All Forum Posts by: Hayden Hamilton

Jennifer, I agree that a conversation with my roommates beforehand will be the best solution to this problem. I will be stocking up on a few more cleaning supplies to be prepared if the situation arises. All of us are students in college currently. Given the large proportion of classes being offered online, I do not foresee any conflicts in this area. I do however understand that if any of us test positive, the lives of the other 2 roommates will be impacted for 14 days. My main concern was what I was obligated to provide my roommate(s) in this case. Everyone has been very helpful in offering advice and clarity in this scenario. Thank you.

Thank you for your advice Mike. I will sit down with my roommates and have that conversation. I always appreciate a second opinion and a different perspective on the situation. 

JD, I appreciate your guidance and hope you are having a great day. Same as you, I don’t really want to give up 2 weeks of compensation and my ability to live in the property. I would be fine with accepting the risk as long as we increase sanitization of common areas and practice proper social distancing. I will not be in a situation to speak for my other roommate though. In your opinion, Should I be liable to pay for my other roommate(s) lodging for 14 days or is possible illness a risk that should be assumed by all parties when they agree to sharing a home?

Aigo, thank you for your help. My property is a 3 bed 1 bath home, so staying isolated to one room is not feasible because of the shared bathroom. Seeing as how family members probably wouldn’t be thrilled about allowing a possibly exposed person stay on their couch, the only other option I had thought of would be a hotel. I don’t feel that it would be my obligation to cover the expenses for my roommate(s) to stay in a hotel for 2 weeks. In a similar situation, If one of us had gotten sick with a cold or the flu, I think the idea of paying for the others to stay in a hotel would be absurd. In your opinion, would it be acceptable to let everyone in the property know that we will increase efforts to sanitize and practice social distancing, but if they want to move away for 2 weeks they will be liable for all expenses?

Hello Bigger Pockets!

I am currently house hacking a single-family home and am renting out my additional rooms to two roommates. Due to the increase in positive COVID-19 cases as of late, I have been thinking how best to approach a future situation where one of us tested positive for the virus. In this scenario, should I be responsible for the health and safety of my other roommate(s) when it comes to COVID-19? Both of my roommates and myself have family close that they could possibly stay with. Part of me feels that to be a good landlord I should allow the other two parties that are not sick to move out for 14 days free of charge, allowing the sick roommate to quarantine in the house. The other part of me feels that my roommates and myself have assumed the risk of living with each other when the lease was signed. I also feel that any family members would be reluctant to allow any of us to stay with them because of the possibility of exposure prior to the positive test results. I would appreciate any advice that could be given on this topic.

I do not currently have any addendums to my lease agreement addressing this issue, but plan to incorporate some following this lease term.