|
Don't recall it being mentioned or not, but we found our current rental on Zillow. I liked being able to drive around to check out areas we were interested in, then follow up on the app. Ended up only looking at three places till we saw our current place & put in the app. May be worth a shot.
|
#
?
May 19, 2017 23:07
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 3, 2024 15:26 |
|
|
There's this weird brown splotch in a cabinet under my sink with some black spots on it. It cleans off easily but it keeps reappearing. I think it's mold because I get allergies when I'm near the sink, but my landlord says it's just dirt. (At the back of a never-opened cabinet?) Then one day I found out the sink was leaking into that cabinet and assumed the brown spot was water damage. Got sink fixed, cleaned up the brown splotch again. Today I was having allergies in my kitchen and I opened it and the splotch was back. Am I just being paranoid, or is this mold? If it's mold, how do I convince him it's not "just dirt"?
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2017 01:02
|
|
|
Either something is still occasionally dripping from above, or seeping from below. The sink, the drain, dishwasher or dishwasher lines. Lots of options. From experience I can tell you that long-term water exposure in that area can lead to havoc.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2017 01:35
|
|
|
Saeku posted:There's this weird brown splotch in a cabinet under my sink with some black spots on it. It cleans off easily but it keeps reappearing. I think it's mold because I get allergies when I'm near the sink, but my landlord says it's just dirt. (At the back of a never-opened cabinet?) Then one day I found out the sink was leaking into that cabinet and assumed the brown spot was water damage. Got sink fixed, cleaned up the brown splotch again. Today I was having allergies in my kitchen and I opened it and the splotch was back. Doesn't matter whether it's mold or dirt. Water leakage is a habitability issue. What state do you live in? Some have specific mold laws for rental property. Tell him there is a leak bad enough to make people sick. Madbullogna posted:Don't recall it being mentioned or not, but we found our current rental on Zillow. I liked being able to drive around to check out areas we were interested in, then follow up on the app. Ended up only looking at three places till we saw our current place & put in the app. May be worth a shot. We list the higher priced units on Zillow. Entry-level studios and 1b's still go on ol' craigslist. Don't need to list much anymore though, the market on the West coast is so borked right now most units are rented before the last tenant leaves. Unload My Head fucked around with this message at 03:16 on May 20, 2017 |
|
#
?
May 20, 2017 03:13
|
|
|
Saeku posted:There's this weird brown splotch in a cabinet under my sink with some black spots on it. It cleans off easily but it keeps reappearing. I think it's mold because I get allergies when I'm near the sink, but my landlord says it's just dirt. (At the back of a never-opened cabinet?) Then one day I found out the sink was leaking into that cabinet and assumed the brown spot was water damage. Got sink fixed, cleaned up the brown splotch again. Today I was having allergies in my kitchen and I opened it and the splotch was back. Now you have no mold. If you can keep the area dry, you will not get mold again. This means the landlord making sure the plumbing doesn't leak (both fresh and waste lines) and you not splashing around like Baby Beluga. Unused cabinets will gather more dirt than a used cabinet. When dust/dirt settles in the cabinet where you keep your plates, you take the plate out and eat on it and wash it, and it's clean again. You do this every day. So in six months, your plate cabinet will still be clean because you inadvertently eat the dirt every day. Your sink cab which you never use does not have that luxury and the poo poo just settles there. Mold is naturally occurring. There is not a house anywhere without mold in it. You can control it, and you can clean it up, but your landlord does not have a magic button to get rid of all mold.
|
|
#
?
