Spare room B&B in your own home

Leisure travellers, walkers and cyclists, wedding and event guests, visitors to family nearby and contractors working in the area.

A nightly room rate that includes breakfast. Income depends on your location, how many rooms you offer and how often they are booked, and is often seasonal.

• Friendly, welcoming manner
• Basic cooking and food hygiene
• Keeping rooms spotless
• Handling bookings and reviews

• Register as a food business with your local council, ideally at least 28 days before serving breakfast (check current guidance)
• Fire safety: check what a fire risk assessment, smoke alarms and escape routes need to look like for guest rooms
• Insurance: standard home insurance may not cover paying guests, so check for specialist B&B or public liability cover
• Check whether you need planning permission or business rates, and whether your mortgage or lease allows guests
• Rules on guest registers, gas and electrical safety and short-term lets can differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Income can be seasonal, so plan for quiet months

Startup costs are typically around £1,000 to £5,000, depending on how many rooms you offer, how much furnishing and safety equipment you need, and your breakfast setup. Treat this as an estimate and budget for your own home.

Check food business registration with your local council, ideally at least 28 days before serving breakfast, plus fire safety, insurance, planning permission, business rates, and whether your mortgage or lease allows guests. Rules can differ across the UK nations.

Monthly revenue is typically around £500 to £2,500, depending on how many rooms you let, your prices and how often they are booked. These are estimates, and income can be seasonal, so plan for quieter months.