Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with rental

Hunt for a rental while still here or when I get there?

glache — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:51:46 -0800

Hi everyone I'm relocating for the first time ever out of the family home. Should I start should start house hunting now *for a rental) while I'm away, or wait till I get there (I'm very happy to hostel it for a bit, as I don't know of anyone in the area and I'm a bit funny about couchsurfing). Thanks!

Good way to keep racoons off rooftop deck in rental unit?

jrlagace — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:29:07 -0800

We rent the top floor of an old boarding house in Toronto and have access to a rooftop patio. Because we rent, drilling and installing motion activated lights or anything that would permanently alter the unit is a no-go. Any chemical or non-permanent solutions would be greatly appreciated.

Moving to Denver, know nothing west of the Mississippi. Help!

stormygrey — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:44:42 -0800

I'm moving to Denver... soon! Aside from one awesome week in San Francisco, I've never even been west of the Mississippi. Help this Georgia girl find a place to love. I am so excited (In that I hope I don't puke on anybody way) to be moving to Denver. The job starts mid-September, but I will be ready to head out anytime from mid-July on. I could really use your input on where to live as I'm really not sure that I'll be able to go look before I can move. We really love our neighborhood now and I'm going to let that inform where I would like to live.

So things I love about where I live now:
*I can easily walk or bike (>1.5 miles) to multiple different bars/restaurants/shops/music venues/theaters.
*I live in a very small attic apartment, but what I pay corresponds to the size. $700 w/utilities in this case.
*No one thinks its weird if I go running after dark, there are lots of people running and biking and there is a recreation trail close that connects parts of downtown.
*It is very diverse and artsy in that, no one gives a fuck what you do, kind of way.
*I live a scant two miles from downtown proper and the capital, but my neighborhood is very homey, with modest historic homes and cute and eclectic yards and facades.

Other Considerations:
*My husband is going to be at Buckley AFB in Aurora. I don't want his commute to be awful.
*The suburbs both make us very sad. We really don't want strip malls or slick, new apartment complexes.
*Urban bike/walk-ablility is pretty important. I assume almost everywhere is going to have good access to some awesome wilderness hiking/activity stuff.
*We're not scared of people or city stuff. Ha. When looking at military spouse forums I feel like there is a lot of "safe places to live" which feels like code for "please shelter me from those who are different."
*We love zoos, city parks, green spaces, etc.
*At a glance I'm not seeing subdivided houses, small house, etc on Craigslist mostly just straight up bland apartment complexes. We will be there about 3 years, I don't want to buy.
*Accordingly, I am kinda thinking the City Park, Uptown, or Five Points area. I don't know! I've never been there, this is all google here!
*We absolutely don't want to live on base.
*We are hoping to spend between 900-1000/mth, but could go over if there are a lot of other places.

Man, that's a lot, but really just good, fun, easy, moderate size city living is what we're after. What do you have to say about all this?

San Francisco bike questions

mikepop — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:40:19 -0800

I'll be travelling to San Francisco for a conference the last week of May and I'd like to rent a bicycle and bike around a bit. Any bike-related stuff going on then? This and other bike questions inside. I'll be arriving early afternoon on Monday the 27th (assuming no filght delays) and flying back out late Thursday night. The conference is scheduled for Tuesday - Thursday so this leaves me most of Monday and the other evenings free. So, not a lot of free time but if there happen to be any sort of bike-related events or rides going on please let me know. I'll be staying near Union Square, but happy to travel anywhere in the city (or down to the Penninsula).

In terms of biking, I am someone who commutes about 15 miles/day year round in Maine, and I take longer rides on the weekends once the snow melts. I'm not a racer but generally have no problems riding with city traffic and getting around at a good enough pace.

I used to live (but not bike much) in San Francisco so I am familiar with the city generally and if nothing specific is going on I'll plan to ride around to some favorite places Monday and in the evenings.

Bike rental: searching brings up the two biggest bike rental places, which seem fine, but I'd happily give my money to a local bike shop instead if any do rentals.

