I’m living in a house-share at 65 – there are a lot of people in the UK like me
theguardian.com
theguardian.com
Having roommates is good for me (I'm a single dude and, by choice, I live with a good friend).
But having bad roommates is horrible. I'm lucky to have been given an opportunity to live with somebody I've known for many years, but the person in the article has "random" roommates that are chaotically moving in and out. That sounds horrible. (A constantly filthy kitchen because nobody "owns" it is terrible.)
Is there a reasonable middleground for a way to find pre-vetted "high quality" roommates? I know that many of my friends would benefit from that. Posting up a Craigslist ad and having lunch with somebody doesn't give you enough confidence. Is there a better way?
(A lot of people, especially in America, are depressed because of loneliness. If we could de-stigmatize living with people, I personally think that would do a lot for the world to create more happiness and "community" for people. But I'm also an optimist at my core. :) )
A number of the young I have worked with over the last fifteen years have lived in group houses. A house two doors down is a group house, with a fair bit of turnover--groups as often as individuals; they are quiet, which is old fogies like yours truly prefer.
A cynic I worked with long ago--and never shared a house with, I'm grateful to say--said that there is one simple rule: hold the lease in your name only. That way, if there's any drama, it's easier to push the dramatist out.
Maybe a dormitory arrangement would work better? One of my distant uncles live in a small apartment with private bedrooms/bathrooms and a small kitchen but it also has a large shared mess hall downstairs for everyone to eat.