BiggerPockets

I have a nice house that's cheap and better than nearby rentals. Rent is comparable to nearby rooms for rent. Actually, it's a little cheaper than many.

I don't include photos on craigslist yet, instead e-mailing them upon inquiry.

I don't accept pets, want one roommate only, no evictions, and it's non-smoking only, so I'm eliminating a good chunk of the rental market already.

Any tips for getting more (and better) inquiries?

Should I reduce rent?

If so, how much? Should I knock $10 or $20 off and see what happens?
This room is "bills paid" already.

Should I allow rent?

Wait a while?

My room is occupied now, but I need to find a new tenant for February 1.

Do people often search for rooms so close to move-in?

Should I expect to not have a roommate for February? We're at the 2 weeks away mark, and I wonder if there's really any chance I'll find a decent tenant/roommate who can move in within 2 weeks that I want to live with.

I've had responses without photos in the past. When I post photos, I get plenty of responses-- but bad responses. People try to say anything to live here. "Oh, I smoke, but only outside." "Oh, I have a dog but it's clean." It's like they don't even read the description when I include photos. I almost don't like to post photos for this very reason. People who aren't a good match claim to be just to live in a nice place. I want inquiries, but good matches. Not people who act like they meet the requirements, come look at it, then say "Oh, I smoke" or "Oh, I have a pet" and waste my time. It almost seems that no photos means people don't give me b.s., and I get more real inquiries who really read the listing description. With no photos, people seem to read.

It's worth a try to post photos to see if I get some good matches. But what else?

What else can I do to get good matches (non-smokers, employed, no pets, etc.)?

Should I have a lower rent price then have them split utilities?

Lower the bills paid price?

Are there better places to find *quality* roommates other than Craigslist?

Is it normal for Craigslist people not to read the listing at all?

Do quality tenants really just start looking for a place only 2 weeks before moving?

Err... I phrased that badly.

You get more bad responses with pictures because you get more responses IN GENERAL... and on Craigslist, with or without pictures, you are liable to get more bad responses than good ones.

At a reasonable price, with pictures, at a good time of year, I got about five serious-seeming calls every time I bumped the post. Most were couples or no shows. I showed that room four times. First one was transferred to a different office through work and couldn't stay, but I liked her a lot. Second asked us to hold the room, then ditched us. We learned to never hold a room without a deposit. Third wore way too much perfume and I am allergic to perfume. Fourth was a complete angel and has been in the room for almost 4 months without giving me any major issues whatsoever.

On the other hand, renting rooms in the winter can be torture. That time, it took me over a month to find someone but that was also because of the price of the room. It was more than a bit high due to its size. We've learned that big rooms only encourage long-term guests and have decided to rent a smaller one at a more reasonable price.

There is a big difference, though. Trying to find a place in the winter can be torture. No one is moving, especially around the holidays.

I basically cannot answer your question because it varies so much, but I think I'd have had the first room rented in two or three weeks if I hadn't stupidly held it for that one person...

The second one, for the price and the time of year, I was lucky to get someone within a month.

Good luck. Seriously.

5 serious calls each time? Ah. Good to know.

This probably isn't the most popular time to move either.

Maybe I'm getting the normal rate. I get so many junk replies it seems like I'm getting no qualified tenants. I get inquiries who googling their name brings up their court record. I don't even let them look at the property. I get smokers. I get pets.

I am alienating a lot of the rental market since I want someone with a job, a specific gender, and a non-smoker with no pets.

It seems like I got more inquiries last time, but I guess it wasn't winter then.

Ah, yes, the "hold it for me" never works. I learned the hard way on that one once too. They apply, get approved (or not), sign lease, pay rent and deposit.... then I'll hold it a few weeks.

Glad you found one good tenant out of the two.

I've never accepted calls before. Adding a number could make my ad look more legitimate, so that's worth a try. I have a free local Google Voice number that I can use.

Usually I run an e-mail address to find their Facebook, Twitter, etc. before I even let them look at the place. And their name through court records. It's amazing how much dirt some people have.

The foreign inquiry is a no-go. They're not even in the USA yet-- and won't be until move in day. (Yes, they really do work for a nearby large internationally-hiring company.. not a scam.) But, they don't have a car, and it's literally impossible to live here without one. Well, assuming you want to go anywhere.

