# Please critique my roommate ad.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 3, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229 "2011-01-03T16:02:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/1 "2011-01-03T16:02:01Z")
My roommate is moving out in February and while she could be bitchy at times, she paid her rent and utilities flawlessly and was almost never home. Enjoying those aspects of her and working for a medical system myself, I though it might be a good idea to try to find a medical school student to share my house with. Who else is responsible and guaranteed to not be home most of the time, right? So here’s the ad I’m planning to post on the med student lounge boards at two hospitals near my home:
> [@](#):
>
> $600 – 2br/1½ba townhouse for rent in [Neighborhood]
>
> I am looking for a clean and responsible roommate to share my townhouse across the street from [Park name] Park (south side). The house is mostly furnished (except for your bedroom). If you have your own living room/kitchen/etc. furniture, we can make it work.
>
> [ul]
> [li]2 bedrooms, shared bathroom, ½ bathroom downstairs, office/study room[/li][li]Washer/dryer in finished basement[/li][li]Gas heat/stove/oven, dishwasher[/li][li]Most floors hardwood[/li][li]Nicely equipped and comfortable living room with large LCD TV, DirecTV, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and unlimited Netflix[/li][li]Quiet, safe, and friendly neighborhood of young professionals (late 20’s to mid 30’s)[/li][li]Minutes from either JHU or UMMC (#7 bus picks up right across the street)[/li][li]Perfect for med students who need a quiet place to study and easy access to Baltimore’s hospitals![/li][/ul]
> Renter is responsible for ½ each of utilities, satellite TV, and DSL internet. Renter must be able to live with two lovable cats.
>
> Please call xxx-xxx-xxxx to inquire. Lease must be signed no later than Febuary 15.
What do you all think? Is there anything I could do to further encourage med school students to reply? Thanks for your help.
---
### Author:  [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/2 "2011-01-03T16:46:00Z")
While not about your aim towards looking for medical students, my critique is that the headline seems wrong. The townhouse isn’t for rent; a portion of the townhouse is for rent.
---
### Author:  [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/3 "2011-01-03T16:51:01Z")
^ Agreed. Other than that, it seems fine to me. I hope photos are included. I know when I was looking at apartments, I never even bothered to inquire about any ad that didn’t have photos of both the inside and outside. None of that far away, on a perfect day crap.
---
### Author:  [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/4 "2011-01-03T17:11:42Z")
$600 – 2br/1½ba townhouse in [Neighborhood] - Share with 30-something [type of job you do, loosely] Professional
You want them to know you are the kind of person they want to live with, in addition to the basic amenities.
---
### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/5 "2011-01-03T17:46:19Z")
“Numerous free cadavers in crawlspace for the renter who doesn’t ask too many questions.”
---
### Author:  [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/6 "2011-01-03T18:31:27Z")
“No fatties”
---
### Author:  [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/7 "2011-01-03T19:27:44Z")
The two sentences about furniture were slightly confusing the first time I read them. How about “Common areas are furnished, but could accomodate your furniture too if necessary” ?
---
### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/8 "2011-01-03T19:39:20Z")
I presume, because that’s what I would want, that you don’t want any smokers.
Also, how long are you leasing for and is there a deposit?
You might have more success in obtaining a bedroom set from the Salvation Army for that empty bedroom and then it becomes a turn key operation for the renter/student.
---
### Author:  [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/9 "2011-01-03T19:43:27Z")
> [@Quercus](#):
>
> The two sentences about furniture were slightly confusing the first time I read them. How about “Common areas are furnished, but could accomodate your furniture too if necessary” ?
That’s what you would call and ask him about. These types of ads need to be brief, because most people are going to tl;dr huge dissertations that spell out every detail of the potential living arrangement. He laid out the kinds of things most renters are going to be looking for right away, and if there are further questions, they have his phone number and can hammer out the details through a personal conversation.
---
### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/10 "2011-01-03T19:52:56Z")
Storage??
---
### Author:  [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/11 "2011-01-03T20:15:45Z")
You want a roommate in grad school in the middle of the semester? Seems like 1) you’re going to have an ultra tiny pool to choose from and 2) the ones available are going to have issues with their current roommates, which probably means they’re bad news to begin with.
I would not shoot for a med student and instead someone similar to your age/profession.
---
### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/12 "2011-01-03T21:07:36Z")
That’s a pretty good point.
---
### Author:  [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/13 "2011-01-03T22:05:19Z")
It’s a pretty good ad but based on a recent thread (no linky), I strongly urge you to outline up front your policy as to whose pictures can and cannot be displayed on the refrigerator door.🙂
---
### Author:  [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/14 "2011-01-03T22:58:34Z")
I think the ad is fine. I don’t personally think pictures are necessary, but I’ll admit I haven’t rented an apartment in well over a decade. I might mention whether there was parking. The ad seems to imply that you would want someone who takes the bus, and/or wouldn’t have a car. Perhaps that’s the norm in your area, but being from California, that would seem strange to me to not mention it in the ad (e.g. private covered parking available)
---
### Author:  [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/15 "2011-01-03T23:10:17Z")
Don’t forget the 10% discount every month he/she doesn’t bring someone home for loud sex.
---
### Author:  [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/16 "2011-01-03T23:36:53Z")
I think it’s a good concise ad. I’d suggest adding:
- Your age, sex, and occupation. Most people have a definite preference on whether they live with someone of the same sex or around the same age as themselves.
- The size of the room. Could they fit a full sized bed, a desk and a dresser.
- Pictures.
- Possibly an e-mail address.
Since you’re looking for someone who won’t be around much, I’ll point out that at many schools MS1s and MS2s have a lot of unstructured time. They have a great deal of work to do, but it usually doesn’t matter where they do it. Or at what time.
Once they hit 3rd year though, they’re on the wards with a steady full-time plus schedule and won’t be home much. Same goes for 4th years; and residents you’ll never see.
---
### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-critique-my-roommate-ad/566229/17 "2011-01-04T02:39:23Z")
> [@minlokwat](#):
>
> It’s a pretty good ad but based on a recent thread (no linky), I strongly urge you to outline up front your policy as to whose pictures can and cannot be displayed on the refrigerator door.🙂
That’s an excellent idea. 🙂