Inconsiderate People

Most of us can agree on the fact that the economy is horrible right now. We can also agree that a poor economy means we often have to do things we don't want to do. For me, that 'thing' is to rent out my spare rooms.

I've been mostly lucky with roommates over the years. A few have been duds, but for the most part, their checks didn't bounce and they were good to my cats. And there was a plethora of good people to choose from.

Things were pretty good until now. I have never experienced so many inconsiderate people in my life. I'm a bit gobsmacked, actually, by the craptastic human beings I have encountered in the last few months.

I have one roommate who has lived here for three years, thank goodness. She has her quirks, but she puts up with my quirks, too. (And after three years, the cats still avoid her, which is kind of puzzling.) The other room has been empty since the beginning of August.

Since August, I have interviewed quite a few potential roommates. A few have even come to the house to see the room. What astounds me is that none of these people have had the courage or common decency to tell me that they are not going to take the room. One woman promised me that she would call that evening to tell me her decision - haven't heard from her. And yesterday, a man told me he was very interested in the room, picked up the background check forms, and I haven't heard from him since. He was supposed to tell me by this morning what his decision was, but he is not returning e-mails, texts, or phone calls. And don't get me started on the sheer number of people who made an appointment to come see the house and simply never showed up. Nevermind the fact that I cleaned the house for them and rearrange my schedule in order to be home at the appointed time. One evening, I even left work early in order to be home to accommodate someone who never showed up and never called to say he wasn't coming.

If you are looking for a place to live, please try to be courteous. Be a decent human being and let the homeowner know if you are going to take the room. It's okay to say right then and there that you aren't interested because then we can at least move on to the next person. We aren't renting out rooms because we enjoy it. It's a necessity and our time is valuable, so don't waste it and don't cause us to lose another potential roommate because of your cowardness.