Making money from your home

Our home is our biggest asset- and expense - so make yours pay its way by sharing with others. Jennifer Morgan reveals how...

As the cost-of-living crisis deepens and life at home becomes more expensive, we are looking at ways of making our personal spaces pay for themselves a little. While some schemes such as the Government's Rent a Room - are well-established, offering up to £7,500 tax-free each year, or well known, like Airbnb, newer money-making ones are gaining momentum post-pandemic. There are plenty of inventive ways to embrace this 'sharing economy'.

Take AllotMe (allotme.co.uk), which allows you to list your garden for would-be vegetable growers to rent, launched in May 2021. 'Most of our hosts don't have the time to tend their gardens,' says its founder, Conor Gallagher. Dubbed 'Airbnb for gardens', it's an alternative to growing lists for allotments.

'One in eight households nationally have no garden, rising to one in five in London. Allot Me takes a 15 per cent fee on monthly rentals that are listed for a price,' explains Conor, but you can also list for free. You get to decide who to accept or decline onto your plot, after that, you receive monthly rental, and you get to watch your garden flourish,' says Connor. 'Allot Me also has a Garden Guarantee that allows for claims of damage caused by any renter in case of any issues.