Start a personal flatmate matchmaking service

Landlords, house owners and existing householders who want a reliable person for a spare room. Room-seekers such as newcomers to a city, graduates and relocating workers use the service free. Charging them is likely to be restricted, so do not do it unless a solicitor or Trading Standards confirms it is allowed for your set-up.

A fee for a successful match or a set-price search package, paid by the household or owner offering the room. You might also offer paid packages to employers who are relocating staff.

• Good listening and people skills
• Organisation and follow-up
• Sound judgement about who will get on

• Fees to room-seekers: in England the Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans most fees to tenants and licensees, including payments to third parties connected with a tenancy. Wales has the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act 2019, and Scotland also bans charging tenants fees. Plan to charge only the household or owner offering the room, and check with Trading Standards or a solicitor before charging room-seekers anything, including registration fees
• Lodgers living with a resident owner may be treated differently from tenants in a shared house. Check which rules apply to each type of room you handle
• Letting agent rules: if your work counts as lettings agency work, you may need to meet extra requirements. In England this can mean joining a redress scheme and displaying your fees. In Wales it can mean a Rent Smart Wales licence, and in Scotland joining the Scottish Letting Agent Register. Check with Trading Standards, Rent Smart Wales or the Scottish Government before you start
• Data protection: you will collect personal and lifestyle details, so check with the ICO whether you must pay the data protection fee, and plan how to store and delete the data securely
• Matches that do not work out: set clear written terms on what happens if a match fails, including any refund or re-match
• Safety when arranging viewings: meet in public first and tell someone where you are going
• Right to Rent checks are the landlord's legal responsibility. Make clear that you do not carry them out

Startup costs are typically estimated at around £200 to £1,500, depending on how you set up and promote the service. These are estimates, so check your own costs for things like a website, data storage and advertising before you begin.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £300 to £2,500, depending on how many households use your service. The fee is paid by the household or owner offering the room, so your income depends on how many rooms you help fill.

Check this before charging anyone. In England the Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans most fees to tenants and licensees, and Wales and Scotland have their own rules. Plan to charge only the household or owner, and check with Trading Standards or a solicitor before charging room-seekers anything. Also check whether lettings agency rules apply to your work.