Info for Craigslist posters

Same on this site also. It is very helpful, so we don't have to search what island you plan on moving to or are presently living on. Just a reminder for other board members.

Same on this site also. It is very helpful, so we don't have to search what island you plan on moving to or are presently living on. Just a reminder for other board members.

I've found it way more of an issue on this site than on craigslist (and I check CL every day to see what latest scams I can flag)!

Same on this site also. It is very helpful, so we don't have to search what island you plan on moving to or are presently living on. Just a reminder for other board members.

I've found it way more of an issue on this site than on craigslist (and I check CL every day to see what latest scams I can flag)!

I agree, you would think people on this site would list which Island especially when offering a rental.

I would love if the people posting apt. rentals on Craigslist would use the letters STT, STJ, or STX more often. It is a bit of a nuisance being at the computer with 3 maps in my hand. I guess everyone is expected to know all 3 islands already, but most newbies & wannabes don't.

Looking at it from the other side -- the posters who don't include that detail can automatically filter out newbies and wannabes. *-)

:X

So how long does the hazing continue?

I would love if the people posting apt. rentals on Craigslist would use the letters STT, STJ, or STX more often. It is a bit of a nuisance being at the computer with 3 maps in my hand. I guess everyone is expected to know all 3 islands already, but most newbies & wannabes don't.

Looking at it from the other side -- the posters who don't include that detail can automatically filter out newbies and wannabes. *-)

Given the fact that this site is called VI Moving Center and this board is for relocating....shouldn't one expect "newbies and wannabes"? After all, if you have property to rent or items to sale....you might welcome the "newbies and wannabes".

It seems like you both are upset that people who live in the islands already aren't doing things the way you want to make your life easier. You will likely run into a lot more of that. It's certainly not hazing. I merely suggested an alternative perspective that could help the open-minded newcomer understand why things are the way they are. Don't shoot the messenger.

@statesidechange, the original post was criticizing Craigslist posters, not posters on this message board. Two different animals entirely. Of course a site geared to newcomers should do what the OP suggests, and mostly people here just forget. Craigslist is a totally separate situation, and maybe the OP should post her suggestions there.

Craigslist is a totally separate situation, and maybe the OP should post her suggestions there.

Do you have ESP? This very unusual ad was placed yesterday in the rent section of craigslist and my immediate reaction upon reading it was, "Oh honey, I think you're in for one rough ride!":

http://virgin.craigslist.org/apa/3954122237.html

Craigslist is a totally separate situation, and maybe the OP should post her suggestions there.

Do you have ESP? This very unusual ad was placed yesterday in the rent section of craigslist and my immediate reaction upon reading it was, "Oh honey, I think you're in for one rough ride!":

http://virgin.craigslist.org/apa/3954122237.html

That is just awesome hahahaha. Thank you for that gem.

Oh dear -- OT, that is too much!!

My favorite part was, "In August they will have lost $4600 they could have been collecting from me."

Island experience has taught me why that landlord would rather "lose" $4,600 than deal with the potential headaches there. Maybe we will hear more as that two-year lease unfolds!

Yes, I think those other landlords dodged one huge bullet. The next thing will come in a few months time when this person finds that island living just doesn't suit at all and then will start the wailing about how to extricate self from two year lease! I've been sitting around for two days now waiting for a "provider" (say no more) to return to do a job which he left yesterday morning promising to come back in just a few. Re-reading that "words of wisdom to landlords" gem is helping maintain my good humor and relieve the facial tics!

As a Realtor, I absolutely have to shudder at the condition of rental properties and homes for sale that I must show to prospective tenants and buyers. It is absolutely appalling how some properties are kept. Sometimes, it is not the landlord's fault as they are trying to show it while their nasty. disgusting tenants are still in residence. Not worth it. Wait until they are gone and sanitize!

When I have an apt. or house for rent of my own I make sure it is so clean you can eat off of any surface. I also expect it back in that same condition and state so in my lease.

Showed a house for sale last week-end that was like some something out of a creepy magazine. I have never seen a larger infestation of ants, anywhere, in my entire life. They were everywhere, inside the walls and house, outside on the exterior, running up trees, on all the walls inside, clustered around windows and fixtures. EVERYWHERE! Seriously, I would be afraid to have a snack in bed as the next morning you might awake being their snack. My buyers were ready to put in an offer until they saw the condition of the property which had other major issues let alone the ants plus looked as if it hadn't been cleaned at all this yr. The pics on MLS looked great but the reality did not.

Sometimes it is best to negotiate with someone to have a property rented as opposed to have it sit empty for months on end. Just pray that person shall not drive you absolutely insane and destroy your property. Have a great lease and put everything in writing.

This thread has me thinking about all of the things that are meaningful in a stateside rental arrangement and so much less meaningful here:

References: Nobody cares about stateside references because they are easy to fake and aren't really relevant to island living anyway. Local references are only worthwhile if the landlord knows the person and s/he has good standing in the community.

Leases: Really not worth much. People disappear back to the states and the landlord gets nothing but last/security, if any. Too expensive to pursue in court unless the person is on island and known to have money. Better to just start over with a new tenant ASAP.

Checks drawn on a non-local bank: These take a long time to clear, assuming they are any good at all. One of several reasons that many local landlords prefer to be paid in cash.

Meeting a potential tenant in person isn't even enough -- so many times, even the nicest and best-intentioned newcomer will still wind up breaking a lease when something goes wrong and they need to go back to the states, for any of a dozen reasons.

On the other hand, having a local job (depending on the type of job) typically carries *more* weight with a landlord than employment does stateside. It increases the chances that the person will be around for at least a little while, that at least one other person on island thinks well of them, and that s/he will be good for at least a few months' rent.

(Yes, it is challenging to find a job from off island, let alone a place to live. There are also good reasons why it's advisable to wait and secure both after you arrive. But having a local job will usually impress a landlord favorably.)

Renting here is just like everything else here -- not like stateside!