Applicant wants roommate (as a subletter, not on lease)

Rehabbing, Fix and Flip, Rental Properties
1

I had someone come by who seemed okay (hasn’t filled out an app yet).

She said she can qualify on her own financially, but she knows someone she might want to bring in as a roommate. She agreed that the person would go through the standard criminal, etc. screening.

However she wanted to be the only person on the lease. So the roommate would be her subletter.

Is is this a good/bad idea, does it matter? Thanks.

2

Is she on any type of assistance (sect 8)? If so, this is a common ploy for single women wth kids to qualify for a certain amount of assistance. They want their man to live there, but they don’t want his income to count against her hand-out.

This is another reason why when you evict, you put the tenant’s name and “and all others” on the notice to pay or quit.

3

Thanks. No, she’s got a job. I think the roommate she wants to move in is female, actually.

4

In my opinion, roommates are good as they can bring in extra income to help pay the rent.

In these harder economic times, whole families are doubling up in order to make ends meet.

Have a talk with the tenant–how long has she known this person? Is she working? Why does she want a roommate?

Furnishedowner

5

She wants to be able to kick the roommate out if they don’t get along.

I’d screen the roommate and have her sign a separate contract that says that she is a guest in the house and she agrees to comply with the terms of the lease and the rules of the house while she is living there. She can’t get a puppy just because she didn’t sign the lease that says no pets.

Then the primary roomamte is going to have to agree to be responsible for the full amount of the rent and all damage. You don’t want her paying half rent and crying that the roomamte hasn’t paid yet.

You don’t want her moving out and complaining that she didn’t do the damage and so she shouldn’t have to pay.

If she wants to take in a sublet roommate, she has to be responsible for that sublet.

6

Also, screen that sublet carefully. It’s not unheard of for someone with decent credit to obtain a place for a deadbeat relative that can’t qualify to rent a cardboard box. The deadbeat moves in and the origional applicant is nowhere to be found.

7

Thanks. If she reappears, I’ll probably let her do it, as long as the person passes screening.