Should I mention allergies in my ad? Or wait until a "roommate" discussion for that? I think I'll just handle it and ask any inquiry, "I was wondering what type of foods you usually cook... I've got a few allergies. Are you allergic to anything too?"

@Ricks DiMarco

I did find someone at the last minute, thanks for asking. I wasn't expecting to, but fortunately I got one at the last minute. They literally came, saw it, applied, and signed the lease just a few days before move in. It wasn't someone I would have usually considered-- outside my age range. But, so far (in a short week), so good.

I've had smokers come see the room too, then tell me a half hour into it that they smoked "outside only" (yeah, RIGHT. Not.). It is frustrating, isn't it? I've had others say they had no pets, they say "well, I have a dog... but it lives with my parents... can it stay here sometimes?" It's like... what part of the ad can't these people read? I guess they think I'm desperate and will take them if they seem otherwise fine. At one point I thought about it, but smokers just stink, outside or not. And, they usually end up smoking inside if it's cold. Maybe your smoker inquiries don't think their smoke would be a big deal if they seem pleasant too. Big waste of time for us. And pets.. I like pets, but not irresponsible tenants who don't care for their pets and let it destroy someone else's house.

I got a lot of inquiries of people with kids. They try to minimize it, saying that the kid will stay in their room. Um, NO way in hates. I'll never understand why people rent rooms in their house to people with kids. Kids cause damage, and the liabaility... sheesh.

You're right about the details making a match. If we hate smoker smells, someone else will eventually come along who does too. I also like a quiet house, and that's even a hard match to find.

It sure is a frustrating process to find people, but I've been fortune enough to find decent people most of the time after screening out the crazies, the smokers, the kids, the pets, and the people evicted. I've had a few months total of vacancy since I've rented rooms, but I enjoyed having one less person here.

I absolutely want to retire from the "rent a room" thing ASAP.

@Ricks DiMarco

My new roommate has been here only a week and already cleaned her bathroom. It's spotless. I haven't even seen her this week. So far, she's clean and quiet.

Ah, yes, the smoking outside the door thing. Yuck. Smoking is one thing I hate. I don't care if someone drinks or eats bon bons all day... those won't give me second hand effects and/or cancer. One person who came you couldn't really smell smoke on, but you're probably right about the washing machine eventually smelling. This person said she smoked "only sometimes and only outside" and her dog lived with her parents but she asked if it could visit some. Yeah, I said NO smoking and NO pets. Hah, tenants.

NEVER accept a kid in a roommate setting. Not bi-weekly weekend visits even. They WILL take advantage of it. Even a few nights a month of a kid could mean huge liability and plenty of damage. NEVERRRR. EVER. EVER. NO. Never accept a kid in a rent a room setting. They will end up staying the night more often, then they'll start coming over during the day more. Liability. Damage. Noise. And, if they get angry with you or a roommate, they could use their kid as leverage to claim you did something you didn't to get back at you. You definitely don't want kids. Talk about drama.

If they have adult children, it doesn't matter... unless there are grandkids they want to come stay. I say "no minors overnight."

When you give some leeway, they definitely take advantage of it. One roommate I had would have dates stay more nights than my rule (2 nights a month). Usually they went twice the limit. At least it's not more often, but still... gets old. I once had a roommate who would have her sibling stay a week every few months. That got very, very old and I had to tell her I expect this not to keep happening. My next lease will say "no overnight guests of any type, no exceptions." I'm done accepting overnight guests. Some are quiet, but... this isn't a hotel. They get the benefit of a cheap place and should be able to find somewhere else to take their date for a night. Overnight guests are just too much of an imposition in roommate situations. Some guests are quiet, but some hog the kitchen or bathrooms.

I'm glad you have a quieter house. Hopefully you can find another good match. I tell prospective tenants "we're very busy, and don't see each other often." I put "seeking tenant who works full-time or attends school full time outside the home, no work from home, and has a busy schedule and able to appreciate a quiet house." I don't quite phrase it like that, but that's the shortened version.

Here's hoping we both can retire from the rent a room thing soon!