Ryan Chaw - How He Retired at 31 With Student Rental Properties

Ryan Chaw went from working long shifts as a pharmacist to becoming a millionaire at 28 and retiring at just 31 years old. His strategy? Building a portfolio of rental properties near colleges and renting them by the room to students. Today, he owns 14 properties and rents to approximately 90 tenants.

In this episode of the Real Estate Educators Podcast, Kevin Amolsch talks with Ryan about how he discovered the student housing niche and why renting by the room can dramatically increase a property's rental income. Ryan shares an example of taking a house that might rent for $1,800–$2,000 per month and configuring it into six bedrooms renting for $700 each, or approximately $4,200 per month.

Of course, renting to multiple college students comes with its own challenges. Ryan shares the story of an 80-person party at his first property and explains how that experience helped him develop his PRIME method for finding better tenants. He also breaks down how he uses head tenants, virtual assistants, guarantors, and a step-by-step conflict resolution process to manage approximately 90 tenants without creating another full-time job.

Ryan and Kevin also discuss financing, DSCR loans, overcoming analysis paralysis, and some of the costly lessons Ryan learned on his first property, including a $9,000 sewer line replacement that reinforced why investors should thoroughly inspect properties before buying them.

Whether you're looking for ways to increase cash flow on rental properties or considering student housing for the first time, this episode offers a practical look at how rent-by-the-room investing works, how to manage it, and the systems Ryan used to turn the strategy into financial freedom.

Timestamps

00:00 – How real estate created generational wealth for Ryan's family
03:05 – Becoming a millionaire at 28 and retiring at 31
06:15 – How renting by the room can double rental income
08:05 – Financing his first rental property
12:50 – Why Ryan targets graduate students
14:15 – The PRIME method for screening student tenants
23:25 – Overcoming fear and taking action in real estate
29:10 – Life after retiring at 31
32:05 – What Ryan would do differently starting over
33:25 – Why building your real estate network matters

Connect with Ryan Chaw

Ryan offers a free guide covering his student housing and rent-by-the-room strategy, including lessons and mistakes from building his own portfolio. He also discusses his one-on-one coaching program and YouTube channel in the episode.

Ryan Chaw's Newbie Real Estate Investing Guide

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