Renting a room in LA for weekends only? (Riverside, Pomona: renters, credit card)

[Tex?Il?]

I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I have an interview for a really good job that I am highly qualified for, which I think there is a good chance of me landing in Riverside (actually Moreno Valley).

All I'm doing is thinking ahead a little.

Now - I am NOT going to be foolish and consider an LA to Riverside commute. That was be bad. If I end up getting this job, I would just LIVE in Riverside. There are nice areas, its actually quite cheap and affordable by SoCal standards, I would probably live near UC Riverside I'm guessing so I could be close to some cultural things associated with the university - besides its the part of town closest to Moreno Valley anyways.

But heres the thing, I already have an established group of friends and activities I do here in LA, now it is generally the weekends where I take advantage of everything. And I want to stay connected here.

To do this, I was thinking of possible weekend arrangements in the future. I don't want to be an actual imposition on friends every weekend "Hey can I crash on your couch?" just sounds I don't know - awkward even if you give them a little money.

Again, I don't want to hear, "you don't even know if you have the job yet" I know that. All I am interested in knowing about is, are there people who are looking to rent out a room, but only on the weekends - I guess I could look on Craigslist for that just like anything else.

Have you heard of people renting out rooms with a weekend arrangement only? Have you heard of people doing this? I do know people whos jobs have them split between two places. What do you think?

[TheKiwi]

If I were you, I'd post an ad on craigslist. Describe your situation and your wants. I'm sure there are people out there who want a roommate part-time for a little extra cash, but would like the fact that you'll only be there on the weekends.

[JohnG72]

You might find a very tiny room on craigslist that is self contained...ie it has its own restroom and maybe a tiny kitchen. I would think if you'll only be there on weekends, the owner might give leeway on pricing and maybe you could get it for $400-500/mo.

Your best shot is probably somewhere in SFV......

[linden52]

Wouldn't it make more sense to just rent an inexpensive motel room? I'm assuming you would need a room for just one night -- Saturday. Or maybe you're thinking you would spending two nights away from home? If only one night per weekend I would think it wouldn't cost anymore than someone who would rent a room to someone in their home for just the weekend (which sounds to me like something people don't generally do, and they would proably charge the same as a motel anyway).

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I have an interview for a really good job that I am highly qualified for, which I think there is a good chance of me landing in Riverside (actually Moreno Valley).

All I'm doing is thinking ahead a little.

Now - I am NOT going to be foolish and consider an LA to Riverside commute. That was be bad. If I end up getting this job, I would just LIVE in Riverside. There are nice areas, its actually quite cheap and affordable by SoCal standards, I would probably live near UC Riverside I'm guessing so I could be close to some cultural things associated with the university - besides its the part of town closest to Moreno Valley anyways.

But heres the thing, I already have an established group of friends and activities I do here in LA, now it is generally the weekends where I take advantage of everything. And I want to stay connected here.

To do this, I was thinking of possible weekend arrangements in the future. I don't want to be an actual imposition on friends every weekend "Hey can I crash on your couch?" just sounds I don't know - awkward even if you give them a little money.

Again, I don't want to hear, "you don't even know if you have the job yet" I know that. All I am interested in knowing about is, are there people who are looking to rent out a room, but only on the weekends - I guess I could look on Craigslist for that just like anything else.

Have you heard of people renting out rooms with a weekend arrangement only? Have you heard of people doing this? I do know people whos jobs have them split between two places. What do you think?

[TurcoLoco]

Find a lover and crash at her/his place on the weekends!

[1200RT]

As mentioned above, a hotel/motel is going to be, by far, your best bet. You'll likely only need to be in LA for one, may be 2 nights per weekend, and I'm almost positive it wont be every single weekend. If you're staying as frequently as you think you will be, you'll want to get status with whatever hotel brand you're staying as, start accumulating points, get their branded credit card, and start to stay for free, etc.

Just my thoughts....

[Tex?Il?]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm also considering maybe making a compromise and maybe finding some place halfway in between like San Dimas or Claremont (not Pomona - seems all bad news there). It would still be a long commute (but in opposite direction) and I could be closer to what I know in LA.

[bmwguydc]

I agree with the use of a hotel because you are not at the whim of sharing a house, and dealing with a lease, etc. And, if you are out of town, sick, or otherwise occupied in Riverside, you do not have to pay rent on a hotel that you would not use that day or weekend. If the staff knows that you are a regular customer, they will help you to get a preferential rate, too, when you find a hotel that you prefer.

[Dunbar42]

I would look into Redlands or Loma Linda. That's one of the nicest parts of the IE and it's fairly close to the Moreno Valley. Living half way in-between is not smart IMO. You are trading a longer commute every day during the week for a slightly shorter trip to/from LA on the weekends. For renting a room check out airBNB. You can probably find 5-6 renters that you could send out group e-mail to checking to see if their room is available for the upcoming weekend.

I hate to burst your bubble but I don't think you'll be making the drive into LA as much as you think. I lived in the IE for 8 years and had a guilt-free place I could sleep at (my brother's apt in Palms.) I rarely made the drive in. Driving 90 minutes in LA traffic is exhausting and I usually wanted to sleep in my own bed which meant driving 90 minutes home. IMO if you're going to live in the IE you'll be happiest if you find things to do in/around the area (not by driving to LA or OC except occasionally.)

[jm1982]

Good point. I could see how the long drive after a work week might get tiring after a while . Plus there's probably a lot more to do in the I.E in recent years.

It seems the hotel/motel idea might work for the reasons stated above.

You can also look into priceline, i'm usually able to save a significant amount of money by bidding on there , not a few dollars but 30% or more off the lowest price on a hotel's website. I've literally gotten places for over 50% off a hotels site.