would you be comfortable renting a room out to strangers?

[Dancing Fire]

is this common now a days ? how can a family live with a stranger?

my daughter will be renting a room from an Asian couple whom has a 2 yr old child. the house is a two story with 3 bedrooms/2 bath.the master is upstairs,so basicly my daughter will get the lower floor all to herself for $500.she said this house is more updated.the house where she is staying now for the same rent of $500 is kind of

to me.

 

[iheartscience]

I would only rent to a stranger if I had a totally separate apartment in say, the basement. But even that I don''t think I could do. I really don''t like dealing with people in my home!

 

[HollyS]

"would you be comfortable renting a room out to strangers?"


NEVER. No roommates found from bulletin boards, no roomies from classified ads, no picking up strays anywhere.

I watch Lifetime. I''ve seen those movies.

 

[swingirl]

This used to be a very common practice and I think it's coming back into "fashion" as people with big mortgages and big houses are desperate to pay their bills and young people need a safe place to live for cheap. I think it's a great solution for all if you have a house that has enough privacy built in and everyone stays respectful.

Where else can you live in CA for $500 a month? And where can you get an extra $500 income without doing anything?

PS Are they looking for a babysitter?? Does your daughter like kids?

 

[ficklefaye]

i know someone who does this and i actually rented from her for a few months, but the house is separated so the room i rented actually had its own bathroom, the other areas were shared, she''s been renting out her extra rooms for years

 

[tigian]

I think I would be ok with it depending on a lot of factors such as if I had children, if there is a separate entry for the person renting. I would be more comfortable if there was a locked separation between my house and where the person is staying. Also depending on how much I needed the money. Also depending on who the person is. It definitely isn''t ideal, but these days, we have to work with what we have.

 

[DiamondFlame]

I would rent out whole apartments but a room in my house? Never to strangers. I don''t think anyone wd feel comfortable renting out and sharing living space with strangers. They do it mostly out of necessity. To supplement family income perhaps.

But how does she feel about it? Some people might find it ''cramping their lifestyle''. Personally, I have spent 5 years living in rented rooms before, with families and people of different culture, ethnicities, etc. Look on the bright side; you learn to adapt to your environment. I know I have. Now I can live anywhere and with just about anyone. Learning new languages is the icing on the cake.

 

[Moh 10]

Yes, it can make sense financially but all the people involved would have to be compatible in many ways.

The odds of success are not that high IMHO, but it can work with the right individuals.
Finding the right people to match up could be like finding a needle in a haystack.

I would have to be very desperate for money before I''d consider it.

 

[Rock_of_Love]

No. Definitely would NOT feel comfortable at all.

 

[MustangGal]

My BIL rented a room in Pasadena while he was at college. It was more the "pool house", it had it''s own enterence, but did have access to the main house. He never bothered the people, and lived there for 3 years. They had 2 kids his age, so no little ones in the house.

It''s a little different with a family that has children vs. a house of college kids renting rooms. It would be a little strange for me, but I guess if your daughter is comfortable with it...

 

[lucyandroger]

No way! My SO doesn''t even like it when we have family staying with us...

 

[nycbkgirl]

me neither...i dont want a nanny (who is a stranger) even here..much less living!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

No.

 

[LadyBlue]

If is a good family, I think that would be a good option for you daughter, so she is not totally alone in case of an emergency.

 

[Mara]

i wouldn't personally rent out a room, but when i was in college i rented a room near university from this hippie family. i had a small room and a shared bathroom and it was like $300 or something. i was hardly ever there, they were nice and half the time weren't home either. but it was a small place and i neve wanted to use their kitchen because it was GROSS...they were really dirty and never cleaned the house. so i existed on eating out and cereal for the year i was there...not the best but it was close to school.

anyway for your daughter it sounds like a great opportunity to have her own space at a good price, esp in college.

 

[lucyandroger]

I have kind of a funny story about this actually. I lived at home and commuted to college but at one point, I was fed up with the commute and my mom and started looking on craigslist for a room to rent. I found one that I could afford (and had not yet learned the "you get what you pay for" lesson).

