Comments on: Would You Rent Out a Room? http://masteryourcard.com/blog/2009/02/11/would-you-rent-out-a-room/ The best Credit Card Debt Blog online Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:31:13 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: A Story of Sucky Roommates | Master Your Card http://masteryourcard.com/blog/2009/02/11/would-you-rent-out-a-room/comment-page-1/#comment-22634 A Story of Sucky Roommates | Master Your Card Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:32:56 +0000 http://masteryourcard.com/blog/?p=847#comment-22634 [...] recently wrote a post about renting a room in your home to a complete stranger. My take on that is pretty much no, try to exhaust all avenues [...] [...] recently wrote a post about renting a room in your home to a complete stranger. My take on that is pretty much no, try to exhaust all avenues [...]

]]> By: Fit Wallet http://masteryourcard.com/blog/2009/02/11/would-you-rent-out-a-room/comment-page-1/#comment-19494 Fit Wallet Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:20:07 +0000 http://masteryourcard.com/blog/?p=847#comment-19494 My situation is a little different because I rented out a whole floor of my house (sort of an in-law apartment with two rooms and a bathroom) to two friends right after we bought our house. I posted about the pros and cons of the arrangement <a href="http://fitwallet.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-home-share-experience.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. It benefited me and my partner by lowering our bills, and our friends saved a few hundred bucks on rent for a year. We also traded petsitting services so we never had to hire anyone to watch the dogs and cats. They're moving out this spring, and while I'll miss the income, I'm really looking forward to having the house to ourselves. My situation is a little different because I rented out a whole floor of my house (sort of an in-law apartment with two rooms and a bathroom) to two friends right after we bought our house. I posted about the pros and cons of the arrangement here. It benefited me and my partner by lowering our bills, and our friends saved a few hundred bucks on rent for a year. We also traded petsitting services so we never had to hire anyone to watch the dogs and cats. They’re moving out this spring, and while I’ll miss the income, I’m really looking forward to having the house to ourselves.

]]> By: MoneyMateKate http://masteryourcard.com/blog/2009/02/11/would-you-rent-out-a-room/comment-page-1/#comment-19280 MoneyMateKate Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:52:00 +0000 http://masteryourcard.com/blog/?p=847#comment-19280 In your friend's position, I wouldn't be rushing out to find a stranger - after all, no one has lost their job yet! If she just lets people in her circle know she's considering it, they tend to remember and hook you up if they run into someone in need of a room. Last month, I blogged about making money off your home in ways that don't involve a long-term commitment to a full-time housemate: http://moneymatekate.wordpress.com/2009/01/04/4-ways-to-put-your-home-to-work/ In your friend’s position, I wouldn’t be rushing out to find a stranger – after all, no one has lost their job yet! If she just lets people in her circle know she’s considering it, they tend to remember and hook you up if they run into someone in need of a room.

Last month, I blogged about making money off your home in ways that don’t involve a long-term commitment to a full-time housemate:
http://moneymatekate.wordpress.com/2009/01/04/4-ways-to-put-your-home-to-work/

]]> By: J. Money http://masteryourcard.com/blog/2009/02/11/would-you-rent-out-a-room/comment-page-1/#comment-19223 J. Money Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:02:24 +0000 http://masteryourcard.com/blog/?p=847#comment-19223 If i needed the money, then i'd do whatever it takes - which means time to rent out that room baby! but if it wasn't a def. necessity yet, i probably wouldn't. unless i was in college again, in which case i'd love it :) or if i were single - always need a good wingman, right? If i needed the money, then i’d do whatever it takes – which means time to rent out that room baby! but if it wasn’t a def. necessity yet, i probably wouldn’t. unless i was in college again, in which case i’d love it :) or if i were single – always need a good wingman, right?

]]> By: Kristy http://masteryourcard.com/blog/2009/02/11/would-you-rent-out-a-room/comment-page-1/#comment-19178 Kristy Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:04:02 +0000 http://masteryourcard.com/blog/?p=847#comment-19178 @ KC - That's fantastic that it's turned out so well for you! I think it's great that you've turned it into a positive experience for yourself. That said, I don't need people living in my house to experience the things that you talk about. I travel a lot, I visit other cultures as much as possible, and I actively engage in meeting new people through various activities that I do. I simply chose not to invite them in my home to live, at least I wouldn't do it on the basis of them being a stranger. Now, over the course of a friendship, that's a different story. But complete strangers I would have a hard time with. @ KC – That’s fantastic that it’s turned out so well for you! I think it’s great that you’ve turned it into a positive experience for yourself. That said, I don’t need people living in my house to experience the things that you talk about. I travel a lot, I visit other cultures as much as possible, and I actively engage in meeting new people through various activities that I do. I simply chose not to invite them in my home to live, at least I wouldn’t do it on the basis of them being a stranger. Now, over the course of a friendship, that’s a different story. But complete strangers I would have a hard time with.

