After renting rooms in my home for more than seven years, I have learned that the success of a shared household depends heavily on choosing the right people.
A good housemate does not have to be perfect. They do not need perfect credit, a high-paying job, or an impressive background. What matters most is responsibility, respect, stability, and the ability to live comfortably with others.
The Best Housemates Are Stable
I want to see applicants with a steady job history. I have noticed, after reviewing hundreds of credit histories that frequent job changes usually coincide with people that move from place to place frequently too. These situations raise the risk of rent issues as well a shorter rental stays.
I don’t rule out people that are relocating to my area for a better job or to move closer to family members. I will look at their previous employment history to see if they have a record of steady employment before they decided to relocate. These people have been some of my best housemates.
Steady income goes hand-in-hand with steady job history. It is difficult to have one without the other. The amount of income certainly matters. As a general rule, I like to see room rent at no more than about one-third of an applicant’s gross monthly income. However, I consider the entire picture, including employment history, current debts, credit history, and the circumstances behind any past financial difficulties.
The Best Housemates Are Respectful
This is where the house rules come in handy to remind everyone what they need to do to respect their fellow housemates. They have to clean up after themselves in the kitchen. The dishes, pots and pans are washed and put away. The counter tops are left clean. The same thing goes for their bathrooms – empty the trash can when it’s full, keep an extra roll of toilet paper close at hand, clean the tub drain of any residue after you shower. That all sounds like common sense, but you don’t want to rent to someone that needs to be reminded of them constantly.
A good example is one of my housemates that works outdoors doing landscaping. He would use the ice from the ice maker in the refrigerator to fill his ice chest in the morning before going to work. Ice makers in refrigerators take time to refill the bins so there was little or none left for everyone else to use during the day.
Attitude Counts
During the interview, I pay attention to whether the applicant seems generally positive, responsible, and forward-looking. Everyone goes through difficult periods, but I am cautious when someone seems bitter, angry, or unable to talk about their situation without blaming everyone else.
Certain Situations Can Create Good Housemates
My #1 situation that continuously brings me new tenants are divorces and relationship breakups. They may need housing quickly because their current living situation has become uncomfortable, stressful, or no longer workable.
I have a housemate that has been paying me rent every month for six months, but initially spent 90% of his time at his girlfriend’s house. He finally moved in “full time” when she kicked him out of the house after an argument and only her name was on the rental lease. He’s turned out to be one of my best tenants – courteous, respectful and always pays his rent on time.
People relocating to your area for jobs. I get a lot of these because I live in a town that has lots of job opportunities. They tend to be reliable and relocated here usually to make more money.
Future home buyers are also a great source of housemates. They may be looking for the right house with the right locations at the right price and that can take time. If they rent an apartment, in most case they will have to sign a one-year lease. Another scenario is the home buyer who bought a home that is currently being built. That can take 6 months or more before it will be ready to move in.
Bad Tenants or Bad Landlords?
The other situation I hear about is people that are in bad landlord or bad roommate situations. I have heard so many stories about bad landlords and bad roommates that it would take several pages to describe. You will hear them too. What you need to determine is if they were the problem or was it the landlord or the other tenants.
Who Is Usually Not a Good Fit
Previously I have covered some of these situations in the screening process – steady job, steady income, messy car interior, multiple addresses in a relatively short period of time.
I can add to that list a few circumstances that created a housemate problem for me personally. If they don’t have their own transportation then they will be “asking” the other tenants to take them on errands like grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments, etc. You start out feeling sorry for them until it becomes an inconvenience for your or your housemates.
I had a housemate that rode his bicycle to work, to the store or where ever. I went on vacation and I leave the keys to my vehicle in case some one needs to move to access my backyard. My bike rider assumed that it was okay to ‘borrow” my vehicle to use while I was gone – without asking my permission. My fellow housemates clued me in when I got home. His comment was, “I didn’t think you’d mind.” To make matters worse, he didn’t even put a drop of gas in it.
That experience reminded me that independence matters. A housemate without reliable transportation can create unexpected problems for everyone in the household.
This is a personal preference, not a rule every live-in landlord needs to follow. Because I am home much of the day, I prefer housemates who work outside the home. Other homeowners may feel differently.
Final Thoughts
I am not looking for perfect people. I am looking for good-fit people. A good housemate does not have to have perfect credit, a high income, or a flawless past. What matters most is whether they are responsible, respectful, stable, independent, and able to live comfortably with others.
After more than seven years of renting rooms in my home, I have learned that the right housemate can make the arrangement work well for everyone. The wrong housemate can make daily life difficult very quickly. That is why I focus less on finding the “perfect” applicant and more on finding someone who is a good fit for my home, my rules, and the other people already living there.
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