How to Stay Safe When Renting a Room From a Stranger
The Americans were faced with a great swath referred to as “generational rent”. due to the dwindling chances of ever owning a home, the recent economic turmoil – with interest rates, inflation and Rent ascending– just adds another insult to an already serious injury. More and more people are being forced to do it get creative to secure the apartment. For some, that might mean giving up the lofty goal of renting an entire apartment and settling for it to rent a room.
On paper, that’s not much different than renting an apartment with a few roommates. In reality it can be very different because you are only renting a small room in someone else’s house. While your rights as a renter are legally the same as renting the entire apartment, in reality it can be an isolating, privacy-challenging experience as you cannot control many aspects of your living situation, from utility bills to how you have access to different areas of the room. You probably live there too With a landlord you don’t know very well is a recipe for stress.
One of the biggest concerns when renting a room is security: How does one feel safe living with (and at the mercy of) strangers? No matter how well you seem to get along, there are a few steps you should take to increase your security when renting a room.
Do your due diligence
When renting a room from someone you don’t know, security begins before you sign a lease or lease. Hang out with your future landlord slash roommate – video chat with them at least once. Don’t hesitate to ask anything that concerns you; A legitimate and reasonable landlord should be willing to answer any questions you have about the housing situation they are offering.
Check out the property and the surrounding neighborhood and make sure you feel comfortable there and consider paying for a background check on the person you will be living with. Many landlords guide potential renters through services such as reindeerberry– usually the cost is passed on to you – so why not turn the tables and see who you would like to live with for the next few months or years? Even a simple Google search for an address or landlord name can uncover unhappy previous tenants or other issues.
Add a lock (or improvise one).
The biggest security concern when renting a room is the integrity of your privacy. The owner of the property reserves the right to access your space at any timewhich becomes scary when the relationship goes sour.
Legally, you are not allowed to put a lock on your room or change the existing lock without your landlord’s permission, so ask about it in advance and get it in writing (preferably on the rental agreement itself). It’s entirely possible Remove and replace an existing knob or door lock with one you bought yourself, without damaging the door, and the previous lock can be put back when leaving the room.
If your landlord refuses to allow you to add or change the locks, you can improvise a lock on your door that will provide some protection while you’re there in the room. One of the easiest ways to do this only requires a Metal dinner fork and a pair of pliers. This will prevent someone from opening your door from the outside without making any modifications to the existing door or walls, which could help you sleep at night.
Add a camera
Generally, tenants are allowed to use security cameras in their private rooms as long as they don’t invade shared spaces. A simple indoor camera like Amazon’s Blink model can be placed unobtrusively on a shelf and can monitor your room when you’re not there and send motion-activated alerts. That way you at least know if your landlord/roommate is entering your room while you’re not there, or sleep better at night knowing they respect your privacy. Your main consideration here is to use a wireless setup that doesn’t cause damage to the walls or require other permanent modifications.