EP362 Rent-by-the-Room Real Estate Strategy with Ryan Chaw

A Canadian Investing in the U.S. with Glen Sutherland

This podcast features a conversation with a real estate investor who specializes in the "rent-by-the-room" strategy, particularly targeting college students near major universities. The guest shares their expertise on identifying suitable properties, adapting spaces to maximize rental income, and navigating financing challenges in this niche. Key Topics Discussed 1. Researching Locations and Understanding the Market Safety First: Tools like Reddit and CrimeGrade.org are invaluable for researching neighborhoods and identifying safe locations. Reddit provides direct insights into student preferences through word-of-mouth discussions. Student Preferences: Understanding what students seek in off-campus housing helps in selecting suitable properties. 2. Pricing and Rental Rates Use platforms like Facebook housing groups, Roomies.com, and Craigslist to determine average rental rates per bedroom. Pricing must align with the local market while ensuring profitability. 3. Maximizing Rental Income Repurposing Spaces: Convert bonus rooms, offices, or large living rooms into additional bedrooms to increase income. General Guidelines: Bedrooms must meet local egress and size requirements (typically 10x10 feet or larger). Estimating Bedroom Potential: Divide total square footage by 300 to estimate the number of bedrooms a property can support. 4. Financing Strategies Lenders typically use market-wide rental comps, even for rent-by-the-room setups. Refinancing to use actual rental income requires at least one year of ownership and showing income on tax returns. DSCR loans (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) may be harder to approve for room-by-room models during refinancing. 5. Target Tenant Base Focus on colleges with professional programs (e.g., medical, dental, law) where students stay for several years. Students are generally reliable tenants, with parents or financial aid often covering rent. Evictions are rare in this demographic. 6. Getting Started and Scaling Start with a single-family home and convert spaces to add bedrooms. Creating additional bedrooms is cost-effective (around $1,500–$2,500 per room). Once a system is established, the process can be repeated for future properties. 7. Advantages of Rent-by-the-Room Strategy Potential to net $1,500–$2,500 per month in cash flow per property. The U.S. has a vast market with colleges in every state, providing consistent tenant demand. Real estate investing offers compounding growth through leverage, equity paydown, and cash flow. Closing Thoughts The guest encourages new investors to consider this strategy due to its accessibility and profitability. They highlight the importance of developing a repeatable system to scale investments efficiently. Real estate investing provides financial independence and control over one’s future.