55-year-old man requests a female roommate who can clean the apartment in exchange for reduced $650 rent: 'I will cook for you'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
May 29, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

It's baffling to see what kind of poor conditions people will put up with so they can pay as little as possible in rent. Most of us don't want to live in a dorm-style apartment with no kitchen and a shared bathroom, but there will always be someone out there who will, so they can live by themselves for a well-below-market rate. It's sad but true that people stay in horrible living situations because they literally cannot afford to live anywhere better, let alone pay to move somewhere else. Nobody wants to have a creepy roommate or live in a pig sty, but if that's what they have to do to have a roof over their head, it's what they're going to do.

When you're secure in your living situation, you might look at suspicious rental postings and scoff, feeling sorry for the poor soul who is going to be living there for the next 12 months. 

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  • This is one of those postings. A 55-year-old man's request for a female roommate who would be the sole cleaner of their apartment in exchange for lower rent went viral this week, and it is raising so many red flags that you might as well be taking a tour of the plant where they manufacture the red flags. 

  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10511408384
    via Sharon Waldron

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    Female Roommate: Pay Me to Clean Up After Me

    Looking for a clean quiet female roommate to share 895 sq.ft 2 bedroom apt.(small). I'm a 55yr old employed male who is fun and easy going. I don't clean (much), but I do cook. And I will cook for you. If you keep our place clean rent is only $650 a month, nothing additional. There is TV. WiFi and washer and dryer at your disposal. You just need bedroom furniture. And you're welcome to decorate and possibly add some furniture. Private parking in our driveway with security cameras. Front and back
    via Smoovecryminal
  • 03
    MadTown Mich If the dude had left out the "female" part and listed the full rent to show that he was discounting it $300-400 or so for the cleaning, I'd be okay with it. Dude wants a mommy/girlfriend. Gross.
    via MadTownMich
  • 04
    4-ton-mantis Maid with benefits
    via 4-ton-mantis
  • 05
    Cheezburger Image 10511416320
    via Josue Michel

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 06
    EJ2600 But free WiFi !!!
    via EJ2600
  • 07
    allmykitlets And he'll cook for her!
    via allmykitlets
  • 08
    DriedUpSquid Microwave chicken pot pies from the freezer.
    via DriedUpSquid
  • 09
    ala Bark BLOND SHARP Carousel SENSOR COOK Baked potato Reheat Popcorn Fresh Frozen Frozen vegetables entrees vegetables INSTANT ACTION TO ADJUST QUANTITY-TOUCH PADAGA Ground Fish/ Chicken meat seafood breast Fresh roll/muffin Rice Frozen roll/muffin COMPU DEFROST Ground Steaks/ Chicken meat chops pieces 1 3 4 67 8 9 KITCHEN TIMER AUTO START MINUTE CLOCK PLUS POWER STOP START LEVEL CLEAR
    via Erik Mclean

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 10
    math-kat Agreed. I value my privacy too much to do roommates again, but if I did I would love a deal where I'd get reduced rent and occasional cooked meals in exchange for cleaning. I don't mind most cleaning tasks, but I hate cooking and like reduced rent. But not with this guy, he seems gross.
    via math-kat
  • 11
    steelhips ....if you keep our place clean.... That "our" is the red flag.
    via steelhips
  • 12
    Rubycon How is some creepy dude choosing all of your meals a benefit?? It's probably nasty anyway and then you have to wash all the pots and pans? H I no
    via Rubycon_
  • 13
    firekitty3 Dude probably reuses utensils/pots/pans for weeks before washing them. Then they are still left with crusty sh from 2 weeks ago.
    via firekitty3
  • 14
    trasofsunnyvale There's no disposable dishes way this guy doesn't eat off all
    via trasofsunnyvale
  • 15
    DHARMAdrama96 If my daughter or any girls I know took this I wouldn't sleep at night!
    via DHARMAdrama96
  • 16
    Lozbox Gross. I'd rather live in a tent.
    via Lozbox
  • 17
    Luna_Sole_2538 The sad thing is that, depending on where this is for, finding a place where to stay can be so bad that someone might be compelled to accept this offer...
    via Luna_Sole_2538
  • 18
    kamehameow In Toronto, they don't even try to sugarcoat it like this dude did. They would straight up say something like "looking for a female college student as roommate. Rent is $0 if you agree to be b fits and share a bed with me." I kid you not. CBC even did a whole documentary on it (but locals knew about it for years). I lived in Toronto for 3.5 years.
    via kamehameow
  • 19
    Sension5705 Prepare for an ongoing argument as to whether doing his laundry also counts as cleaning, and why you're wrong if you don't think so.
    via Sension5705
  • 20
    Critical-Entry-7825 Looking for a female roommate...I'm a 55 year old male...EW, NO. Not that 55 year old men are bad! But a 55 year old man looking specifically for a female roommate (cleaning requirements aside!) is pure barf.
    via Critical-Entry-7825
  • 21
    you-dont-say1330 But he's funnnnnnnn!!
    via you-dont-say1330
  • 22
    Fit-Business-1979 I'm not eating any food that is prepared in a house that's never cleaned. Can just imagine the state of the fridge/microwave/stove. Dude sounds like he'd nope out on mandatory hand washing after doing a massive as well!
    via Fit-Business-1979
  • 23
    Milky Gashmeat When a 50 year old FEEEMALE shows up, guaranteed he'll find some reason to reject her without actually saying she's not 18 and hot.
    via Milky_Gashmeat
  • 24
    Aggravating-Ask-7693 Wow only 650 a month and you get to be a live-in servant!
    via Aggravating-Ask-7693
  • 25
    Stacksmchenry If this is in Manhattan that's really tempting, even with the creepy implications.
    via Stacksmchenry

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cleaning psycho roommates clean cook bad roommate cooking roommate choosing beggars bad roommates psycho roommate rent female roommates choosing beggar
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