Roommate

Echo · Aug 11, 2004

I rented out a room in my house for about 5 years. You need to decide if you really want someone else in your house. I always rented to friends. You need to be ready for when that friend gets a girlfriend you don't like. You need to be ready for when that friend can't afford to pay their rent or bills.

I went back to living alone and don't regret it for a second.

douglas · Aug 11, 2004

currently, I am renting a room to my nephew (but he's moving out soon), and as of the 1st of the month am renting another room to a coworker - while they are both there, their rent pays for my mortgage & taxes which is damn cool

the nephew moved in when he split with his wife, now they are back together and he has had her & their 2 kids stay, sometimes for up to 5 days !!

I rented the room to him, not to the 4 of them :mumble:

Jozz · Aug 11, 2004

I once rented a room to a friend of a friend for 3 months.

As I didn't want to have trouble I made a writen contract with her.

No boyfriend allowed to stay overnight
No party or gathering at my place
My food , your food
Etc, etc, etc...

So with that both parties know where they stand and thus avoiding futur conflicts as much as possible.

biggins · Aug 11, 2004

jmvar said:
I live in a 3 bedroom townhouse by myself and the other day someone asked me why I don't get a roommate to split living costs.....

At first I said I just really don't want a roommate but I can't put a finger on why I don't. I guess I am out of my college days and just wanted a place to myself. Well I started looking around on the web and it seems like rooms in my area are going for $650 per month plus utes. That is a lot of money to give up each month....

Anyone ever been in this situation? I really don't know anyone that wants a room so I would have to go the want ad route and bring in a stranger....

Any pointers or experience?

thnx

draw all lines before they become an issue. i have always had roomies until this past march. interview them and let them know you are being selective. make sure they are clean and that their signifigant others are not gonna suddenly become your 3rd roomate and above all do not be shy abput straightening them out or letting them know about problems you are having with them.

douglas · Aug 11, 2004

jmvar said:
I think that I am gonna try and give it a shot, maybe with a short lease, like 3 months and see how it works out.

Jozz had good input on what to put into the contract:

No boyfriend allowed to stay overnight
No party or gathering at my place
My food , your food
Etc, etc, etc...

any other suggestions?

the no overnight guests ever seems overkill (maybe a limit like once or twice a week)

cleaning/picking up/dirty dishes

my tp, your tp?

maybe something about ac or heat use/abuse

COmtbiker12 · Aug 11, 2004

What about splitting food costs as well as any other supply type things needed for the household.

binary visions · Aug 11, 2004

I wouldn't rent a room ever from someone that informed me that a significant other couldn't spend the night, and that parties or gatherings were strictly not allowed.

I'm not a party animal. I don't want a significant other to become a third roommate. But that's pretty rediculous. Are we not adults here? What constitutes a "party or gathering"? You're seriously putting "no sleepovers" in the contract? What are you, their mother? Just tell them you don't want another person being there all the time, and you don't want a lot of noisy parties.

Be rigerous in your interview process and you should be able to find a reasonable candidate without having to babysit them. Don't state what you think and ask if they agree, ask them open ended questions for them to answer. Ask for a copy of their resume, question them about work experience - hard working people will be much more likely to not be slobs or party crazed.

TN · Aug 11, 2004

I lived alone for 3 years until this past may. before that all of my roomates were friends & at some period during that time we would almost always not be friends.....until one of us moved out. Roomates suck.

Jozz · Aug 11, 2004

binary visions said:
I wouldn't rent a room ever from someone that informed me that a significant other couldn't spend the night, and that parties or gatherings were strictly not allowed.

I'm not a party animal. I don't want a significant other to become a third roommate. But that's pretty rediculous. Are we not adults here? What constitutes a "party or gathering"? You're seriously putting "no sleepovers" in the contract? What are you, their mother? Just tell them you don't want another person being there all the time, and you don't want a lot of noisy parties.

Be rigerous in your interview process and you should be able to find a reasonable candidate without having to babysit them. Don't state what you think and ask if they agree, ask them open ended questions for them to answer. Ask for a copy of their resume, question them about work experience - hard working people will be much more likely to not be slobs or party crazed.

When you rent a room you accepting a stanger in YOUR house, its not like having a roomate and splitting everything and having the same rights.

Let just say that if he or she has a boyfriend then go sleep at said boyfriend or girlfriend house, not at my house! Every horro story I ever heard about roomates and room renting as been about a third party coming into the decor. So If you want to avoid trouble you know what to do.

Echo · Aug 11, 2004

Jozz said:
When you rent a room you accepting a stanger in YOUR house, its not like having a roomate and splitting everything and having the same rights.

Let just say that if he or she has a boyfriend then go sleep at said boyfriend or girlfriend house, not at my house! Every horro story I ever heard about roomates and room renting as been about a third party coming into the decor. So If you want to avoid trouble you know what to do.

I'm with you Jozz, people who can't understand have obviously never rented out a room of a house they own and live in.

Slugman · Aug 11, 2004

binary visions said:
I wouldn't rent a room ever from someone that informed me that a significant other couldn't spend the night, and that parties or gatherings were strictly not allowed.

You have to have a balance about that... because think about the type of person you'll get if you do not allow social gatherings/significant others. You'll get some loner loser who will just sit around the house all the time and never do anything...

Think of what rules you would tolerate...

Jozz · Aug 11, 2004

Echo said:
I'm with you Jozz, people who can't understand have obviously never rented out a room of a house they own and live in.

Some people need to learn trough their own misery... I decided that I would learn form others.

Cursor · Aug 11, 2004

i was reading about this on a diff board and everyone agreed that you have to have some sort of agreement or contract. i believe it was mentioned that office depot or staples even has a general renters agreement available.

but if you don't put all the specifics in the agreement (like no sleepovers) and it really starts to bother you, there's really not much you can do to force the person out of your house. someone said that it will take at least 30 days to evict a roommate......unless you just wanna :nuts:

i think just plan for the worse case and hope it doesn't get to that point.

SkaredShtles · Aug 11, 2004

TN said:
I lived alone for 3 years until this past may. before that all of my roomates were friends & at some period during that time we would almost always not be friends.....until one of us moved out. Roomates suck.

Hmmmm......... I'm starting to think that TN may actually be a woman..... :eek:

-S.S.-

stosh · Aug 11, 2004

douglas said:
currently, I am renting a room to my nephew (but he's moving out soon), and as of the 1st of the month am renting another room to a coworker - while they are both there, their rent pays for my mortgage & taxes which is damn cool

the nephew moved in when he split with his wife, now they are back together and he has had her & their 2 kids stay, sometimes for up to 5 days !!

I rented the room to him, not to the 4 of them :mumble:

oh man that is sucky!

Tell them to go have a fire in your fire place that should burn the place down and then you can move.

dh girlie · Aug 11, 2004

Don't

Search

Roommate

jmvar

Monkey

Echo

crooked smile

douglas

Chocolate Milk Doug

Jozz

Joe Dalton

biggins

Rump Junkie

jmvar

Monkey

douglas

Chocolate Milk Doug

COmtbiker12

Turbo Monkey

binary visions

The voice of reason

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?

Jozz

Joe Dalton

Echo

crooked smile

Slugman

Frankenbike

Jozz

Joe Dalton

Cursor

Chimp

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton

stosh

Darth Bailer

dh girlie

MISS MISSY (geek)