Interviewing potential flatmates?

Canluum

I'm inexperienced with this whole renting lark.
I had expected when I put my flatmate's room up on daft it would be hard to find someone to take it... however it's been a veritable firehose of messages.

I've not organised any viewings yet (have to wait for the current flatmate to come back from holidays and tidy his room). I want to be fair about this, I know how it is, but also it's a sort of important decision, deciding who you'll live with for the next year...

My question is, is it okay to informally "interview". Say someone views and decides they want to rent the place on the spot. Can I just say "I've a few more viewings, I'll let you know"? What's the protocol?

Cheers

scotty_irish

Canluum wrote: »

I'm inexperienced with this whole renting lark.
I had expected when I put my flatmate's room up on daft it would be hard to find someone to take it... however it's been a veritable firehose of messages.

I've not organised any viewings yet (have to wait for the current flatmate to come back from holidays and tidy his room). I want to be fair about this, I know how it is, but also it's a sort of important decision, deciding who you'll live with for the next year...

My question is, is it okay to informally "interview". Say someone views and decides they want to rent the place on the spot. Can I just say "I've a few more viewings, I'll let you know"? What's the protocol?

Cheers

Bring them over for a viewing, show the flat, have a cup of tea and a chat with them. they'll be sussing you out too. just say i'll call you in a few days. they'll have other viewings too. its a big decision, you don't want ****ty flatmates!

tipptom

Canluum wrote: »

I'm inexperienced with this whole renting lark.
I had expected when I put my flatmate's room up on daft it would be hard to find someone to take it... however it's been a veritable firehose of messages.

I've not organised any viewings yet (have to wait for the current flatmate to come back from holidays and tidy his room). I want to be fair about this, I know how it is, but also it's a sort of important decision, deciding who you'll live with for the next year...

My question is, is it okay to informally "interview". Say someone views and decides they want to rent the place on the spot. Can I just say "I've a few more viewings, I'll let you know"? What's the protocol?

Cheers

Have a look at shallow grave the film,thats the way to interview prospective tenants,hopefully it doesnt end that way for you though!.

convert

When I was showing a room, I've always said 'there are more people coming to view the room, so I'd be in touch'. In fairness, it's pretty easy to spot the 'nice' from the 'not so nice' people, even if you don't 'interview' them, per se[/I.
For example, I had one guy who was very persistent that he wanted the room and that he would take it there and then. I wouldn't have touched this guy with a 10ft pole, so I told him that we had other people coming to view the room and that we'd be in touch. He was still insistent that it should be 'his' room because he was there first. Oh, and he also wanted to have the kitchen to himself when he was cooking! :eek: Definitely not someone you want to share with!

There's nothing wrong with sitting down with the potential housemates and having a chat with them. I've gone through quite a few of those, and, having shared with a few nightmare tenants, I have no objection to people being careful about who they share with! And if somebody does, then you have the answer to your question as to whether or not they're a suitable housemate.