(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.
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??
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?"
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.
And finally:
when new roomie comes over to sign the rental agreement, make sure you have your piece conspicuously placed in plain view..
1st ? How big's your rack?
2nd Do you have a job?
3rd How big's your rack?
etc.
Question: " How often do you chat on DU? "
You're not a liberal are you? Who did you vote for last election? Any DU's in your family
Someone else mentioned hours. I briefly had a roommate and the reason it didn't work was hours.
I'm a non-partier, go to bed early, get up and go to work person.
they tended to come in after the bars closed rattling around making enough noise to awaken me.
Does that matter to you? Different feeling on weekends vs. weekdays?
If you're sharing common space clearly delineate cleaning chores, dishes, shared meals or not etc.
GEORGE: Do you realize in the entire history of western civilization no one has successfully accomplished the Roommate Switch? In the Middle Ages you could get locked up for even suggesting it!
JERRY: They didn't have roommates in the Middle Ages.
GEORGE: Well, I'm sure at some point between the years 800 and 1200--somewhere--there were two women living together.
JERRY: The point is I intend to undertake this. And I'll do it with or without you. So if you're scared, if you haven't got the stomach for this, let's get it out right now! And I'll go on my own. If not, you can get on board and we can get to work! Now what's it going to be?
GEORGE: All right, dammit, I'm in.
"You're not a 3000 year old demon who likes Celene Dion, are you?"