]]> By: KC http://masteryourcard.com/blog/2009/02/11/would-you-rent-out-a-room/comment-page-1/#comment-19152 KC Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:58:18 +0000 http://masteryourcard.com/blog/?p=847#comment-19152 I have rented rooms to others on numerous occasions. At this point it is just my husband and I, but we are missing having so many different personalities and experiences in our home. We have had roomies from Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Austria, Canada as well as locally. I find that it makes me more open to the world, we try different foods, see different movies... in short, we get ourselves out of our 'only living by ourselves' and 'only doing things our way' North American rut. We have also had parents with young children as well as older children, students as well as professionals... We love every bit of it, and right now, miss it dearly. I have never had anything go missing, money or otherwise. I would rather go through life trusting the goodness in people and learning more about myself and the world, than shut myself up with only my small experience of the world. I drink more wine and eat great food and always have interesting and engaging conversations. We have made so many wonderful friends and miss them all desperately. We have even gone to see some of them in their homes now, giving us the opportunity to travel overseas much cheaper. Will I sometimes get burned? Do I sometimes get tired of people in my space? Yup... But in general people want to be good and happy in their environment... and in mine. By the way, my husband and I are in our mid-30's and are both professionals. I have rented rooms to others on numerous occasions. At this point it is just my husband and I, but we are missing having so many different personalities and experiences in our home. We have had roomies from Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Austria, Canada as well as locally. I find that it makes me more open to the world, we try different foods, see different movies… in short, we get ourselves out of our ‘only living by ourselves’ and ‘only doing things our way’ North American rut.
We have also had parents with young children as well as older children, students as well as professionals… We love every bit of it, and right now, miss it dearly.
I have never had anything go missing, money or otherwise. I would rather go through life trusting the goodness in people and learning more about myself and the world, than shut myself up with only my small experience of the world. I drink more wine and eat great food and always have interesting and engaging conversations. We have made so many wonderful friends and miss them all desperately. We have even gone to see some of them in their homes now, giving us the opportunity to travel overseas much cheaper.
Will I sometimes get burned? Do I sometimes get tired of people in my space? Yup… But in general people want to be good and happy in their environment… and in mine.
By the way, my husband and I are in our mid-30’s and are both professionals.

]]> By: Kristy http://masteryourcard.com/blog/2009/02/11/would-you-rent-out-a-room/comment-page-1/#comment-19141 Kristy Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:06:53 +0000 http://masteryourcard.com/blog/?p=847#comment-19141 Have you seen the movie Primal Fear? It is one of the biggest reasons I'm no longer studying to be a lawyer. You can be a fairly decent judge of character and still get it wrong. Take Charles Stuart for example. Happily married man, or so his wife thought, until one day he goes off and shoots her in the head. After "attempting" his own death, which he lived through, he tells a fictitious story to get himself off the hook. Years later he finally fesses up and tells authorities that what he really wanted was to take the money from the insurance settlement of his wife's life insurance and open a restaurant. Oh, and the wife was pregnant at the time he shot her. Then there's David Magraw who strangled his wife to death to avoid a six-figure divorce. My point is, no matter how well you think you know someone, you really just never know. It's the same reason I don't pick up hitchhiker's on the side of the road. It's the same reason I don't stop at night to help people. It's the same reason I don't open my door to strangers. I'll call for help for any of them if they need it, but I'm not providing that help personally. Now, the difference between you and I, of course, is that you're a guy and I'm a girl. The likelihood of something happening to you is less than my chances, just by nature - not that it couldn't, but I'm just saying. I like to believe in the good nature of most people, but there are those out there who prey on it and we just have to be careful. Not that I don't trust people, I do. I'm just extremely cautious and I don't think I could ever rent out a room to someone I didn't know. Have you seen the movie Primal Fear? It is one of the biggest reasons I’m no longer studying to be a lawyer. You can be a fairly decent judge of character and still get it wrong. Take Charles Stuart for example. Happily married man, or so his wife thought, until one day he goes off and shoots her in the head. After “attempting” his own death, which he lived through, he tells a fictitious story to get himself off the hook. Years later he finally fesses up and tells authorities that what he really wanted was to take the money from the insurance settlement of his wife’s life insurance and open a restaurant. Oh, and the wife was pregnant at the time he shot her. Then there’s David Magraw who strangled his wife to death to avoid a six-figure divorce.

My point is, no matter how well you think you know someone, you really just never know. It’s the same reason I don’t pick up hitchhiker’s on the side of the road. It’s the same reason I don’t stop at night to help people. It’s the same reason I don’t open my door to strangers. I’ll call for help for any of them if they need it, but I’m not providing that help personally. Now, the difference between you and I, of course, is that you’re a guy and I’m a girl. The likelihood of something happening to you is less than my chances, just by nature – not that it couldn’t, but I’m just saying. I like to believe in the good nature of most people, but there are those out there who prey on it and we just have to be careful. Not that I don’t trust people, I do. I’m just extremely cautious and I don’t think I could ever rent out a room to someone I didn’t know.

]]> By: Jonathan http://masteryourcard.com/blog/2009/02/11/would-you-rent-out-a-room/comment-page-1/#comment-19130 Jonathan Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:27:02 +0000 http://masteryourcard.com/blog/?p=847#comment-19130 I'm going to have disagree on this one. Sure, there is an element of risk with renting out one of your rooms to a stranger, but I think if you're a reasonable judge of character the risks are fairly minimal. I have a friend who just finished renovating his house, and now his roommates are paying his mortgage! I’m going to have disagree on this one. Sure, there is an element of risk with renting out one of your rooms to a stranger, but I think if you’re a reasonable judge of character the risks are fairly minimal.

I have a friend who just finished renovating his house, and now his roommates are paying his mortgage!

]]> By: Fabulously Broke http://masteryourcard.com/blog/2009/02/11/would-you-rent-out-a-room/comment-page-1/#comment-19114 Fabulously Broke Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:14:53 +0000 http://masteryourcard.com/blog/?p=847#comment-19114 I wouldn't. But then again, I don't have to, and I have the luxury of extra cash to avoid that situation. I wouldn’t. But then again, I don’t have to, and I have the luxury of extra cash to avoid that situation.

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