If there's an empty bedroom in your house or apartment, one of the simplest ways to earn extra cash is to take in a roommate. If you own the property this can be fairly straightforward and, in fact, plenty of Americans do this already. Even if you rent your home you may be able to take advantage - for example, if you live in New York state there's something called the 'Right to have a roommate'.
The key question, of course, is 'how much could I earn?'
Here's our guide to the average rent roommates pay in the top US metro areas, to give you a sense of what your room might be worth. Actual amounts will vary depending on where you are, but this will give you a good starting point.
| Metro area | Average Rent $ |
|---|---|
| Atlanta | 898 |
| Austin | 909 |
| Baltimore | 756 |
| Boston | 1,106 |
| Chicago | 888 |
| Dallas | 723 |
| Denver | 942 |
| Houston | 765 |
| Las Vegas | 774 |
| Los Angeles | 1,219 |
| Miami | 1,119 |
| New York | 1,277 |
| Philadelphia | 838 |
| Phoenix | 846 |
| Portland | 807 |
| Raleigh | 754 |
| Riverside | 989 |
| Sacramento | 877 |
| San Antonio | 700 |
| San Diego | 1,135 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | 1,262 |
| Seattle | 988 |
| Tampa | 846 |
| Washington D.C. | 1,081 |
If you want to see what rents look like in your neighborhood, just search the ads on SpareRoom to see what's currently out there.
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Imange credit - Blake Wheeler