first.
If you are a tenant who rents a room or apartment in a home again, it’s best to talk to an insurance company.
Although tenant’s insurance is not mandatory, I encourage anyone who rents to buy this insurance in the event something happens while living in the home.
Ways To Generate Rental Income With Your Home
Now, to the fun part, I discuss some cool ways to earn rental income with your home.
As mentioned above, before you engage in any of the ideas below, you must talk to your home insurance company.
It pays to be truthful with your insurance company because if someone is hurt or dies on your property, your policy may not cover it.
You can also get sued if something of this nature happens, whether you have the proper home insurance.
Room Rental
I’ve discussed over the years that we did rent rooms in our house, which, in hindsight, was great for the money but not the bother.
Having someone in your house means putting a lock on your bedroom doors and valuables in a fireproof safe.
The most lucrative room rental was the one-month homestay from Red Leaf Canada, which has students who come from overseas.
Although the money was tax-free, we still needed to inform our insurance company so they were aware.
It was an educational experience for the child and our family and a fun time for all.
A room rental can fetch up to $1000 a month or more, depending on where you live in Canada.
Garage Rental
If you have the space in your garage to accommodate a vehicle, you could capitalize on the space to earn rental income.
Most vehicle owners looking for garage storage do so because their car is vintage or valuable.
Be sure to consider the costs of your home and vehicle insurance companies.
Consider if a vehicle renting in your garage is stolen from you, and the owner sues you.
If your insurance company is unaware of the arrangement, they won’t cover it.
When this happens, you may have to pay out of pocket based on the court ruling.
Some homeowners own farmland and allow RV storage over the winter for a fee.
It’s a great way to earn rental income from a large property or farmland, provided your insurance company allows it.
Driveway Rental
When cities need vehicles to be parked in a driveway during the winter months so the snowplow can come through, it is a great time to rent your driveway.
You’ll find no shortage of people who need a driveway to park their vehicle, mainly when city by-law officers will issue a fine.
The downside is that you will have an extra vehicle in your driveway.
How much should you charge to rent a space on your driveway?
It depends on how it will impact your house insurance, but typically, I’ve seen $100 a month as reasonable.
Kitchen Rental
If you’re fortunate to have a large kitchen with lots of space to bake or cook, you can rent your kitchen.
Selling food from home is another way that people can earn money on the side.
You can buy spring rolls, roti, and kimchi from various cultural cuisines in our area.
How much money should you rent for your kitchen space?
Again, talk to your house insurance agent to see policy and price changes if allowed.
Ensure you’re still covered if your kitchen renters burn your house down.
Always ensure that you have a fire extinguisher and smoke alarms in working order in the space.
Party Rental
For homeowners with a more oversized backyard, why not rent it to someone who wants to host a party?
The type of party I’m talking about is a bridal shower, retirement party, baptism party, birthday party, etc.
Keep your neighbors in mind if you plan to earn rental income this way so you aren’t disturbing them.
Pool Rental
A pool party is a tricky way to earn rental income, especially with the odds of potentially drowning or slipping.
Your insurance company can give you the go-ahead to earn rental income on a seasonal basis.
Mrs. CBB and I were at a pool party last month, a rental pool in the back of someone’s yard.
The renovations to the yard cost the owners $250,000, and they rent their entire yard and pool by the hour.
Out front is a portable washroom, so nobody needs to go into the home, and a first-aid kit, floatation devices, and life jackets.
Most people who rent the pool do so for private swimming lessons and pay $65 an hour plus the cost of the trainer.
The downside is that it’s not your home.
Gardening Space Rental
We participate in a community garden on city property where the water is free, but we still have to pay for the plot.
For one plot, buyers pay $40, which includes the city water and free compost. With any extra money, the volunteer who organizes the garden purchases soil and other plants, such as flowers and berries.
These community garden plots get taken very fast each year, so if you don’t get a space, you’ll have to source another.
Homeowners with big backyards not used for a garden may want to earn rental income.
When doing so, things are increased water costs, grass removal for a garden, privacy, and higher home insurance costs.
If you have a rain barrel to offset water costs, you may want to keep that for personal use.
Overall Thoughts On Rental Income
If it were us and we were struggling to pay the mortgage, bills, debt, and other essential needs, I’d consider it.
It may seem more hassle than worth and a pain in the backside.
What it would boil down to for us is how badly we are in trouble financially.
Also, if our house insurance does not cover what we plan to earn rental income from, it’s a bust.
Considering all aspects of earning rental income with your home and insurance company is essential.
Discussion: Have you ever earned rental income with your home using any of the above suggestions? Please share your thoughts and comments below.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. CBB