May 20, 2017 18:56
|
|
|
I'm planning to move into a new place mid-June. It's a room in an apartment with two other chill people via craigslist. I've met them but we don't really know each other. I am planning to quit my job very soon, in the next month, and live off of my savings for a while. I know that I can live off of savings for over a year if needed (I am frugal, very very lucky, and living in an incredibly cheap city) while I regroup and look into a career change or consider going back to school, basically just reevaluate my life. I'm sure it won't be as long as a year but just to say that money is not an issue. Here's the thing, I have not told my future roommates about this plan because I don't want to cast unnecessary doubt or give them any reason to consider finding a different roommate in the mean time. Legally and by conventional ethics I don't think it is wrong of me not to say anything: I'm certain beyond a doubt that i'm good for the rent, it's none of their business, end of story. But socially I'm not sure I'm in the right. I feel slightly deceptive, like it would be starting off on the wrong foot. Has anyone been in a similar situation, on either end of it, or does anyone have some general thoughts?
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 02:28
|
|
|
Yes, it's a good idea (and ethical IMO) to let them know you won't have a standard schedule and you'll be sitting around the apartment like 24/7. The "frugal" element may also affect them if you're always trying to get them to buy the cheapest toilet paper or whatever. Does the landlord care you won't have any income?
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 02:43
|
|
i like nice words
|
If you didn't misrepresent yourself, answered questions honestly, didn't lie... I think you're morally in the clear.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 04:56
|
|
|
You need to tell them. They might be cool with it but having a roommate that is always there is really annoying to lots of people. EDIT:. I had a roommate in college who never went to class or out to socialize and would just be sprawled on the couch from morning to night and it got old after like less than a week. Unless you're always out and about, and if you're trying to live frugally you probably won't be, your roommates will start to resent you pretty quickly. Human Tornada fucked around with this message at 05:49 on May 25, 2017 |
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 05:41
|
|
|
I would be pretty loving angry if I discovered a roommate was unemployed after they moved in with me. Though I'm shocked as hell they never asked you what you do for a living. Like, seriously loving amazed.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 08:40
|
|
|
I figured they did and he told them about his current job.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 12:59
|
|
|
I agree with others that you should be open about this situation; you can tell them that you are planning on leaving your job to pursue X, and that you have enough money to cover the rent for the year if needed. I understand that you're worried about them passing you over for someone else, but consider this - if they are people who aren't going to be comfortable with this plan, how do you think they are going to react when you quit your job and they realize you had that plan going in? Living with people who resent you and don't trust you is going to be grueling, and you would be much better off just telling them everything. If they pick someone else, good, that means that living with them in this period would have been lovely anyway.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 14:20
|
|
|
Anne Whateley posted:I figured they did and he told them about his current job. I could maybe be talked into a roommate who didn't have a job, but one who lied about having a job (and saying you have a job in order to find roommates, then quitting it the moment you move in is ABSOLUTELY lying about it) is going to make me immediately start looking for somewhere else to live. And I'd sure as gently caress not be willing to be flexible or let ANYTHING slide for someone who did that to me.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 16:32
|
|
|
I don't see why it should matter if he's got the means to pay the rent for a reasonably stable period of time. But you should definitely let them know that piece ahead of time. Representing that you've got a job then just moving in without one will understandably make them question your ability to cover rent. I don't see at all how it should matter if he's home all day or not unless you're living in a 10x10 college cell together.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 16:41
|
|
|
