Posted listings for new roommates can contain crucial clues about current inhabitants, RedEye finds. For example, a roommate seeking “someone responsible, but also to have fun with” may be expecting a built-in bud. A “quiet, homebody” poster could actually be a shut-in who volunteers you to do all the grocery shopping.
And clearly, despite the popularity of this term, not all renters are “chill” or “laid-back.”
Need help reading between the lines? We ripped some phrases straight from recent Craigslist postings and deciphered them with our patented RedEye Rental Decoder. Knowledge is power, people.
No judgment
What it says: “I work out everyday and I never smoke or drink. However, all things being equal, I’m not home all that often, so within reason, I’m not very particular with regard to whatever lifestyle you may have.”
What it could mean: My need to share rental costs outweighs my desire to judge your potentially deviant behavior. Just clean the blood off the walls and hide the chain saw before I get home, OK?
Drinking partners
What it says: “We do drink a bit, but we’re not sloppy or mean drunks. This is a smoking apartment.”
What it could mean: If you are willing to chip in on our beer-run fund and ignore our alcoholism-light, we’ll get along fine. Also hope you don’t mind choking back a little secondhand smoke.
Roommate is a bit of an overstatement
What it says: “The ideal roommate would be someone who needs a place mostly on the weekends and two-three nights a week, (ideal for someone who travels for work).”
What it could mean: I have a really high credit card bill that I’m trying to pay down, so I’m willing to let a stranger crash here a few nights a week if they’ll pay me.
Love for sale
What it says: “SWM, fit, 6’1″, brown hair, blue eyes, 190lbs, seeks attractive woman 45-50 to share 1 bdr apt.”
What it means: I am looking for action and am too lazy to take women out on dates. Instead, I will leverage this sly ad to get one to move in with me, essentially paying to be my live-in girlfriend. Call me, baby.