Stores: I know many bike-related companies are based there, so are there any flagship or otherwise interesting stores or the like I should check out if I have the chance?

Any tips, warnings, etc. from local riders are greatly appreciated!

(Bonus Question: A pierogi restaurant called Stuffed was supposed to be opening in the Mission by "mid-April", but I haven't been able to find any news beyond that. Anyone know if it will be open by Memorial Day?)

Rent cars frequently? Have an opinion? Please share.

kestralwing — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:43:41 -0800

We're going to be driving from Seattle, Washington to Ashland, Oregon in July, doing it in one long day's drive each way. We'll be driving a rental. What model of car is the most comfortable? What model has the best gas mileage? What model has the optimum balance between the two? We're both average size. We would definitely want air conditioning in Oregon in July, but I think every car comes with that now?

I'd also welcome opinions about rental car agencies. We usually rent from a local, non-franchise rental business near us for vans & trucks, but their selection of passenger cars is severely limited. Any company wonderful? Any company to be avoided? Other tips? (I know not to pay for extra insurance, to check the car very carefully before we leave, to get both of us listed as authorized drivers .... anything else?)

Renting a projector

sitecoach — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:55:48 -0800

What types of establishments rent or loan projectors that can display computer output? And how much should it cost? I have a presentation next week and I would like to project from my laptop onto a wall. Just still images.

This is not a work event and I am not getting paid for it. It did not occur to me when I agreed to do it that finding a projector would be a problem.

The public library, where the presentation is taking place, is letting me use their room, but they do not have a projector.

I called a rental place and was told it costs $150/day to rent a projector. That strikes me as very high. Does this sound right? Does anyone have ideas on ways to rent projectors that aren't so costly?

Alternative living arrangements?

jsturgill — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:24:12 -0800

I may be on the lookout for a new residence soon, and I'm open to alternatives to the usual apartment/house rental. In particular, living in an RV or camper trailer parked on the street outside of a friend's house (or in their driveway if long-term parking on the street is illegal) seems doable. And fun. And possible (I asked). What's it like? Other suggestions welcome—the vehicle option is just what came to mind first.

I have a 2002 Subaru Outback that apparently has a max towing capacity of 2,000 pounds, so I guess I need a motor home or a very light camper trailer.

I'm interested in something with a built-in shower and toilet, which I suppose means I definitely need a motor home with black and/or greywater containers that would need to be dumped out every so often. How often? How much does an RV park charge for this service?

What models should I look at? What specific features should it have? How much is a reasonable cost?

I'm assuming a propane tank for cooking, tiny fridge, etc.

How viable would solar power be? Electricity needs would consist entirely of reading lights, my laptop, phone, possibly external speakers, and a tiny fridge.

If I ran everything off batteries that I charged every day/every other day, how much electricity would that use up compared to regular home usage? I mean, is that a "Here's 20 bucks for letting me recharge this month" situation, or is it more like "Heres $100 for this week?"

I've seen this post. Any others?

Fresno, CA area.

Commercial realty - rental - Toronto

dobbs — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:06:39 -0800

I want to rent a retail spot in Toronto to move an already established business into. I know absolutely nothing about commercial realty. Help me get the best deal I can without looking like a moron... So I run a successful business in a very busy neighborhood. The store has been there for 25 years and is the longest-running on the block. But it's too small and I want to relocate to a spot a few blocks south.

The rent on the new space is $5k plus $1600 TMI. This is about $1000 or $1500 more than I'd like to pay. Because my business is a success and well-known, the landlord and his realtor have indicated they're open to negotiating.

I know what that means to me, but I don't know what it means to them. What's realistic?

Here are the facts:

The store:

- previous tenant stopped paying rent after 18 months and was therefore evicted.

- two tenants ago left after 15 years because he thought rent was too high.

- store has currently been empty for 2 months and there are 6 other stores available on both sides of the street (some of them for more than 6 months) within 2 blocks.

- store is in good shape but has some unusual walls, some of which I've been told can be knocked down. Most of which I'd like knocked down.

