Rent a room in your house and earn extra income

When I moved to a north Oxfordshire village in 2004 and had to commute daily to work at London's Science Museum, I found leaving the house at 5am was decidedly unappealing. So I wondered Can I rent to a lodger in my home and the rent a room in London? I found I could earn extra income through the Rent a Room scheme and this allowed me to rent a room in London. I became a MondaytoFridayer lodger and landlord simultaneously.

Weekday lodging was an excellent arrangement. It gave me the chance to focus on work during the week and I still had my house to myself at weekends. My work life balance improved beyond recognition!

Now I work mostly from home but I still know lots of people who would benefit from being part-time landlords or lodgers, so I've set up a business called MondaytoFriday. We match homeowners who have a spare room available for rent with lodgers looking for somewhere to stay during the working week.

Under the Government's Rent a Room scheme, landlords can earn annual rental income of up to £4,250 (or, £81.70 a week) tax-free. Taking a lodger for the working week gives you the best of both worlds: you make money from home and still keep your weekends for yourself.

Since its launch in early 2004, MondaytoFriday has matched over numerous lodgers and landlords, helping people to get a better work life balance and earn extra income. The website also offers a wealth of advisory, legal and 'streetwise' information for prospective landlords and lodgers to help them make the best possible choice during face-to-face selection.