The Basics:
My current roommate is moving out, so I am looking for someone to take their place! I am looking to have someone move in latest February 1st, preferred early/mid January (prorated rent if on the 15th+). I am not posting any pictures of the space until my roommate fully moves out, but I can send photos to individuals when they reach out. They just dont want their space shown to everyone, but are okay once I vet the person initially. I know there is a lot of text, apologies up front for that.
Preference will be given to BIPOC & LGBTQ+ folks, but anyone is encouraged to reach out.
Some deal breakers:
-You must be okay living with a ~50 lb dog. He loves people, playing, and snuggling. Don't worry, he is the sweetest boy with lots of personality.
- You must be okay with me woodworking in the backyard most weekends and some rare evenings after work. It is relatively quiet work (no loud and constant saws for the most part), and I am willing to share tools and teach if interested. So creatives are encouraged to reach out. Ill gladly show my work as a reference for what I work on if interested. (I also enjoy pottery, textiles, painting, and most craft based mediums). My smaller of the 2 rooms shares the wall with the backyard for this reason.
- No smoking inside the apartment (my dog and I have a sensitivity) outside is okay. No heavy drinking or hard drugs.
- I prefer one person only, but open to a couple. Rent and utilities would be split evenly between the 3 if so.
- I am searching for someone long term and consistent, so ideally you would live here for at least a year.
- You must not be a hyper-masculine, meninist, manosphere, etc. type folk. My dog and I do not jive with that.
Costs:
Rent is technically $1100 for the larger room (See rent concessions below for the $950). First and last month plus a $400 security deposit due on move in for a total of $2400-2600. I am very open to discuss a payment plan for the last month and deposit, so it's not one huge sum. As I know can be difficult to produce all at once.
Utilities include PG&E and Internet, the landlord covers water & trash. PG&E is typically around $100-150 (less if you dont work from home) and the internet is $60. So an added average ~$100/month to cover those once we split it.
About the space:
- The apartment is a 2-bedroom 1 bath, in a single story building with 3 other neighbors. It has a spacious backyard, great for get togethers and space for gardening. There is a laundry on site, split between the two halves of the building. And we share a decently sized laundry storage area for laundry stuff.
- The room itself is the larger of the 2, and has enough space for a queen bed, desk, dressers, and more. It has a large closet as well. This room shares a wall with the neighbor, who is pretty quiet and my room.
- The shared spaces include the living room, bathroom, kitchen, and backyard. There are two larger closets for bathroom/kitchen storage. The place feels like a small home, and is pretty cozy but is not without its quirks.
- The area is amazing, and is right off downtown Lafayette's main street. It is a very quiet neighborhood, but lots to do nearby. It is super walk-able, and there are nearby trails, and the beautiful Lafayette reservoir to walk/workout. It is a 3 min walk to Trader Joes, Diablo foods and a 15ish min walk to Safeway, and Whole foods. There are a few of coffee shops and great takeout food options as well, and has a great dining scene. BART is a 7ish minute walk!
- The landlord is awesome and usually hands off but gets things fixed pretty quick. He rarely raises the rent as well, and sometimes lowers it for a month if we help him with stuff around the property. There is a parking spot for each apt to park about 15-20 feet from the building entrance, and there is a lot of street parking as well.
- I have an assortment of higher end kitchen gear, and an L shaped Ikea couch and a decent sized TV/stand. So the shared space is pretty much fully furnished. You would only need to furnish your room. That being said, I am open to supplement anything of mine with yours in the shared space, especially if the quality and aesthetics are better.
About me:
I have lived here for around 4 years after I fell in love with Lafayette and decided to stay! And my landlord has been so kind and understanding, so I have had no reason to leave. I am a male in his early 30's. I am a creative/maker, and always trying out new mediums, though my primary is woodworking. I am very kind, understanding, love community building. I love to cook and bake (did so professionally for a few years). I am pretty quiet and shy at first, but open up quickly. I work in the city, and commute in Mon-Fri. I am an early bird during weekdays, so I am usually asleep by 9/10pm. On the weekends I am usually home working on projects and hanging out with my dog. If not, I am visiting friends or family or exploring the bay. Some other basics: I love film, TV, photography, fermentation, bread baking, gardening, animals, and making big lavish dinners on special occasions. I am an omnivore but open to keep meats out of the home if you are a vegetarian/vegan. I am a leftist, antifascist, etc. And my values always align with treating people with dignity at any stage of their lives.
About you:
Ideally you are also a maker/crafty. You have a stable job and income. You are relatively quiet during the weekdays. You are clean and tidy, but are okay when the place isn't super pristine. And doesn't mind a dish soaking or something is out of place for a short while. You are mature, make good choices, and bring little "baggage". You are low stress, and can manage your emotions well. You also value community building and fostering relationships. I dont expect us to be best friends off the bat, but it would be nice to share a meal every once in a while, rely on each other for things, and for lack of a better phrase, not butt heads. You confront any issues with me, and are okay with confrontation if I ever have an issue - the goal here is to not have any resentments or letting things fester. You have a good amount of emotional intelligence, are empathetic, and understanding. You are okay with me inviting a friend or two over every once in a while (with some heads up). You enjoy eating and are up to be a taste tester when I cook/bake.You are not a hyper-masculine/"bro"/meninist/manosphere type. As mentioned, BIPOC & LGBTQ+ folks will have priority. My close friend group consists of bipoc/lgbtq+ folks as our values tend to converge a lot.
Some added info on monthly rent concessions:
1. If you are able and willing to help with feeding, watching, playing with, walking, and other general and simple dog stuff I would shave some cost off rent or cover PG&E & internet and part of the rent up to $150 off per month. I work in the city, and he can be alone for no longer than 8 hours before he needs to be taken out to potty. So if our schedules line up in some way where he isn't alone for longer than those 8 hours, I would gladly take $150 off of rent per month. Otherwise, I will be hiring someone to come by every weekday to take him on a walk to potty while I am at work. (I leave for work around 6 am, get back around 4pm, so if hes not alone for longer than 8 hours any time between that, it'll work).
2. I dont drive or have a car. So the spot is yours if you drive. No extra cost to you, but ideally you'd help with a bulk grocery run to Costco every once in a while. I can chip in for gas!