My business:

- among the top in the city/country at what we do

- second longest running of its type in the city

- very well known and respected in the neighborhood (empty location is part of that 'hood)

- longest running business on our block (since 1987)

- neighborhood is very "rich" and businesses turn over around here very often. For instance, I am on the second floor, presently. The store underneath us has had at least 10 different businesses in it while we've remained steady. With the exception of a pub and a bank, my shop is the only one on the block that was there even 10 years ago.

***

Knowing jack-shit about realty, what are my chances of getting the rent down to $5500 including TMI?

Barring getting the rent knocked down, what can I negotiate for that would make up for that $12k - $15k per year? For instance, is it normal when moving into a place to try and get a free month or two at the head when you can build new shelving and do other work like that during which you would not be serving customers? (Two months free rent would be equiv of a year at $1000 less rent).

Also, regarding knocking down walls and such and maybe changing lighting or removing old store's signage... that's landlord's responsibility or mine? What's normal?

I have a second realtor who'd be working for me who I'm meeting tomorrow, but I'd like to be prepared for that meeting and not look like a moron by suggesting he try and get me things that are simply not possible or standard. Also, I assume I pay this person... what is standard for negotiating a lease like this?

Thanks.

Floripa Calling!

iiniisfree — Sat, 04 May 2013 09:20:01 -0800

Two of my life dreams are to speak Portuguese fluently and to learn to surf. VOILA~~ I was invited for a professional exchange in Florianopolis, Brazil, and am over the moon! Can you help me 1) decide which months to arrive 2) make an initial plan for housing and transport, and 3) suggest volunteer conservation efforts for my partner? I will have peers after I arrive, and the visa is covered, but no logistical support is available at this time. I speak basic Portuguese, so will be looking for practice/immersion and don't surf at all (yet) so I anticipate immersion of a different sort :)! Any advice to the items below or info sites, expat advice boards or community/rental/activity/classifieds etc would be very appreciated~

Timing: 4 month duration, my options are: late August staying to xmas, or late October-February. I understand that whatever advice you give will be more expensive/scarce for the 'peak' visitor season- but just how crowded are we talking for the peak? I'm a beginner surfer, how will these months vary for surf quality/crowds? We anticipate traveling elsewhere for xmas/new years.

Housing: Do you have any website/sublet suggestions? Or would it be best to work with a local realtor on this, or is it feasible to find something once I arrive?
A friend who has participated in this program recommended Barra da Lagoa, Lagoa, or Lagoa da Conceicao, but am open to other areas. I'm seeing a lot of places advertised on the North of the island, but if I have to get to an office about halfway between downtown Floripa and Lagoa, can you give insight on travel time/difficulty?
Vacation rentals look expensive for this extent of time- but more conventional rentals seem either unfurnished or need a Brazilian to co-sign the lease... Criteria (in vague order of importance): Furnished, safe, in-house internet, feasible to reach SantaMonica (office) frequently, close to surfing beach, close to public transport, walking distance to a grocery/cafe/restaurant, air conditioning.. Green landscape & trees /close to hiking preferred over more built-up environments.

Transport: we'd love to explore both Floripa and the coast. I hear Floripa is pretty spread out- are there any reasonable rates for long-term car rental? Is buying/re-selling one of those ephemeral VWs for the duration feasible? I've heard it can be great to have a bike/scooter, but haven't worked out how to deal w the hills/surfboard...

Volunteer efforts: my partner would love to volunteer with a conservation or wildlife effort, either something local or do a few trips if there is something more remote. Are there groups/sites you can suggest?

Where should we live in the Boston area?

peacheater — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:17:49 -0800

You guys helped me land the job, now please help us figure out where to live! I'll be working in the Back Bay area and my husband in Waltham, near Prospect Park (thus not near the train station). My job only got confirmed recently, so unfortunately we've put off the apartment hunting to rather too late. Our initial choice was Davis Square, close to the Red Line, so that I could take that to work in the Back Bay and my husband could drive to Waltham.

