Signing a Roommate Pre-nup
by Dan The Roommate Man
You're just graduating from college. You and your new roommate are moving into your first off-campus apartment. Now you can just kick back, relax, and enjoy the real world. Right? Wrong! The real world walks hand in hand with real responsibility. Just as there are new freedoms and new opportunities, there are also new things to consider. One thing that's incredibly helpful, but generally overlooked, is knowing how to lay some ground rules with your new roommate.
So you're thinking "Hey! I'm moving in with my best friend since 1st grade! We've never had any problems getting along. We'll have a great time!" Well, maybe so... but you can never predict what might happen once you start sharing everything from the same kitchen to the same bath tub. Maybe your great friend won't seem so great after she's "forgotten" to pay the rent for the past three months. If you merely talked about who would pay what when, and didn't write it down, you're legally up a creek. Verbal agreements are worthless. Just watch an episode of Judge Judy. Before you end up in small claims court, you need to make sure you have an agreement in writing so that everyone understands what his or her responsibilities are supposed to be, even if he or she chooses not to live up to them.
You want to make the move from campus to the real life as smooth as possible, and one step towards smoothness is to check out Janet Portman and Marcia Stewart's book: Quick & Legal: Renters' Rights, Nolo Press. Not only does it have great tips on dealing with roommates, but it also "gives the bottom line on your rights as a renter, including your rights to privacy, a livable home, the proper use of your security deposit and fair, nondiscriminatory treatment from your landlord."
Here is what the authors suggest you put together in a written contract before you move in with your lifelong friend: The contract should discuss:
- RENT: Who is going to pay it, and how much are they going to pay?
- SPACE: Who gets to stay in which room?
- CLEANING: Is there going to be a set schedule? Who's responsible for which duty?
- FOOD: Are you sharing, or do you each have your own sections of the refrigerator?
- GUESTS: Is it okay to have boyfriends/girlfriends stay the night? How many times a week?
- NOISE: What time is "quiet time"?
- MOVING OUT: If one roommate decides to move out... how much notice should they give the other(s)?
- SPATS: How will you handle disagreements? If it doesn't work out, who has to leave?
Be careful how you present the idea of a written agreement, because it can be misconstrued. Example:
"Hey, Before we move in I think we should have a written agreement laying out some ground rules." (Smile.)
"What? You don't trust me? WRITTEN AGREEMENT?? I can't believe this! Isn't my word good enough for you? Forget it, I'm not moving in. You'll have to get another roommate because I'm never talking to you again!" (slams the door on the way out. )
Hopefully, your new roommate won't go this ballistic, but to avoid the possibility, stress that this contract is all about equality. Reassure your roommate that the agreement protects her just as much as it protects you. You and your roommate(s) should contribute equally to both creating the agreement, and also following through with the rules.
So if you're planning on moving in with a roommate, understand you're going to have plenty to worry about - from who buys the small stuff like dish washing detergent and toilet paper to which one of you is going to shell out for the vacuum cleaner. So, save yourself some stress, pick up Quick & Legal: Renters' Rights, and avoid many of the roommate issues before they become a case for Judge Judy.
Apartment-Hunting Season Returns: How to Arm Yourself
by Dan The Roommate Man
If you're on the hunt for an apartment right now, you've probably noticed that you're in good company. Each weekend, hordes of hunters arrive at the newest and most luxurious complexes. The apartment business is growing increasingly competitive in many markets, and leasing companies are offering tempting specials to sweeten the deal and lure prospective renters away from competitors. Working in this kind of "every man for himself" climate, however, requires a little prior knowledge before you begin your search. It really is a jungle out there.
Afraid you're beginning your search too soon? Forget it. It used to be that renters began looking for their next apartment right before their leases were up. Not so anymore. Apartments are snapped 
Apartment-Hunting Season Returns: How to Arm Yourself
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Beaches, and Three-Quarter Fried Chickens
by Ed Williams
MACON,GA.- Pretty soon, I’m taking my family over to Tybee Island. We started going there back in 1986, and have continued to do so each summer since. We’ve had some great times there over the years, and, even though Will and Alison are almost grown, I still think they enjoy it just as much as they did as kids. I kinda get a kick out of that, if the truth be known.
Each time we go there, my mind slips back to my first ever trip to the beach with my parents. I was ten years old when Ed Jr. decided that he would take us all to Jekyll Island. He announced it to us at dinner one evening, and Brother and I got so excited that we both had to pee at exactly the same time! Our minds raced with what all we were going to do there, so, needless to say, the Beaches, and Three-Quarter Fried Chickens
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Is Renters' Insurance Really Necessary?
by Dan The Roommate Man
You and your landlord share a common goal: You both want to ensure the protection of your interests. Obtaining a security deposit from you -- usually ranging from $100 to a full month's rent, and averaging $250 -- is how your landlord obtains a degree of insurance from you. The deposit covers your landlord should you cause any damage to your apartment while you are a tenant. Your landlord, in turn, may keep the deposit if you fail to pay your rent or you leave before the end of your lease. However, if, as a tenant, you keep your end of the bargain -- following the terms of your lease and leaving your apartment in good condition when you leave -- the deposit is refundable.
So how do you protect your own interests as a tenant? Renters' in Is Renters' Insurance Really Necessary?
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The Triple Play: How To Tackle Tough Vacancy Problems
by Dan The Roommate Man
Every property manager knows apartment vacancy rates are a little bit like the weather: everybody talks about them, but no one ever seems to do anything.
Sometimes the usual combination of advertising and tenant incentives doesn't work and something more is needed to give the properties with vacancies an immediate and sustainable booster shot. After months of struggling to find the right formula to attract renters, we came up with what might be called a Triple Play for owners. Here's how it works.
About 55 percent of the renters in our market area need some kind of help to close a lease, a statistic which will vary in other communities. Renters with good credit histories may simply need an incentive to help them make the choice; ren The Triple Play: How To Tackle Tough Vacancy Problems
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