Finding a roomate on sites?

[newmommy]

I find alot of people are willing / looking for a roomate and are looking on internet sites for them! which to me i like is crazy becuase why let a stranger guy or girl into your house to live when you dont know them? I know someone who put an ad on a site looking for a roomate and she ended up with a guy who is a total werido . And now she is having problems with him, paying rent ect. this is how people get hurt, raped, ect.

[Blazingsun]

This is very true! 2 Asian girls in toronto were found dead in their apartments after both having put up ad's looking for roommates on an Asian website. Very scary! It can happen anywhere!

[Tassy.Junior]

Not everyone can afford an appartement on their own and are forced to put up these Ads. Maybe the city needs to come up with something instead of people posting on all different sites.

[newmommy]

Not everyone can afford an appartement on their own and are forced to put up these Ads. Maybe the city needs to come up with something instead of people posting on all different sites.

Thats true but.. why not get an apt with a firend or a family member? or someone you know. not letting some random person move in with you!

I knew this preson who put an ad on a site looking for a roomate, it was a good deal all they had to pay was the hydro bill!!and buy some food. well she went to work (she worked 12 hr shifts) and she came home to an empty apt. he stoled EVERYTHING from her. even her daughters stuff. and moved to ont with it all! nothing happened to him cuz from this day NO ONE has seen him or heard from and this was 4 yrs ago!Stuff like that is the reason im very careful of who i let in my home and or around my kids!

[puppyluv]

I have had roomies off the net and they were fine. You need to do some background work..if it doesnt feel right, than it isnt.

[trinity]

I had a roommate once that was someone I HAD known, and he turned out to be an absolute dud as a housemate for paying, cleaning, following a few simple household rules etc.

[kaj27]

Pfff people date, get married and all that jazz online. Why not find someone to share some bills with?

[trinity]

Exactly, I mentioned to some people that I was thinking about advertising for a driving partner to go to Arizona next year and people were IMMEDIATELY up in arms about references, crazies online, blah blah blah.. like I made it through two university degrees, multiple dangerous situations at work, and 35+ years of life without learning s.f.a...statistically speaking, you are more likely to be injured or killed by someone you know than by a stranger. (2002, only 14 % of all murders were by strangers to their victims)

[adorabull]

A good friend of mine ran into the same situation looking for a roomie, and had an ad in the buyer flyer the telegraph ect.

A woman replied to her ad, seemed ok, my friend asked what hours she worked ect, she said She only worked part time, and had the occasional appt with her parole officer **RED FLAGS**

comes to find out without mentioning any names, whis person was out on parole after assisiting in the killing of her grandmother!!!

She had enough sence to google her full name and like 7 newspaper articles came up with pictures of this woman.

background checks are the only way to go, to bad there wasnt some sort of registry where you could sign up.

Thats why I live alone with my dog, you just never know!

[trinity]

Someone told my mother once when she was renting a room out to a guy to board that she could get a criminal record check on the person as he would be living in her home- does anyone know if that is true?

[newmommy]

yes, im pretty sure that you can get a background check. only because my moms landlord asked for a background check on her and my step dad before they moved into their apt

[girdy]

Background checks just let you know if someone was stupid enough to get caught. Other than that, they're of no real value.

I don't think anyone WANTS a stranger as a room mate, they're just forced into it by financial circumstance. Friends and family only applies if your family is from Saint John, and someone just moving to the city likely doesn't have friends here.

You may think it's crazy, but so would sleeping on a park bench until you found a suitable friend to share living costs with.

[donteatrawpotatoes]

yes, im pretty sure that you can get a background check. only because my moms landlord asked for a background check on her and my step dad before they moved into their apt

You should be able to get background checks on land lords too imo! They have keys to your apt and could come in and kill you in your sleep... or watch you sleep, either way, it creeps me out.

Does anyone know if this is possible?

[girdy]

You should be able to get background checks on land lords too imo! They have keys to your apt and could come in and kill you in your sleep... or watch you sleep, either way, it creeps me out.

Does anyone know if this is possible?

I don't know the answer to your background check question, there are presumably privacy issues involved. But just put a lock inside your door, like the slider with the chain. That'll prevent anyone coming in while you're sleeping.

[donteatrawpotatoes]

I don't know the answer to your background check question, there are presumably privacy issues involved. But just put a lock inside your door, like the slider with the chain. That'll prevent anyone coming in while you're sleeping.

But would it prevent them from coming in while I'm out and hiding in the closet? Huh huh huh? Yeah, I watch too much tv. It's just always creeped me out that people have keys to my apt.

[girdy]

But would it prevent them from coming in while I'm out and hiding in the closet? Huh huh huh? Yeah, I watch too much tv. It's just always creeped me out that people have keys to my apt.

Apparently you didn't watch the spy movies where they put a thread in the doorframe such that it would fall out if the door was opened while they were out.

I agree, its not a pleasant situation. When the time comes to buy a house you won't believe the relief and joy.

[bradorna]

My mother bought me something years ago that was great and also a comfort to me when I went to bed at nights. It was a battery run thing that was the shape of a door wedge. You just slide it up to the bottom of the door and turn it on, and if someone tries to open you door then the alarm goes off and is loud enough to wake anyone, regardless if you are a very sound sleeper. The bottom of the door will slide on to the wedge just enough to activate the alarm. Trust me it does work also....I loved it and always used it as long as I had lived in apts. I'm in a house now and don't use it anymore because No one can come in except me. Such a relief!!!!!

[inuit]

You know I found something like what Bradora has at one of the dollar stores or cheap store. It is 2 pieces and they tape to your door facing and door. If the light is interrupted by someone opening the door a VERY loud alarm goes off and it would wake the dead not to mention scare away the intruder. I think it cost less than 5 bucks. Runs on 1 or 2 batteries. Cheap price for security. I used to have one but I kept forgetting to turn it off and I think my son threw it away after activating one too many times. LOL

[sanstu]

I couldn't imagine looking on-line for a roomie. Think about it, the only prerequisite you are requiring of the other person is that they have access to a computer. If you are looking for a room-mate why not try networking with friends/family.co-workers ect.. Much safer IMO. BTW, those alarms sound great!

[puppyluv]

You could also go through the union halls. If the candidate you have interviewed, decided on giving them a yes, they are partially responsible to the union for correct behaviour.
You should listen to your gut feeling..if you are not comfortable with anything the person says for answers or how you feel, then that person is a no. Never interview them by yourself either..get someone else to be with you, and make sure you get a deposit as well..and on paper what is or isnt expected of them..and get them to sign itl