Decent Davis Square apartments are hard to find so we need to figure out other options. Porter Square would be our next choice, what do you all think of that? We're feeling constrained because we both need a reliable subway nearby and a not too terrible traffic and parking situation for my husband. Are there some areas we aren't thinking of that would work? What about Brighton or Fenway? How bad is driving from say, Harvard Square to Waltham in the morning and driving back in the evening. What about Central Square or locations further into the city? Would having permit-parking only be a constant source of annoyance? Any help or guidance would be much appreciated. We could afford about $2500 a month max.

Rental Car Pick Up and Drop off question

Wanderer7 — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:33:59 -0800

If I pick up a rental car at the airport, can another family member then drop it off for me even though they weren't with me at the time of pickup? Second, can that other family member also be allowed to drive the car even though they weren't with me at the time of pickup?

Reflooring part of a rental property (kitchen and living room).

flibbertigibbet — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:15:40 -0800

My boyfriend owns a house in North Florida that needs to have the floors in the kitchen and living room redone. He rents out the house. He's looking for a good 'middle way': not expensive, but not so cheap that it will have to be replaced soon; nice, but not so nice that it it might get easily damaged by renters (nor ugly, which would lower rent value). N.B.: the price has to include installation since he won't be around to install it himself. Any suggestions for what types of flooring he should look at, especially given N. Florida's climate?

Should this be a rental for tax purposes?

peripatetron errant — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 15:33:54 -0800

I live in a co-op in New York City. My spouse and I 'own' the unit, but we have a friend who lives with us. The unit is owner-occupancy only, so when we bought, we got special permission from the board for this one person to live with us. Owners are not allowed to rent out their units (but our situation is understood). Our roommate helps us pay the bills by giving us some money each month. There are no leases, subletting, proprietary lease for the coop, or any formal documentation at all. Is the money that he gives us each month "rental income"? I would prefer not to separate out rental income, expenses, etc. in addition to our legitimate home offices. However, I care more about doing this properly and not harming a) the roommate, b) the co-op, or c) my bottom line. Some other factors: 1) We have a maintenance cost that goes to the co-op and a mortgage, both larger than the roommate's payment. 2)I don't want the roommate to get in trouble by reporting rental expenses that aren't then reported as income by someone -- but it's quite the expense for them, so if I could get them in trouble, I'll deal. 3) Two of us have legit home offices. Most "rental income" rules pertain to partial year time-shares; renting out a room is geometrically more complicated when trying to parcel out the space between both rental and home office. 4) When we all lived together in a rental, it was totally rent money the roommate gave; now ... nothing *can* be rented, so I don't know how to report it. 5) I don't know whether the coop could get in trouble since it "doesn't rent" - and I have never considered whether that money goes to the maintenance or the mortgage.

Incomplete past rental info on an application - yay or nay?

curagea — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:14:55 -0800

I'm applying for an apartment and the rental application asks for previous residence info along with their respective landlords' contact info. The trouble is I don't have their info at all. I've long lost the copies of the leases and records of rent checks. I don't remember the name of the manager for one of the places, and have never met the management at another because the lease was arranged through one of my housemates, and I paid her my rent in her name.

All I have are the addresses of where I lived (two places) and my dates of residence.

However, I DO have my landlord's contact info for my current place, and I've lived here for more than three years, with no shenanigans: no late payments or notices, etc. My previous residences were only a year long each, give or take a month. I've rented my current place with a full-time income.

So my question is: will the screening company get suspicious at incomplete previous rental info? Or will they just look at my current three-year residency and my salary, and call it a day? Should I bother including my fuzzy college rentals?

Negotiating rent increase (Manhattan)

whitelily — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 08:25:59 -0800

I feel the proposed rent increase is unfair - how can I stay at my current rent? I live in a large rental apartment building in Manhattan. I've been there for almost a year and the two amenities I really wanted (elevator and laundry room) have been a disaster for almost the entire time I've lived there (elevators frequently out of order, sometimes all at the same time, and laundry machines always broken). My lease renewal is coming up and the management company sent me a lease to renew. The rent increase is not very much, especially for these days when rents are being hiked insane amounts. They are asking for a 4% increase. However, my rent is a lot to begin with, so 4% actually comes out to quite a bit of money. I would have no problem with this increase except I feel that given that the amenities I wanted in the building have been nearly unusable, it's unfair that my rent should be increased at all. I actually feel I deserve a *decrease*, but I would accept staying at my current rent.

