Anyone have experience with Craigslist room mates?

[El Caballo Loco]

I need a room mate since the wife moved out. Rents pretty hefty.

I was thinking about putting something up on CL but I'm on the fence about it. The safe not being anchored is one of the bigger things I'm worried about.

If you have experience with this, please enlighten me.

What kind of background check did you do? Did you meet them for coffee or something a long those lines first.

I'm pretty picky and I feel a lot of people looking for a place may not fall in that criteria but I'm trying not to be judgmental just because it's Craigslist.

I've fished out most everyone I know to see if they know anyone and I'm running dry on peoples.

Advice, ideas, insight?

[Half Live]

Damn, if you lived closer to the metro area, I would put my resume in.

[El Caballo Loco]

Sorry man.

[Zundfolge]

I wouldn't use Craigslist, I'd use one of the many Roommate services out there (even if you have to pay a few bucks).

Here's one http://www.roomiematch.com/colorado-...-roommate.html don't know anything about this specific service but they claim they weed out the bad ones for you. Might check some others (I just googled "Roommate Service Colorado Springs")

[fitz19d]

Pretty much 3/3 have been losers and 2 of those disastrous ones.
All of them from meeting and talking seemed nice and stable. One fell apart in a month, one in 3 months, and the 3rd coasted for close to a year and a minor mooch before moving back home with daddy.


Some tips, (that I didnt follow well) would be looking for steady employment for at least 6 months to a year. Verify this with the employer.

Call it classist, but I firmly believe from my experience that once you get under a certain threshold on rent $ you start to attract a different class of people. (Poor college kids seem to end up messy/unstable income and all the usual stereotypes, an 30+ yr old adult who can only afford a $350 rent and has trouble coming up with the deposit also a bad sign of someone who just struggles financially possibly w/ other problems.)

I don't know what kind of place you have, but minimum $500 with a deposit the same or close to. I think is good and still is cheaper than most apartments that run 700+.

Look online may help, but get a strong lease/sublease agreement. Last thing you want is to say no smoking, have a smoker. If it's not on lease, difficult to kick them out for it. Starting with a shorter term lease is good to as you can choose to not re-lease.

[DD977GM2]

I wouldn't use Craigslist, I'd use one of the many Roommate services out there (even if you have to pay a few bucks).

+1 Sound advice!!!!!!!!!!

Use a roommate service and Id stay as far away from CL as possible when looking for a roommate.

Put the add on here too. Id trust folks on here 1,000,000 faster then anyone on CL.

[DD977GM2]

Call it classist, but I firmly believe from my experience that once you get under a certain threshold on rent $ you start to attract a different class of people.

You are not incorrect with the threshold for monthly rent. The lower it is the lesser character the the renter will have.
Id keep rent at a minimium of $500 or higher regardless of the total price.
Id also figure out a way to mount the safe and just patch it up good when you move out.

[Ranger]

Personally, I can't list free stuff on Craigslist without dealing with a hundred freaks and flakes, I wouldn't do it.

[El Caballo Loco]

Thanks fitz19d, very good info there.

Valid point on the rent as well. My base rent comes out to $875 a month on a two bedroom, one bath (two sinks), 932sgft, gated community with a pool, hot tub, red box, tiny fitness center, and computer room.

I was considering a bit under 50% base rent as they would get under 50% of the place. I pay extra to have my dog and garage so I wasn't going to factor that in. I was going to lean on $400 and then half the internet bill which would bring it to an even $450.

Zundfolge, thanks for that idea. I hadn't even thought of anything other than CL.

I feel that seeing 2-3 other folks saying "don't use Craigslist" solidifies my initial hesitance to avoid it.

[glock21]

I tried it once and holy crap i decided to move to a cheaper place. They either didnt speake english but werent mexican or were perolies. No thanks man.