Need advice on roomates / room rental market in SD (San Diego: sublease, apartments)

[FAR009]

Hello. I currently live in Temecula and am planning on moving to the North County San Diego area in the coming months. I am likely to move somewhere in Oceanside or Carlsbad. Due to the very high rental prices at the moment I would want to get a roommate to offset the rental costs.

A couple of my friends told me that having a roommate would not be a good choice due to most roommates situations being unreliable ( people not paying rent and/or that people would be moving in and out every couple months). I was trying to get a feel if it is easy to find roommates right now or if it may take a few months to find one. I know it's definitely a good time to be a landlord due to a lack of inventory but I am trying to get an idea for the demand on people looking to rent rooms. Would likely be trying to get $700-800 a month. Obviously would have to check them for a job and references. A couple months ago I saw people asking $1000+ for rooms in some of the coastal towns so I assume it is a really tight market.

I am a male in my 30's and live alone with a dog so it would only be me and the other person whom I will be renting (which may be ideal for someone not wanting to live with too many other people). I could pay the full rent by myself if needed (I have some money saved) but would prefer to split due to the high rents people are currently asking. Any input on the general roommate supply and demand for SD/North County and if you think finding a roommate would take a couple weeks compared to a couple months to find? Is it hard to find longer term roommates who would be renting the room for 6 months or more or do you think people will rent for a couple months then move somewhere else?? Thank you

[RosieSD]

Do you have any friends in San Diego who might be potential roommates? Or friends of friends? That is always the best choice when you're thinking of a roommate.

But, it sounds to me like you have a good plan for interviewing and scoping out strangers as potential roommates. Given your age, if you try to stick with people closer to your age, you will probably be better off than taking on a younger roommate. Regardless, ask a lot of questions, and try to meet potential roommates more than once if you can.

One thing to know is that many landlords will require all roommates to pass a security check and sign a lease. This can mean that you'll find someone you like who doesn't pass the landlord's muster. You may also want to put together a written "roommate agreement" on your own spelling out day-to-day things in the apartment. This won't be legally enforceable, but will help avoid some surprises.

My daughter (in her late 20s) rented a two bedroom apartment four years ago with the specific idea of renting out the "spare" bedroom. She has had two long term roommates in that time. She recently moved in with her fiance, and her previous roommate took over the lease. It was an OK experience for her, but in both cases, she found her roommates through friends of friends. She did run ads on Craigslist and always received TONS of replies. But when she interviewed potential roommates, but found that it was hard to judge potential roommates from a quick meeting or two, and, in one case she really liked a potential roommate who wasn't able to pass her landlord's credit check. It took her longer to find a roommate than she expected both times she needed to find one.

So, this can work, but you do have to be thoughtful and a bit careful about pulling it all together.

The other issue is your dog. Finding pet friendly apartments and houses to rent can make a tight market even tighter. Some potential roommates might not be too keen on living with someone else's pet. It won't be an impossible barrier, but it is something to think about. Plan on extra time to find a pet friendly place and a pet friendly roommate.

Good luck!

[GaryatMSU]

A written roommate agreement could be considered a sublease. I believe it would be legally enforceable. Last time I rented out my condo in San Diego, I used a tenant screening service offered by Experian and it worked very well for me.