IRQ posted:I don't see why it should matter if he's got the means to pay the rent for a reasonably stable period of time. But you should definitely let them know that piece ahead of time. Representing that you've got a job then just moving in without one will understandably make them question your ability to cover rent. If you are always at home, it gets really annoying to be around. I've had the roommate that works from home and I never feel like I get to enjoy my apartment for an hour by myself without apologizing for being in a communal space or holed up in my own room. If you're taking the time off to work on an individual project and will be out of the apartment once in awhile, assure them of that too. Make sure the place doesn't become your personal sweatpants goon cave just because you can sit on the couch all day. The "living frugally" thing would put me off, too. Are you going to try and buy the cheapest communal goods because you're frugal? If other roommates want to share food, are you going to eat their food but not share your own? It's personally not a deal breaker for me in terms of a living situation. People who have jobs will run into bad financial situations or gently caress up with bills. But if you're honest about what's going to happen over the course of the year and willing to pick up a job to pay bills if you run out of money and not just skip out when it's no longer convenient, I get it.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 17:06
|
|
|
Eponine posted:If you are always at home, it gets really annoying to be around. I've had the roommate that works from home and I never feel like I get to enjoy my apartment for an hour by myself without apologizing for being in a communal space or holed up in my own room. If you're taking the time off to work on an individual project and will be out of the apartment once in awhile, assure them of that too. Make sure the place doesn't become your personal sweatpants goon cave just because you can sit on the couch all day. I mean you're renting a shared space, there really isn't a reasonable expectation of privacy or individual use of anything outside your room. I guess I just find that attitude weird since I would totally be the person who is home all the time, but I just pay the extra to live alone because I also hate that lack of privacy roommates brings.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 18:24
|
|
|
I don't really have any to add about whether or not you should tell your potential roommates your life plans, but, if you're home most of the time and your roommates work, you really should think about doing a majority of the cleaning. I'm not saying do the other's laundry or anything, but make it a habit to regularly sweep/vacuum/etc. Any reason why you can't get a part time job doing whatever that gets you out of the house and out of your roommates hair? You might have enough savings for a year, but it really does suck to be out of work for a long period of time while being frugal and even just putting in a few hours doing whatever the hell helps keep you on track.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 18:34
|
|
|
Also won't look very good on your resume to have "7/17-9/18 - played WoW in my underwear" on it.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 18:39
|
|
|
IRQ posted:I mean you're renting a shared space, there really isn't a reasonable expectation of privacy or individual use of anything outside your room. I guess I just find that attitude weird since I would totally be the person who is home all the time, but I just pay the extra to live alone because I also hate that lack of privacy roommates brings. Would you say the same thing about, say, someone who practiced their bagpipes in the living room for hours on end, even if they were careful to never violate the local noise hours ordinance? There are a million ways to be an obnoxious roommate that aren't technically against the rules, and this is one of them. Anybody who's lived with a lump of a roommate will tell you how quickly and consistently it wears on you. Part of being an adult and sharing a living space with someone is learning to compromise and be respectful of the people you're living with, even if you find their attitude "weird". Knowing you have a potentially highly annoying quirk and hiding it until the leases are signed is a lovely thing to do.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 22:51
|
|
|
IRQ posted:I mean you're renting a shared space, there really isn't a reasonable expectation of privacy or individual use of anything outside your room. I guess I just find that attitude weird since I would totally be the person who is home all the time, but I just pay the extra to live alone because I also hate that lack of privacy roommates brings. Time away usually doesn't have to be spelled out because it usually works out normally -- one person starts work later, one has Friday afternoons off, one has yoga on Tuesdays, one has book club on Thursdays. It doesn't work that way if one roommate is a goon with no reason to leave.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 23:09
|
|
|
I have had a roomie who worked from home, and I liked it because a) he was a close friend, b) he spent a healthy amount of time outside of home because he wasn't a cave slug, and c) I'm a paranoid guy who always worries about burglars. But people who will share your living space deserve to know how you live before they sign a contract. Not everyone is compatible, and starting a relationship off with a pretty big lie is just a terrible idea.
|
|
#
?
