Positive outcomes come from proactive and thoughtful solutions. When you’re facing the prospect of homelessness however, people often just want to surrender, curl-up into a ball and die. This is a common and totally understandable response. However, you may not have enough time to engage in such self-loathing. You need to begin preparing for alternative living arrangements as soon as possible. If you have no job and even fewer friends and family that can help you out of the problem, you need to consider your options.
Rent A Room In Your ResidenceIf you are on the lease, you are usually in a far better position to lease part of the premises out to some people who needs a room and who is probably going through some form of transition themselves. Even if it’s a one-bedroom apartment, consider relocating to your living room. Be creative, if your boarding residents you don’t necessarily want them to be using the living room anyway.
In these troubled times, many people who used to be gainfully employed are finding themselves in similar dire circumstances and are actively looking for inexpensive living situations until they can get on their feet again. On many standard rental leases, adding a tenant will require the approval of the landlord, which today, is rarely a big obstacle, since landlords today face very few good options when dealing with a renter that is short on the rent.
Some tenants elect not to tell their landlord even though their lease might require it. The risk of course is that the landlord might hold you in material breach, but the chances of this happening is small given the fact most landlords, especially in a recession, will not care how you make the rent so long as you do and its on time.
Sometimes the landlord will insist on requiring the new tenant to go on the lease as well. This means the new roommate will in effect be legally obligated for the entire sum of rent should there be a default on the lease, as well as all other duties and obligations the tenant is obligated to perform under the lease. Again, the landlord in these situations is most concerned about keeping the rental income flowing. Having to evict a tenant is expensive, the apartment can remain vacant, not producing income, or, the landlord can agree to have someone with less then perfect credit take up residence with the struggling tenant.
How To Find A Paying RoommateIf you live in or near a major metropolitan area and you don’t have money to spend on a paid housing and roommate locate service, try going online to find a roommate by visiting Craigs List. It’s a free online classified service that provides among other things, local listings of people looking to share or rent out part or all of their residence.
Once you start getting calls from prospective roommates be prepared to show the premises in a very clean and pristine condition. We advise that you not require a credit check on the renter, if they had credit they would be renting from you. Instead, find out if the renter has a real job or some other source of income that can be verified by you. It is advisable to have your new renter sign a month-to-month lease. Make sure you get the first month’s rent upfront and a refundable deposit as security. Don’t be greedy, these are tough times and most people in these situations are usually just looking for a safe place to stay until their financial situation improves.
Renters With Credit TroublesIf your looking to rent a room, chances are your credit has not survived the financial storm of today’s recession, and you will not be able to qualify to rent an apartment on the strength of your own credit. Unfortunately, many apartment and roommate search services cater to these types of landlords and will even perform the tenant credit check and screening for them as part of their service. This is not the route you want to take, unless of course you have managed to preserve your good credit and you can qualify for a lease.
Consider Being A Boarder YourselfFinally, for many people being a landlord even in your own domain can be a hassle you would rather do without. You might be more inclined to surrender the premises rather then get evicted (strongly recommended) and search for a room that meets your own needs. Remember that there are a host of solutions available for just about any type of legal and financial trouble.
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