All Forum Posts by: Jon K.

Rob K

How lucky you are to never have had roommates. Roommates SUCK. I'm so tired of roommates. Goal is to have none by winter.

Rob K

My leases currently are only month to month. I accept one month visiting medical students too. I don't do 1 year leases at all. You're definitely right about people being nervous to do leases. I stopped doing year leases shortly after I got roommates. Now it's monthly.

The nearest nice 1 bedroom apartment to me is $700 - $950 plus utilities. Normal nice 1 bedroom apartment is $750 plus utilities. The nearest average/nice rental house to me, not as large or nice as mine, is 3 bedrooms at $1800 plus utilities. The nearest room for rent to my immediate area was about $600 bills paid. That house was newer, gated neighborhood, nice. If you drive 10 minutes away, the rooms for rent are around $450-- some include utilities, some don't. It does seem like $450ish utilities paid is a fairly average going rate around here for a room for rent in an average older, smaller, somewhat less nice home than mine. The $600 room for rent I saw had a newer, nicer house than I do. I saw one person rent a room in a nicer house than mine in a very nice gated neighborhood for $700 bills paid. $450 bills paid is more common than those higher amounts. If you drive 15-20 minutes to the moderate ghetto, you can get a 1 bedroom small apartment for only $500 plus utilities. If you drive 20-30 minutes to the true dangerous ghetto, you could probably get a nasty old 2-3 bedroom house for that very $400.

Are my rates off?

I should probably think about doing bi-weekly or weekly payments. I don't want someone destitute enough that they'll destroy my house or jack my stuff, but someone with regular weekly income that at least covers their expenses would be good.

It is an interesting idea. I think I see drifters as hobo, but maybe that's what I am looking for-- a clean blue collar professional who pays on time weekly, makes just enough but not too much, and not a criminal. You're right about someone just renting a room likely being on the financial edge. People like that would probably stay longer too. I really should expect people needing $400ish in rent/bills to be more on the financial edge. How close to the edge should I go-- do I accept evictions? Not look at collections?

My area is more.... "suburban" style. Definite quiet, premium area. That's probably one of the problems. It's an established, quiet family community. Not many young people, and definitely no roommates around here in the immediate area. I'm probably 15 minutes to any of the nearest 3 colleges, so it's not completely ideal for students. It's a bit far from campus. Maybe young people want to party it up more. Another downside to my area is that people get married young. So, that rules some decent people out right there.

So far, I've had better tenants in the past. Some medical students, some young professionals, some graduate students. My graduate student makes $1200+ a month and had good rental references. I got lucky last year with a tenant who made $65K with stellar credit. That was a weird fluke, much too overqualified for a roommate. They just wanted to live with other people. They bought a house within the year. Most of my tenants have been students or recent college graduates who just got their first full-time job. Usually average credit, good rental references, able to pay rent/deposit up front.

I'm not sure why I'm not getting more of those people now. I've gotten some old people who realized I was younger and didn't come see it. I've gotten people in the middle of a divorce show interest, but not come look. I guess responsible students don't move in February. And, recent college graduates would have graduated last May and already found a place. Could this be a "timing is off" issue than price?

I've been trying to vary my Craigslist ad, but that doesn't seem to help. I could try varying the price.

Rob K

Do you usually get more lates with weekly payments?

Are these people incredibly broke and desperate? Is $400something an incredible amount to someone who's, say, 22? I could see weekly payments being good for a student. Hmm..

Bienes Raices

I probably am pre-screening too much, but people with jobs/schools, no recent court records, non-smokers, and who seem sane still aren't flocking in this time around.

I'm surprised your aunt doesn't have much damage. Does she have to share kitchen and living rooms with them?

I suppose I could try out a person, do month to month, and if it just doesn't work, as them to leave. Hopefully I get someone mid-month that's a good enough match since Feb. 1 is unlikely.

I started advertising early January or mid-December... can't remember which. I'm surprised I haven't found a match yet. Usually I've found someone by now that's safe, clean, employed.

I had a person wanting to move in the same day a few months ago. They didn't want to fill out an application, said they had people to vouch for them. I said I have to have an application. It's half a page and very quick. Said they owned a rental house and were self-employed.