May 25, 2017 23:32
|
|
|
drat what a discussion. I don't know who decided that I am a lump who plays bagpipes in my underwear in between WoW raids all day. I'm not going to be lying around the house in my sweatpants, I'm involved in a couple volunteer organizations and have a very active life in general, which is partly why I'm quitting my full time work. I'm just plain exhausted from all my extra-curriculars. Not everyone sits around playing video games when they don't have a job. In practical terms, would it be any different if i unexpectedly got fired in the course of the month? Or if my employer asked me to work night shifts and I refused and had to resign? My only obligations to roommates are to pay the bills and other shared expenses, and to not prevent anyone else from full enjoyment of the apartment. I think that my plans and what I do with my life are none of their concern. Anne Whateley posted:Yes, it's a good idea (and ethical IMO) to let them know you won't have a standard schedule and you'll be sitting around the apartment like 24/7. The "frugal" element may also affect them if you're always trying to get them to buy the cheapest toilet paper or whatever. The people I'm moving in with are part-time-employed stoners as far as I can tell, all their furniture was found on the street so I don't think they mind frugality, and besides I didn't really convey how dirt cheap this room is or how much money I have saved up... I'm not gonna be living off ramen. Landlords are not allowed to ask about your income or employment situation where I live, only a credit check and references from former landlords, which are both A+. photomikey posted:If you didn't misrepresent yourself, answered questions honestly, didn't lie... I think you're morally in the clear. Every apartment I visited I said the same thing "I am currently working as _____. I'm trying to find a cheap room because I miss having roommates and because I want to change my priorities in life." Nobody asked me if I enjoyed my job or what my long term goals were. I'm surprised by how negative the response is on here though, maybe I'll float the idea when I see them in a few days, mention that I'm unhappy at work and have been thinking of quitting but can easily pay the rent either way. If it implodes then I guess yall are right that it would have ended up badly.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2017 00:06
|
|
|
Radio du Cambodge posted:I'm surprised by how negative the response is on here though, maybe I'll float the idea when I see them in a few days, mention that I'm unhappy at work and have been thinking of quitting but can easily pay the rent either way. If it implodes then I guess yall are right that it would have ended up badly. Lies by omission are still lies. Lies make people angry. Doesn't seem like that much of a head scratcher.  The "part-time stoners" thing is what will make it all work out in the end though. Just don't quit your job before the lease is signed. Your landlord will be pissed off enough as it is over this stunt, but there's probably nothing that they can do about it, depending on what state you're in.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2017 03:06
|
|
|
Threads like this are also filled with posters which have no faith left in humanity.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2017 03:24
|
|
|
Radio du Cambodge posted:Every apartment I visited I said the same thing "I am currently working as _____. I'm trying to find a cheap room because I miss having roommates and because I want to change my priorities in life." Nobody asked me if I enjoyed my job or what my long term goals were.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2017 05:41
|
|
|
ilkhan posted:Threads like this are also filled with posters which have no faith left in humanity. Or they're filled with posters who have had the roommate who never leaves the apartment or doesn't have a job and pays the least amount of everything possible.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2017 12:32
|
|
|
I will also slightly change my answer. If you're as active as you say and are confident you can pay your share without whining when someone turns the AC on instead of opening a window, then you still have a responsibility to tell them about your situation, but it's not the end of the world if you don't. After a couple months of proving you can pay the rent on time, your landlord won't give a gently caress where you get your money or how you spend your time, so I wouldn't mention it to them, but don't lie on your application, either. Don't take it personally, you were gone from the thread for a couple of days and people just assumed that without a job you'd be putzing around the apartment all day and night because that's what the majority of people in your situation would do. Hell, I quit my job with no intention of looking for a new one for six months and that's exactly what I did.
|
|
#
?
