Deadbeat roommate?

[SpaceMonkey]

The hazards of finding roommates off of Craig's List...

I live with two roommates, and we signed our lease for Oct '06 through Sept. '07. One roommate is an aquaintance of a former roommate. He's fine. The other is someone we found off of Craig's List when said former roommate was preparing to move out. She's been fine, as well. However, my landlord (who is not a "professional" landlord--this is his first time renting out his place) sent us an email last weekend saying that the latter roommate has not paid her share of the October or November rent, and asking her to call him. I asked this roommate a day or so later if she had taken care of it, and she said yes. Today, the landlord shows up at the house and tells me that she still hasn't paid the rent (she wasn't here at the time). This is alarming, not least of which because there is a shared responsibility clause in the lease.

This is really perplexing. She has been on top of everything else--she cleans up after herself, she has given me money for utilities promptly, etc. There has been no indication of any problem, until now.

[Fashionista]

I wouldn't call her a deadbeat just yet because as you said she gave you money for utilities on time and cleans up after herself. I would just assume that she is having money problems but was embarrassed to say so. But I would talk to her and point out that you all have a shared responsibility of paying rent and she needs to pay on time or let people know if she is having problems paying so something can be done now.

[SpaceMonkey]

Update:

In mid-November, she met with the landlord and paid the back-rent that she owed. They reached some sort of detente.

Today I got an email from the landlord saying that she still hasn't yet paid her December rent.

*headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk*

So pissed off.

[Syracuse]

Do you think it is because craigslist people are sketchy? I am looking for a roommate, put an ad on craigs, they said they'd come over to visit the apartment yesterday but they never showed up. I don't want to pay for putting out ads though if I don't have to.

[shimma]

I wouldn't call her a deadbeat just yet because as you said she gave you money for utilities on time and cleans up after herself. I would just assume that she is having money problems but was embarrassed to say so. But I would talk to her and point out that you all have a shared responsibility of paying rent and she needs to pay on time or let people know if she is having problems paying so something can be done now.

Uh, how would you not call her a deadbeat? She's not "nice" to pay part of her bills and clean up after herself, she has a legal and social obligation to pay all of her bills.

By stiffing your landlord on the rent, she is putting both OP and his other roommate's credit in jeopardy, which can screw them both over financially and professionally for years.

OP you have 2 options:

1. if you have the cash, I suggest you and your other roommate cough up the dough to cover her back rent to get your landlord and the creditors off your backs. Get your landlord to sign something saying it was the two of you, not her, that paid the back rent, and get her to sign and give you a copy of documentation of her attempts to collect debt from this girl. Confront your other roommate, tell her she owes you the money, with interest, by X date or you will see her in court.

2. if your landlord's willing to "be a nice guy" to you two, get her to either take this chick to court herself and/or start eviction proceedings. In my state, you pay your rent 6 days late, you can get evicted and sued out the ass.

Either way, you need to tell her to find someplace else to live, stat. Give her a date and tell her to be gone by then. Get your landlord in on it. Even though she has the obligation to pay, it's not going to be pleasant or liveable after you confront her.

I hate CL roommates.

[Ciderhillnh]

I think CL is just like any other online posting.....you dont know who you are getting involved with until you meet them.

Syracuse....just a word of advice.....dont let people just come to your apartment....you never know if they are just looking to find out where you live, or to come in see what you have and clean you out later.

I always suggest to people, meet out for a drink or appetizer first, if you get along with the person, bring them over....or set up another time to have them come see the place.

Ive heard too many horror stories of people being stalked or broken into to take chances.

Do as you're comfortable with though.

[Syracuse]

People want to see what the apartment is like before they move into it. Would someone be willing to just go out to dinner with me just so I can see what they are like? If it was me and I was looking for an apartment for a room to live with others, I'd want to see the place first, it's give and take.

[Ciderhillnh]

You still show them the place, but not until after meeting them first.

I dont post that in my ad, but when people contact me I suggest grabbing a bite to get to know one another first to see if we get along and could be roommates, then tell them if we both feel comfortable and it might be a possible living situation, they could come by and see it right then, or we could set up another time.

Usually if they are hesitant, I dont want to live with them anyway....and Ill tell them, whats the point in falling in love with a space if you arent going to get along with the person you are living with?

Also....I feel that if someone LOVES the apartment they will say whatever so that you'll agree to have them move in, and they might be a serious nightmare.
If they dont see the place, but meet you first, they have to at least be somewhat genuine since they dont know what the place is like yet (they have just seen photos)

[cache]

I read about this program, or website for people who live with roommates for paying expenses. It basically manages all of the "household" bills - rent and utilities. So, all you do is enter a bill, and it divides it according to the distribution you set up, and sends the other roommates invoices. So you can keep track of exactly who pays what and when. This was a while ago I read about it, so I don't remember a lot about it - like whether you can pay your bills to them, and it gets filtered back to you or what - but it still seemed like a useful concept if you are having trouble with deadbeats.

[Ciderhillnh]

Isnt the other way to keep track of it to have everyone write their own checks for the bills?

[shimma]

Isnt the other way to keep track of it to have everyone write their own checks for the bills?


LOL!!!

[Ciderhillnh]

If someone doesnt pay, you keep track, and you keep asking them in writing to pay....if the dollar amount they owe is under 5k you can take it to small claims.

[jrwilheim]

I don't think Craigslist is the issue. I've had good experiences with all the roommates I've found on Craigslist. Although you have to weed out a lot of freaks to find them (for goodness sakes people, I'm renting a ROOM IN MY APARTMENT, NOT a futon to crash on for the night)