Weekly? Hmm. That's interesting. Would weekly tenants still have a one year lease? I could get some short-term professional travelers that way too.

By "drifters," are we talking borderline homeless and ghetto?
Or young people who work but relocate often?

With my nice neighborhood, I'm not sure I would want to lower the bar to drifters vagrant bums who couldn't afford $400something upfront. My wall art is worth more than $400. I usually rule out those on probation for fear they'll jack my stuff or ruin the house. Do you run into that problem with drifters often?

My ideal target is young professionals and students. Had those in the past, but not this time of year.

Short-term medical students or working professionals needing one month only is another ideal tenant I've had and hope for.

I really should find a way to advertise at the colleges here. None of them had off-campus housing lists or offices. Hmm...

I unfortunately am relatively new to the area, with no networks to get referrals on. I've had some short-term med students, but their schools weren't local so there's no connection there to get others like them.

It's a house with a few rooms I rent out. They each have their own bedroom. I sure don't want to do it forever, but for now it's necessary.

My rents are cheap. $400something utilities included. Seems dirt cheap to me. Same price, or less, than others around here. My neighborhood is nicer, and house is larger/more expensive than Craigslist comparable rooms for rent. They get access to the rest of the house. The roommates combined rents couldn't even pay a standard mortgage on this house, let alone utilities.

I've gotten some good tenants from out of state. One was ideal, but bought their own house. Others moved in with dating partners. I accept short-term.

I don't accept smokers, pets, or evictions, or people on probation. (LOL)

I might have to cave and accept pets at some point, but I have massively huge custom windows and drapers, light carpet, and antiques.

Interesting idea about the old lady with a dining room turned bedroom. I actually have a large dining room that could be a room if it had one more wall. It wouldn't have an attached bath. I guess I'm not alone in getting drifters. Maybe that's the nature of the game with many roommate situations.

I get inquiries from "bad" tenants, or people with kids, or couples. No way. I'm living here too and sharing kitchen spare, laundry, and living rooms.

I also get inquiries from old people. I invited a few this week. Sometimes they realize I'm (relatively) young and choose to live with someone their own age.

I'm advertising on Craigslist, Roomster, Facebook/Oodle, and Roommates.com.

Should I have a long ad? A short ad?
Not state my criteria upfront (no smokers, pets)?

I forgot to add... druggie girl is currently on probation for a bogus check case.

Are all last-minute applicants bad ones?

I've been looking for a February roommate.

I've started getting more inquiries again, but after a quick Google/court record search for them, I have charming candidates.

1) Student with no job... she has a recent lawsuit against her from a rental company. And, at least 2 people have filed restraining orders against her. Google also says she allegedly tried to run an adoption scam.

2) Female in her 30s with drug charges within the past few years.

3) Guy with tons of charge-offs in small claims court.

This is a roommate setting. I don't accept people with evictions or drug charges. Small claims ok if older collections, and if income/rental history is good.

"They have other jobs outside of his self-employment that I could verify that would qualify them with 3x the rent. "

They have other jobs to qualify on here. The self-employment income is just extra, right?

She has no income. Either base it off her student loans, or wait for fiance and run his income/credit.

$6K is a lot of debt, especially with no credit. Are the credit card charge-offs recent? How terrible is her credit score? GLELSI is Great Lakes Educational Loan Services. She defaulted on a off a student loan, and recently no less??? Either way, fairly good debt, zero income. Doesn't matter if she's a student-- there's no income. How's she going to pay rent? Are there student loans to pay rent? What about scholarships? One way or another, she needs to be able to show income to be able to pay rent.

Fiance won't be back in 20 days? LOL. If he's going to pay rent, WHY ISN"T HE HERE??? That doesn't sound right. And, if he was paying rent, he would have his application showing income in.

He better have good credit, good rental references, and good income. If she has bad credit, no income, and a student loan default... his credit better be more than "OK." And, I wonder if his income is really even 75K. If he's going to pay her rent, why wouldn't he pay her little $6000 student loan to prevent her from defaulting a student loan?

What are your income and credit requirements to rent?