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Room renting is a money-saving alternative to living in an apartment or dorm. Rental properties offer more flexibility than traditional rentals and are usually cheaper, especially for those looking for short-term housing.

However, there are important points to take into consideration. Renting a room is not like renting the whole apartment. You might share the apartment with the new person. For this reason, it is good to keep promises written and inspections done well. It is essential to do that because renting a room is not usually defined and regulated by law as renting an apartment. Hence, you have to explain your own terms and conditions after discussing them and reaching a conclusion.

To make the process easier, you can digitally build a rental agreement with the points you want to include and the asset you wish to inspect. A digital rental agreement would make things so much easier and also is accessible anytime. Let's start in detail.

What is a digital rental agreement, and how does it work?

A digital rental agreement is a document in which a person (the "Renter") agrees to rent something to another's (the "Owner") for an agreed-upon period of time. The owner can specify the terms of their contract, such as date(s) of service, price, early termination fees, etc. Usually, this process is completed on paper but based on today's advancements and needs, and it can be done digitally. This makes the process more secure, reliable, and open to recording multiple forms of data such as photos for inspection or marking the damages on those images.

A digital rental agreement is also a legal document that is created electronically. It is the same as a paper agreement, but it can be signed electronically. These agreements are legally binding and enforceable in court. The digital agreement process includes a series of steps which are listed below:

1) Creating the document template with the static text and fields to record information

2) The responsible party records the asset inspection

3) The parties receive the document to exchange information and agree on the terms of the contract

4) The parties sign the contract electronically

5) The contract is stored electronically for future reference

What to do before renting a room?

Inspect the room to make sure it is in good condition and has everything you need. Then discuss with the landlord any requirements, such as what time you can enter and exit the room, pets allowed, and smoking allowed. Don't forget to define when you need to leave the room before your tenancy agreement ends. If you want to extend the period, you should note that in the agreement as well. 

Before renting a room, it is important to consider the following:

- the size of the room and the number of people who will be living in it,

- the overall cost of rent,

- what utilities are included in the price,

- how close the room is to public transportation and work locations.

Do I need an inspection of the rental property?

It is crucial to inspect a rental property before you sign the lease. You need to know about any problems with the property and what you are getting into. An inspection of the rental property is a way to determine what condition the property is in. The inspection will cover various aspects of the rental property, including structural integrity, shared pieces of furniture and electronics, bills, and so on.

While renting a house, an inspector will also provide a detailed report on the property's condition. Both parties will use this report to assess any issues with the rental property or if it meets their needs. However, you don't always need a professional inspector for that. If you rent a room, take pictures of the room, and properties will be shared. Since this inspection part might be a section in the rental agreement for the room, both parties can have immediate access to the document digitally.

Inspakt can handle it all!

You can prepare your digital rental agreement in Inspakt and also inspect your assets. This way, everyone in the deal secures themselves and starts building strong trust in the relationship.