My question is, what's my best bet at this point? Call the management company's office and tell them what I said above? Write them a letter? Any relevant experience you could share would be appreciated.

Vacation Rental Near Stratford-upon-Avon

tmharris65 — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:41:29 -0800

We'll be traveling to Stratford-upon-Avon this Christmas and we're looking for a self-catering vacation rental either in Stratford proper or within an hour's drive. I'm familiar with VRBO and AirBnB, but what I'm not familiar with is the great Stratford-upon-Avon area. What are the towns/cities that we should consider? Also, if you have any suggestions for specific properties, we'd love to hear them. It would be ideal to find something with "traditional" English charm, but also with the 21st century "necessities" like WiFi.

Rent or Lease?

pakoothefakoo — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 12:47:44 -0800

Would it be cheaper to rent a car for 6 months or get a lease swap with short term car insurance in California? I'm living in the area for at least 6 months, and need a car. Which is the better option? To get a long term rental with the insurance covered by my credit card or buy out a lease and get a short term insurance?

Help me buy my first house!

everydayanewday — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:08:11 -0800

My partner and I have saved a deposit of $50,000 to put down on a house. We're looking for a one bed flat around the Gastown area of Vancouver BC, which we may end up renting out while we move to the US for a couple of years for work, but I have no idea how to go about this. We've been to the bank where they quoted us a loan for $600,000 which is at least $200,000 more than we think we could comfortably repay. So with that in mind, my next step is finding a place. What is the best way to go about this? I hate estate agents with a fiery passion but can't see how we could do this without one. I'd like some advice about what to look for, how much to pay for what, and periphery costs that don't come from a dodgy sales agent. Where could I find the kind of info I'd need to be an informed buyer?

Also, on the issue of renting the place out, we'd be looking for someone to manage that while we're away. But costs for management lead me to think we wouldn't even break even on the mortgage repayments were we to do this. Does anyone have any experience in this area - how did it go for you? Could you cover the cost of the mortgage with the rent? Were your managers trustworthy, or did you come home to major damage and squatters?

If I were in my home country, I'd know much more about this, but I have no idea about property law, duties and processes in Canada. If anyone could help me make these waters a little less murky I'd be very, very grateful!

Help finding an apartment in Seattle

DuckGirl — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:57:12 -0800

I have a list of neighborhoods I'd consider living, a list of amenities that I consider necessary and/or negotiable, and a $ amount in mind per month. How can I make the selection process move along more quickly than the Craigslist Method? I see this kind of question pop up from time to time related to other cities, and it seems like while the general answer is "Craigslist is The Way," I know there are property management / apartment brokers in some areas. I imagine there are such services in Seattle to support all the tech transplants (of which I am not one), so I'm looking for suggestions if you have any. FWIW, the neighborhoods I know I dig include Greenlake, Greenwood, Ballard, Queen Anne, Fremont, and Phinney Ridge.

Dipping Our Toes Into Real Estate

slide — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:04:22 -0800

My brother and I would like to buy a four-bedroom house, furnish it, have him live in one room and rent the other three rooms. Neither of us have any experience with real estate, renting rooms, or being in business with one another. We're looking for advice as to how to fairly structure this investment, advisers we should consult, issues that we need to consider up front, and so on. More details inside... I'm not entirely sure which details are relevant, so I may include too much or too little. I live in New York, my brother lives in the Phoenix area. The house to be purchased would be in the suburbs of Phoenix. I have money, excellent credit, and a high-paying job - particularly by Arizona standards. My contemplated contribution would be mainly the down-payment and my credit. My brother has some money, decent credit, and a low-paying, though solid job. His contemplated contribution would be getting the tenants, collecting the rent, doing the actual work to furnish the place, perhaps paying rent himself on his room, perhaps contributing some money up front, and handling any ongoing maintenance, etc. In the area where we wish to buy, a reasonable 4-bedroom house would go for around $170-200k, then we'd need to furnish it, and rent out the 3 other rooms.

