Should I rent out my house for 6 months ?

[retiredat58]

I will be living in another city for 6 months and was considering renting out my home,  or at least a room, during that time. I will be making trips back home approximately once every 6 weeks and would stay overnight. I live within 20 miles of a university and 10 miles from a teaching medical center. If I decide to do this I'd like to rent it to a visiting professor, medical student doing a rotation, or a traveling nurse.

Your thoughts/ideas ?

[NinetyFour]

Posting to follow, as I might be interested in doing a similar thing at some point.

[pbkmaine]

If you do this, check references! You also might want to have a property manager, or a good friend to check on things.

[arebelspy]

Sure, if you're comfortable with it.  You're leaving thousands of dollars on the table to avoid a little hassle, otherwise.  I definitely would.

[wwweb]

How would you handle maintenance while you were away? Would you hire a property manager? What happens if you get a visiting professor who calls you every time a light bulb burns out?

I don't think renting out your house is a bad idea, but it has the potential to be a bit of a pain. Is the additional rental income for six months worth the hassle of being a distance landlord?

[Retire-Canada]

Your thoughts/ideas ?

I have thought of doing this, but the hassles of having to move my stuff out [at least the valuables], insurance/risk issues and trouble of finding/vetting a suitable renter have put me off.

If I could find a friend that needed a place to stay at the same time as I was away I would go that route, but so far that hasn't worked out.

I've  known people who have done this and have heard both good experiences and horror stories..