How to write a room advert: examples and a copyable template

Money and the room first

Rent, what it includes, and the deposit belong at the top. Say whether the figure covers council tax and bills, because that one line decides whether your room is cheap or dear. (Our London cost guide shows why.) Then the room itself: its size, whether it's furnished, and when it's free. Someone who needs a double bed or a June move-in will know in ten seconds whether to message, and so will you.

Vague lines, and better ones

• "Great transport links" → "Six minutes' walk to Blackhorse Road (Victoria line), 25 minutes to Oxford Circus."
• "Bright, spacious double" → "Double room, about 12 square metres, south-facing, with a built-in wardrobe."
• "Friendly house" → "Two of us, in our 30s and 40s. We cook together a couple of nights a week, but no one minds if you keep to yourself."
• "Bills included" → "£850 a month, including council tax, energy, water and broadband."

A template to copy

An example

Saying you're an affirming home

You can make it clear the household is LGBTQ+ or LGBTQ+-friendly by describing it, as in the example, rather than asking anyone to label themselves. Lines like "partners of any gender welcome", "we use each other's pronouns" or "trans and non-binary people very welcome" say a lot. What to avoid is asking applicants to state their sexuality, gender identity or health in a first message. Let people share what they're comfortable sharing, when they're ready. On Among Our People, members can describe themselves in their own words, and as much or as little as they like, so you'll often already have a sense of who's getting in touch.

Photos that do the work

• Shoot in daylight with the lights on, holding the phone landscape.
• Make the room the first photo, then the kitchen, the bathroom and any outside space.
• Tidy up, but leave it looking lived in.
• Use a normal lens, not fisheye, so the room looks the size it really is.
• Leave people, post and anything with your address out of shot.
• Add a floor plan if you have one.

The rules on wording (England)

These depend on whether you live there.

If you rent out a room and don't live there yourself, the Renters' Rights Act applies from 1 May 2026. You can't treat people unfairly because they have children or receive benefits, so "no DSS" and "no children" are banned, and councils can fine landlords up to £7,000. You can set an affordability test, as long as you apply it to everyone and count benefits as income. You also can't invite or accept offers above the advertised rent, so state one price.

If you live there and share the kitchen or bathroom, your new flatmate is usually a lodger, and those rules generally don't apply. The Equality Act gives you a lot of freedom to choose who you live with in your own home. But race is always protected. You can't turn someone down because of their race, wherever you live. And dropping "no benefits" wording is still the decent thing to do.

Not sure which applies? Our guide to tenants, lodgers and permitted occupiers explains. Once the replies come in, our guide to choosing a lodger takes it from there, and our deposit guide for room lets covers the money.