The main reason we think this investment makes sense is that my brother very reasonably believes he has the means to consistently rent out each of the rooms for about $350 per month (he already has the first set of tenants lined up if we go forward with this). For purposes of this question, please assume that's the case. The rentals would likely be short term - 3 months is probably the commitment we could get from each individual, though many people would stay longer on a month to month basis, and if one person moves out there are a host of others that will be ready to move in soon thereafter. Again, please assume that's the case.

Also, I can readily afford this investment and readily afford to lose it all - my brother is far more important to me than $200k and so even if I somehow lost that amount our relationship would be fine. We want to do this together as a team, think it would be a good experience, and get along very well and are both quite practically minded. My thought is to put up around $50k-$70k in cash for the down-payment, fees and furnishing and for a fund for repairs/maintenance, but I could do up to the full purchase price without issue if that makes more sense from a financial perspective, or put up less.

If we can work this out for one house, we might do this for another one or two houses as well after the first house is up and running.

With all those details in mind, my many questions are:

(1) How should we think about structuring this so that the investment is one we are both making and that we are both getting a fair return? I'll be putting up the downpayment and the money for furnishing the place, but he'll be doing all the work to find tenants/collect rent/etc. Unless there are tax or other reasons not to do it, we'd both like to be on the mortgage and both end up owning a share of the house. I'm really having a lot of trouble even thinking how best to structure this - I don't want to get the better deal, just something that is fair and leaves us both invested in this property. Would it make sense to form some sort of formal business arrangement (LLC, etc) and have that buy the house? Can't imagine mortgage companies would like that as much, assuming we go the mortgage route.

(2) What advisers should we be consulting? Broker? Real estate attorney? Tax attorney? Any book recommendations to get us more up to speed on buying/renting?

(3) We'd like to make sure however this is structured we get all the tax benefits available. I currently rent and neither of us own a place. From some quick research online, it appears that if we rent most of the house we wouldn't qualify for a mortgage interest deduction against regular income, but could deduct the mortgage interest as an expense against any rental income, etc. Is that right? Is this something a broker would know or do we need an accountant/tax attorney? Am I right that a mortgage makes sense here instead of paying the full purchase price upfront?

(4) Are there any legal issues with renting 3 bedrooms out of a four bedroom house in a residential neighborhood? Would this be governed by the HOA agreement? Any state/city laws? Or is this always going to be legal?

(5) Will we have to outline our plans for this house to a bank when we seek a mortgage? Or if I know I can get approved for a mortgage to buy myself a house quite readily, can we just present my and his information (income, savings, etc.) and get a regular mortgage without disclosing any additional details?

(6) What else should we be considering? What other issues may arise that we should be prepared for?

Thanks in advance for any advice/thoughts!

Renting or borrowing Macs - Bay Area

divabat — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:51:34 -0800

Is there an avenue in the Bay Area for renting or borrowing a Mac, especially for (grad) students? I am taking a Sound Arts class this semester that involves jamming on my instructor's computer with Garageband. Which is awesome - but I don't have a Mac at home to continue jamming and can't afford one currently. I will be needing it until end April or early May. I'm not sure my school offers tech rental (it's rather small). I have also looked at MacinCloud, which looks nifty, but I'm waiting to find out if they have Garageband support.

Should I maintain renter's insurance even though I've moved out?

QuantumMeruit — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:44:11 -0800

I moved out of my apartment, but am still on the lease, which extends for several months. I have "transferred" my renter's insurance policy to cover property and occurrences at my new apartment. This leaves me uncovered at the old place. Does this matter? My old apartment remains occupied (in part) by my roommate, who caused me to move out. (Previously.) I no longer have any personal property in the apartment, but as I understand it, I am jointly and severally liable for Bad Things which may occur in my old apartment. There are, of course, exclusions in my policy for intentional acts, etc.