So I went to check it out. The guy had a one bedroom/ one bathroom apartment and hung up curtains separating his living room into three sections which he was advertising as rooms - no walls, no doors..just curtains

And there was already a guy living in one of the sections

I RAN back to mommy''s house.

haha

 

[lovegem]

It is a common thing in the Chinese community to rent a room to strangers. I have never heard of terrible things came out of those renting. I personally don't see any problem with it. Usually the terms of the lease are a lot more lax than if you rent in an apt building that managed by a management firm. Of course, some landlords can be a bit more nosy.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I''d only rent a room if the room had a seperate entrance and the person had no access to the inside portion of where I live.

I won''t even hire a babysitter to watch my kids. I do not trust people and worry that someone would steal something.

 

[musey]

No. Never.

 

[princesss]

I absolutely do not live with strangers (outside of a school setting). No way, no how. I''ll live like a hermit and eat rice and beans for every meal instead.

 

[Indylady]

I''ve had random roommates in college for the last few years and loved all of them! Out of 8, I''ve only been peeved by one, and not even that seriously. Two of them I shared a single room with (a dorm), the other 6 were from 2 different apartments. One apartment was a 4 bed 1 bath, the other was a 4 bed 2 bath. I''ve never had problems with stealing, noisiness, bad company, or anything like that at all. I actually think random roommates are easier to live with than friends, because you kind go into things being flexible and not knowing what to expect. I''ve loved it so far, though I''ve heard of bad experiences.

 

[zoebartlett]

I probably wouldn''t unless they had an in-law apartment or something like like that and I''d truly have my own space.

 

[atroop711]

I would rent to a stranger if they would have a separate entrance and I didn''t have to see them

 

[somethingshiny]

I haven''t read the responses because frankly, it just gives me the creeps. There is a house across the street from us that rents out it''s rooms. (well, the owner rents out the rooms...the house doesn''t...) Anyway, they get all sorts of cretins moving in and out at random. They''ve had several drug busts and recently a registered sex offender tried to move it. The landlord was completely fine with it, but the neighborhood parents were not. Luckily, he didn''t get the okay to move in.

People used to do it all the time and back then I think people were smarter, safer, more respectful, etc. In this day and age it would worry me.

 

[tyty333]

No...I''m too much of a private person. Plus I wouldnt be able to walk around in my skivies

!

 

[MsP]

Date: 7/24/2009 1:05:40 PM
Author: HollyS
I watch Lifetime. I''ve seen those movies.

Hahaha...

But in response to the original post, maybe I just live in a really weird--maybe progressive--most definitely hippy--collegeish town but this is incredibly common. There are wealthy historic neighborhoods surrounding the campus and zoning and regulations prohibit them from being turned into separate apartments like you see in many old homes in urban areas. Lots of owners rent out a room or two to graduate students or young professors all while living in the main home. They share the kitchen and some main areas although most people that I know who do this get like two bedrooms--one for their bedroom and one for a desk/couch/tv area.

I''d do it.

 

[gemgirl]

>

Good God, absolutely not!

 

[Kaleigh]

Nope couldn''t do it, I like my privacy.. But can see it is a good thing for your daughter, just waiting for them to ask her to babysit.. If she loves kids, hey the extra money would be a good thing, but not a good thing if they impose on her etc... Tme will tell... You''ll have to keep us posted.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/24/2009 3:31:44 PM
Author: Mara
i wouldn''t personally rent out a room, but when i was in college i rented a room near university from this hippie family. i had a small room and a shared bathroom and it was like $300 or something. i was hardly ever there, they were nice and half the time weren''t home either. but it was a small place and i neve wanted to use their kitchen because it was GROSS...they were really dirty and never cleaned the house. so i existed on eating out and cereal for the year i was there...not the best but it was close to school.

anyway for your daughter it sounds like a great opportunity to have her own space at a good price, esp in college.

she''s working in San Jose. the house is in Milpitas about 10 mins from her work place. does $500 sound fair for a room in that area?

 

[brooklyngirl]

DF The price sounds about right based on a craigslist search for the area. An apartment in that area would be considerably more (upwards of 1k for a studio or 1 bedroom).