Seriously, what’s the big deal? I meet the majority of these requirements already — my apartment doesn’t allow pets, I listen to music under headphones and let my roommate know when I’m having guests over to be considerate, and I don’t speak Urdu regularly. I’m also not getting reduced rent and free stuff for any of that.

Sure the guy’s a bit eccentric, but he’s on the level about it, realistic enough to admit that some of his requirements are outside the norm, and offering a pretty sweet deal for putting up with his quirks.

If this is a joke — and I assume we’ll never know for sure — try harder, anonymous hoaxster. ‘Cause I’d totally have responded to this ad.

It’s good to ‘lay it all out there’ when renting a room out, and he did.

When I bought my house in 2002, I rented out 1 of 3 upstairs bedrooms and a mainly finished room in the basement. Sometimes I had one housemate, sometimes 2. I only have 1, now, in the basement room and don’t think I ever have to have a 2nd again.

My rules are simple. No loud music after 9pm weeknights, notice if they are going to have several people over at a time or more notice for any sort of ‘party’. I make it plain that things like lawn-mowing/snow shoveling and taking the garbage out are shared. Picking up of common areas or vacuuming the back stairs. Cleaning the bathroom that they use. I also ask for help here and there with small repairs. I offer to share the expense of toilet paper/paper towels/laundry soap if they aren’t using their own all the time. It seems to work well.

One housemate I had, though, was a neat freak. he would complain that he would clean the living room table and soon after, my daughter, 7 at the time, would mess it up or leave sticky stuff on it. He would also complain about various other small things. He saw the house before he moved in. He saw it was cluttered at times or dishes pile up- I work ft and am a single parent- it was the housemate that was too picky.

Yes, the post above is a little over the top, but at least he spelled it all out.