I am hard-pressed to come up with a scenario involving a duty of mine, breach, causation and damages which would be an insurable risk here. But it's been an awful long time since I've worked through those crazy law school hypos.

With the transfer of my renter's policy to the new place, my insurance agent has confirmed that I am without coverage at the old place. I have an umbrella policy, but as I understand it, the umbrella insures now excludes Bad Things which would happen at the old place.

My gut tells me that this all is No Longer Important, but in the back of my mind I'm feeling like maybe this sort of stuff was covered in one of those Torts classes I slept through.

I am not looking for legal advice and I agree that nothing posted here will form an attorney-client relationship.

Is Bali drivable?

scottatdrake — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 12:25:47 -0800

We're planning a trip next year and will be staying (for free!) near Lovina on the North-central coast. We'd like to rent a car for the week and day-trip to see the other parts of the island. Is this realistic and/or advisable? How are the roads in reality? Google driving directions suggest about 3 hours to Lovina from Denpasar and Ubud, and the same to the west and east sides of the island, too. That's 50 miles divided by 3 hours.... 17mph. Hmm. Pretty slow going.

In the past, we're rented scooters in Thailand and a Jeep in Costa Rica, so I feel like we're not totally inexperienced in this sort of thing. Both were a lot of fun. Can we expect something similar in Bali?

Vacation Rentals - How to go about doing it

BlueMartini7 — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 09:51:19 -0800

Looking for guidance and recommendations on renting a house for one week in Rhode Island this coming June. I'm looking to be somewhat near Bristol, RI (but can be as much as 30 miles away), near a beach, biking trails and a cute town with a few nice restaurants and attractions. Would love your recommendations on what town to look for a rental, as well as rental agencies/websites to go to to find properties and information on how one goes about doing it - should I contact the owner, how do I get a guarantee that this person/place is legitimate, and that my deposit is guaranteed. Also, can you give me the ins and outs of renting a home for a week vacation? Tips on how to go about doing it, what to watch out for, as well as how to make the best of a one week's rental or things to do in a Rhode Island seaside town would be fun. Thanks!

La cucarachas... leave por favor!

camylanded — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 14:55:45 -0800

I've lived in my current apartment for around a year and a half now. I moved here mostly because it was cheap and there were no real problems abound. But now... there are cockroaches. I'd say it's infested. I complained to the landlord and a pest control company came out yesterday... but today... I saw a scary cockroach! WHAT GIVES? As a small backstory, when I was 18, my best friend lived in a place that badly got infested by cockroaches to the point where they left so quickly they left the majority of their belongings behind because they were afraid they might bring the critters with them somehow. After that period of time, I'm terrified of cockroaches. They make me feel stressed and itchy and I can't deal with it.

Over the period of time I've lived here, I've seen cockroaches here and there-- mostly during periods of rain. In the past few weeks, the sightings are getting more and more frequent. I've not been eating in my kitchen due to these sightings. They range in size from teeny tiny to small-ish. I thought the smaller ones were just babies-- but they were also different colors-- some black in color, and some brown (it seems like that indicates different breeds?)

So I called my landlord and yesterday, a company came out and sprayed what smelled like pretty lethal chemicals in my bathroom and kitchen. While cleaning today in the kitchen, I did notice that there were some dead cockroaches.... but then behind a hanging frying pan I saw the largest brown cockroach I've seen since this whole thing started! -- from what I've googled, I wonder if it may have been laying an egg? At any rate, I washed it down the sink with hot water and turned the garbage disposal on. I also have noticed bites on my skin, and wonder if perhaps this infestation is even worse than I originally thought.

If it helps any, I've talked to my neighbors-- the two couples on either side of me have said they've also had a roach problem as of late.

I'm uneducated in the ways of cockroaches and just don't know what to do-- my lease is up on February 28th. I don't want to have to deal with this until then and I DEFINITELY do NOT want to bring them with me.... while I'm not concerned with my couch, my bed was bought brand new last year and I obviously do not want to have to trash it.