Posted on 08/08/2005 12:29:06 PM PDT by jmc813
I will be moving into a new place within the next few weeks and have decided to be the sole leaseholder. Therefore, I must now go about finding a roommate.
I prefer not to go with a current friend because if, God forbid, something were to happen, I would hate to lose a friendship. With that in mind, I'm probably going to take out an ad on roommates.com and the like.
What advice can you offer me as to good questions to ask these stranger before deciding to live with them or not? Are there any red flags I should be aware of? Appreciate any help you could offer.
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
"What is wrong with you that you want to live in New Jersey?"
;)
36-24-36 is a good start..... ;-)
"May I see a copy of a credit report from one of the main independent rating agencies, and a payment history from two public utilities at your most recent residence?"
You can get a criminal background check online for a fee. I would definitely recommend you do so.
Also, be sure to catalog all of your "stuff", like CD's, DVD's, and such. They might walk away or suddenly become the roommate's.
LOL. Actually, on roommates.com you can specify the orientation of your prospective roomate. I chose straight man or straight or lesbian woman. :-)
DANG sadly I cant rent his place I already own a home LOL
Patriots fan would be a good start.
Can you possibly ping your GenX list?
Yes, ok, here:
are you a goer? do you go? care to haggle?? did you say an EX-leper??
That's not even funny. Don't make me call in the moderators. ;-)
We own a 2 family home and no matter how you look at it its a pain in the ass. We long for the day we DONT need the rental income. I am reasonable also. I charge way less of market value. If i rented for the full going rate I would get cretins in here who would have me doing all kinds of crap for them. Private freep mail if you need further advice.
Note that the cheaper the rent, the more applications you will get from people who can barely afford the minimal.
Unless you want to go through a property management service, who will interview for you, try local law schools. USUALLY, such people will have sufficient income and/or proper attitude towards life and roommate situations.
Law school, being expensive, means housing can be a luxury MOST cannot afford without roommates. This provides an opportunity to someone who is not going to steal you blind when you leave for work, or hang out watching tv all day. At least, that was MY experience.
Alternatively, if there is a neighboring military base, you might be able to list an opening at the BOQ (Bachelor Officer Quarters) where a college graduate would rather find a house than living on base.
Those are two situations I had when I needed a roommate, and I never had TOO many scary stories from them.
single white female hottie
Write up all the standards you expect the roommate (and yourself) to adhere to. And I mean ALL. Make sure it is written so as to scare off undesirables. E-mail the document to anyone who answers your ad, making clear that they will be required to sign a rental agreement which includes this set of rules, and is subject to cancellation by you if the rules are not adhered to.
"Are you a dog person or a cat person?"
LOL!
Make sure your hours/habits/entertainment choices are compatible. You'll probably be sharing an internet connection, so set ground rules about that (no Nigerian spamming, no blackmail, no downloading things that will get you sued).
Get a trunk with a lock to keep your valuables in.
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
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