May 27, 2017 20:51
|
|
|
If you had a roommate who lost their job and said they had an emergency fund saved up that they could use to pay for rent I'm sure that would put short term concerns to rest because that money is being used as a buffer between employment periods when they would have an income again. If that person suddenly had other expenses come up they didn't factor in, medical emergency for example, or if they couldn't find another job before that money ran out you would be worried that they wont be able to pay their share. And again, the expectation is that they would be looking for new income. When you switch that money from 'just in case' to actively using it to pay for everything you no longer have that buffer and as a potential roommate all those concerns should still come into play (medical emergency, car shits the bed, etc wiping it out prematurely). People saying that the landlord/nobody cares where your money comes from are mistaken, since on most applications and potential roommates ask for your place of employment (hell most places I've lived do income verification and want you to earn 3x the monthly rent). If anything if you are so confident that you'll have no problem holding up your end of the rent you should do a sort of goodwill pre-payment of your portion of the rent, a sort of first/last deposit.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2017 01:07
|
|
|
Just wear a sexy maid outfit all the time
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2017 05:45
|
|
|
Kind of along these lines with someone who would be at home more frequently, I just recently went from a full-time office job to being self-employed / contracting and primarily working from home. The tricky part though is that my current lease will be up in September and I want to move somewhere that offers more interesting things to do and potentially lower cost of living. My biggest concern though is how does someone who is primarily self-employed prove their income to a prospective landlord without traditional pay stubs? The common advice I saw online was to use things such as invoices, contracts, and bank statements to prove I have a source of income. I'm in a weird spot there however as my bank accounts don't have clean records going back more than 1-2 years as I was going between jobs around then and I know it could reflect poorly on me if a landlord asks for that. I do have the option to stay at my current place of course but many of those decisions were made relative to the commute I used to have. At least I have proof to show to any potential landlord that I've been living here a while and paying fairly substantial rent. Sorry if I'm asking for redundant information here, I've been reading different things online but it's still pretty uncertain at this point.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2017 09:06
|
|
|
I have had self-employed folks live in my pads. I think most small-time landlords take a similar approach, but 1) I want to know if whatever you do is viable. That someone would pay money for whatever service/product you offer, and that they would pay a price that would keep you afloat. I don't really want you to prove this with paperwork, I want to hear "tutor" and then think "what would I pay for a tutor for my kid" and then think "how many clients do I think a tutor could rack up" and then do that multiplication and decide if you make enough money to survive. After that... I want you to prove it with paperwork. 2) I want your credit to be good/great, some landlords don't put a ton of stock in this but if I look and see that you bought a Toyota and made 50 monthly payments on time and didn't miss one, and that you've had varying credit card balances over years and have never been more than 30 days late, I will take a LOT of risk on you. 3) This will be a sticky one for you, I want you to have a track record in working for yourself, maybe a year or so. Briefly, what do you do as a self-employed contractor? Do you contract for one place or do you have a lot of clients? Do you have any contracts to show? When you say "just recently" went from full-time regular to contracting, how long is "just recently"?
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2017 09:32
|
|
|
photomikey posted:I have had self-employed folks live in my pads. I think most small-time landlords take a similar approach, but I'm doing web and general software development, I do currently have 2 on-going paid contracts with others in negotiations. I'm a ways outside of LA so anything here is still pretty expensive though looking out of state is a enticing prospect right now too. My credit isn't completely terrible but could stand to be improved but still in the mid-high 600's in general. I have no delinquencies at least but few major loans I've taken out that I could point to. This change was made in March and I'd likely be looking starting in July, so in that context it would all be pretty recent history which I know will be a tricky subject.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2017 09:43
|
|
|
