Steal food?
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Steal food? (by DD [ON]) Jul 6, 2024 12:00 AM
       Steal food? (by Robert J [CA]) Jul 6, 2024 1:47 AM
       Steal food? (by ken [NY]) Jul 6, 2024 8:04 AM
       Steal food? (by DJ [VA]) Jul 6, 2024 8:39 AM
       Steal food? (by Robin [WI]) Jul 6, 2024 3:56 PM
       Steal food? (by GKARL [PA]) Jul 6, 2024 4:00 PM
       Steal food? (by 6x6 [TN]) Jul 6, 2024 4:44 PM
       Steal food? (by DJ [VA]) Jul 6, 2024 6:12 PM
       Steal food? (by 6x6 [TN]) Jul 6, 2024 8:01 PM
       Steal food? (by ken [NY]) Jul 6, 2024 10:41 PM
       Steal food? (by Busy [WI]) Jul 7, 2024 10:03 AM
       Steal food? (by DD [ON]) Jul 7, 2024 7:39 PM
       Steal food? (by Ray-N-Pa [PA]) Jul 7, 2024 9:09 PM
       Steal food? (by don [PA]) Jul 10, 2024 3:00 AM
       Steal food? (by don [PA]) Jul 10, 2024 3:00 AM
       Steal food? (by zero [IN]) Jul 10, 2024 8:33 AM


Steal food? (by DD [ON]) Posted on: Jul 6, 2024 12:00 AM
Message:

Rooming houses: Do you put a small/mini fridge in each room? Or have roomers share a common fridge? Is food being stolen a problem if it is a shared fridge? How many people can typically share a kitchen before chaos? Obviously, single people will not be cooking large meals, and some people cook more than others... TIA!

--99.233.xxx.xx




Steal food? (by Robert J [CA]) Posted on: Jul 6, 2024 1:47 AM
Message:

For a "fee", a tenant in a Rooming House can have a Private mini-frig in their room, with a LOCK and Key on the product. If not, two tenants share a common Kitchen-net, ACME unit. It is a stainless steel unit with a small sink (Hot and Cold Water), two electric 220 volt burners and a lower refrigerator (small freezer inside) and some storage. Over this counter/unit/appliance, I had a Micro-wave oven the two tenants share. I design the hallways to branch off to 2 unit with a private bathroom/kitchen-net.

So one Rooming House has two very tiny bedrooms with a private entrance. From each of these two bedrooms they can enter into a common hall with the Kitchen-net and a small bathroom-3/4, tub/shower, sink and toilet.

Another bedroom along the same wall enters from the main door to the entrance of the house and has only an entrance to this bedroom. No shared anything. But in this bedroom I have a 10cu foot refrigerator with a Microwave on top. Shared common bathroom in the main house.

Then I have two side doors with an entrance to a master suit with private bath, kitchen and walk in closet.

Another unit that is medium size with a back door leading into the main house to share the kitchen and bathroom.

I've had bad tenants access a friends room then steel food from a shared refrigerator. This makes trouble for everyone.

In the lease I have a $50 fee for every tenant to pay if someone get stuff stolen and no one will take responsibility. That's $50 a month times 7 tenants, or $350. I then give the person with stolen items a gift card to replace stuff, for half that amount, I keep the balance. --207.246.xxx.xxx




Steal food? (by ken [NY]) Posted on: Jul 6, 2024 8:04 AM
Message:

When i had a couple rooming houses i had a fridge in the kitchen but eventually due to stealing i put a mini fridge in each room and that solved a lot of petty problems. these were low end rentals, these guys did not have good jobs and had little ability to solve problems amongst themselves --74.77.xx.xx




Steal food? (by DJ [VA]) Posted on: Jul 6, 2024 8:39 AM
Message:

When I had my rooming house for lowest income folks, there was some food stealing that I heard about - probably more I never knew. 1 large, common kitchen with a full size refrigerator/freezer. Some things disappeared from cabinets, too. I told them to work it out, and it never seemed to be a crisis.

Each roomer had the option to have a mini-fridge in their own room, but nobody chose to. --68.229.xxx.xxx




Steal food? (by Robin [WI]) Posted on: Jul 6, 2024 3:56 PM
Message:

I have refrigerators in the common areas. Once I start getting complaints about food going missing, I put up a security camera. That either stops it (because they know someone could be watching) or helps me identify the perpetrator. Get rid of the thief, get rid of the problem.

Some people choose to buy their own minifridges. I allow that. --104.230.xxx.xxx




Steal food? (by GKARL [PA]) Posted on: Jul 6, 2024 4:00 PM
Message:

I have one large refrigerator in the common area and mini fridges in most of the rooms. I get no complaints about stolen food but I prefer the mini fridges because no one cleans up the common fridge and they tend to leave stuff in there till it's rotten. I regret having a common fridge for that very reason I wouldn't get one If I had to do it all over again. --209.122.xx.xxx




Steal food? (by 6x6 [TN]) Posted on: Jul 6, 2024 4:44 PM
Message:

If one of the roomers put poison in their food, how long would it take for people to quit steeling it? --76.129.xxx.xx




Steal food? (by DJ [VA]) Posted on: Jul 6, 2024 6:12 PM
Message:

Right, 6x6?

Or how about that super-hot pepper sauce?

LOL --68.229.xxx.xxx




Steal food? (by 6x6 [TN]) Posted on: Jul 6, 2024 8:01 PM
Message:

Pepper sauce would be safer. --76.129.xxx.xx




Steal food? (by ken [NY]) Posted on: Jul 6, 2024 10:41 PM
Message:

Robin, you put up cameras in common areas? is that legal? I wont be buying another rooming house, i had so many problems with mine my wife says it made me mean and i buy another one we get divorced,that would be 2 hassles i dont need --74.77.xx.xx




Steal food? (by Busy [WI]) Posted on: Jul 7, 2024 10:03 AM
Message:

A friend of mine gave me a tour of her lovely rooming house years ago. She had a 'food pantry' table set up near the common area. She, or her manager would even go to food pantries and ask for a bag of goods, and when bread was on sale for a great price, she'd add a loaf or two.

If I recall, there wasn't a common fridge. But, the tour was some years ago, so my memory is probably not reliable. But, the 'food pantry' was something she was rightly proud of, said it worked very well. Tenants often would buy a can/ box or two extra when items were on sale to restock it. Gave a great sense of community to the place, imo. --72.135.xxx.xx




Steal food? (by DD [ON]) Posted on: Jul 7, 2024 7:39 PM
Message:

Thanks so much for your feedback! --99.233.xxx.xx




Steal food? (by Ray-N-Pa [PA]) Posted on: Jul 7, 2024 9:09 PM
Message:

Someone breaks into my frig and steals my left overs in the middle of the night leaving dirty dishes for me to wash in the morning......too bad I live alone --24.101.xxx.xxx




Steal food? (by don [PA]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2024 3:00 AM
Message:

This is why I say rooming house is more like running a business than a real estate investment. I have no desire to run what is in effect a motel for the bottom tier of society. Worse than a motel, really, because there are common areas that have to be managed. Who the heck wants to deal with which tenant left a mess in the kitchen or who stole who's peanut butter? No time or patience for that. --73.165.xxx.x




Steal food? (by don [PA]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2024 3:00 AM
Message:

This is why I say rooming house is more like running a business than a real estate investment. I have no desire to run what is in effect a motel for the bottom tier of society. Worse than a motel, really, because there are common areas that have to be managed. Who the heck wants to deal with which tenant left a mess in the kitchen or who stole who's peanut butter? No time or patience for that. --73.165.xxx.x




Steal food? (by zero [IN]) Posted on: Jul 10, 2024 8:33 AM
Message:

I wouldn't do it either as I am lazy.

But I do know there are a few on here that are making bank with rooming houses.

Once you get the right people in it would be much easier.

Then with some of the extra money you are raking in you could have a cleaning person take care of the common areas and maybe act as a judge for little squabbles that arise?

I still don't want to do it because of the initial set-up. I am the same way with STR even tho I see the extra money being made once it is set. --107.147.xx.xx





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