Unload My Head posted:Lies by omission are still lies. Lies make people angry. Doesn't seem like that much of a head scratcher. Maybe this is being pedantic but I think basically any aspect of myself that I didn't mention would be a lie by omission. I didn't mention that I'm jewish, although that could (plausibly) make them THINK it would affect our compatibility as roommates, because it has nothing to do with whether or not I can pay the rent. I'm not gonna be policing which plates we used for dairy or meat, or whatever other stereotypes might make them think twice about taking me on (they're not prejudiced assholes I'm just giving a silly example), since I know I'm totally secular but they don't know me at all, so I didn't bother to mention it. Since I'm confident that being unemployed will have no impact on my ability to pay the rent either, in the short term at least, I didn't share my plans on that front. I'm pretty sure I won't be signing the lease and the landlord will just get my name. If I understand correctly I'll be listed as an "occupant" rather than a "tenant" and technically be paying rent on a month-by-month basis. I would prefer to sign a lease but this gives us both an "out" if I find I don't actually like living there and if they find they don't like me either. I agree with whoever said it would be a good idea to pay a few months rent up front, just to assuage any fears over my ability to pay without a job. In fact my tax refund this year will be equivalent to an entire year's worth of rent lol. And by the way, healthcare where i live is free and I don't have a car so unexpected expenses that deplete my savings would have to be pretty extraordinary. Thank you for your input thread I am still not convinced I should lay out all my plans but it has made me consider alternate viewpoints.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2017 16:24
|
|
|
Judaism (as an ethnicity or a religion) is a protected class. Unemployed person is not. If you are an occupant on the lease and not a tenant of the landlord you are likely going to be considered sub-lessee of the 'main' tenant. This is good because it means that they are able to pass whatever income requirements the landlord has without your income, but it's bad because they're still relying on your money (or they would live alone) so they'll still be pissed at you. TheOrange posted:self-employed mikey has you on the right track. It will depend a lot on the landlord/manager doing the renting. Until I started doing property management myself (so I can live in one of the boxes I oversee) I would usually provide proof of contractor income/stability with some combination of credit score, rental history, and bank statements. A lot will boil down to you finding the right landlord and making a good impression though. Unload My Head fucked around with this message at 19:27 on May 28, 2017 |
|
#
?
May 28, 2017 19:22
|
|
|
Unload My Head posted:Judaism (as an ethnicity or a religion) is a protected class. Unemployed person is not. As far as I know, being a protected class doesn't mean anything when private individuals are deciding whether or not to let you live in their house with them. Maybe I'm wrong but I'd be surprised if that's the case, I would think that you could turn someone down for any reason whatsoever unless you are a landlord who has to follow certain guidelines. I see tons of ads seeking a female roommate, or a muslim roommate, or a queer-person-of-color roommate.. Also once again, where I live the landlord is not permitted to have income requirements or demand your employment status, just a credit check and references from previous apartments. Many of them ask anyway but technically a landlord can't turn you down because of it. So in a sense, unemployed person kind of is a protected class. "impoverished person" you could say. You're right that they will be relying on my money to pay the rent, which is perfect because I have plenty of money to pay the rent.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2017 20:17
|
|
|
TheOrange posted:I'm doing web and general software development, I do currently have 2 on-going paid contracts with others in negotiations. I'm a ways outside of LA so anything here is still pretty expensive though looking out of state is a enticing prospect right now too. March to July is a bit tight but my gut says you'll be ok.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2017 23:00
|
|
|
Renegret posted:I loving hate apartment hunting. *ahem* I really, really, really loving hate apartment hunting. We finally found the perfect place on CL. My GF called the number and it was a realtor's office. She left a message, and got a call back from them an hour later. The person who called her back is completely loving insane and I am half expecting this to be a scam. Renegret fucked around with this message at 18:55 on Jun 4, 2017 |
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2017 18:50
|
|
|
Renegret posted:I really, really, really loving hate apartment hunting. I thought my hometown having a bigger market of apartments would make it easier to find a place when we moved back for the summer, but this has not turned out to be true. Lots of places without openings until July/August and at the top of our budget, which doesn't help us much since we may only be here for the summer (and after that, who knows?). We found one place with openings now. As we found out due to an argument the office person had with someone on our tour, they're no longer accepting Section 8, and so all those tenants are moving out. But for $675 a month we can have 500 sq feet of baked-in cigarette smoke, painted-shut cabinetry, melted countertops, and an unnaturally green-blue lake stocked with catfish if you get a hankerin' for dinner. I think we're just going to see if we can stay with my dad and stepmom a little longer than planned.
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2017 04:30
|
|
|
nvm
Renegret fucked around with this message at 13:05 on Jun 5, 2017 |
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2017 13:03
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 3, 2024 15:26 |
|
|
I got a question about roommates. Do you typically pool money for groceries and supplies or does everyone buy stuff on their own?
|
|
#
?
Jun 5, 2017 14:44
|
|
