Sunday, August 9, 2009

The pair-rent trap

There's one thing every single girl in her 30s needs: a bedroom. She did the roommate thing in college (and realized it's best to separate friendship from accommodation). She's likely even lived with an ex-boyfriend or two. It's time to get a room of her own.

And so the hunt begins. She searches through the classifieds, scours Craigslist, scrutinizes viewit.ca and comes up with one realization: she's a single gal living in a couples' world - at least when it comes to the rental market.

Big cities like Vancouver and Toronto offer plenty of rental opportunities. There's lots of choice scattered across diverse locations. The problem isn't a shortage of space, but the cost to rent one of these units when you're the only one footing the bill.

Although price varies from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, the fact remains that a couple splitting the cost of a one-bedroom apartment can afford something nicer, roomier and, in many cases, safer than a single living on her own. A pair can easily afford to lease a one-bedroom unit for $1,000 a month - that's a measly $500 per person, hardly enough to put a dent in the old paycheque. Not so for the solo gal looking for a place to live - $1,000 is a significant chunk out of her salary.

With the cost of splitting a place so cheap, a couple can upgrade to a much nicer (and pricier) space; at $750 each, even an apartment that rents for $1,500 a month is far more affordable for a pair of people than the girl in the $1,000 place.

So she should get a roommate, you say? Not in a one-bedroom, unless both girls are pre-disposed to sharing a room and sleeping in matching twin or bunk beds. A two-bedroom rental means an extra room - and extra cost. The two girls would still end up paying more than the couple in their single-bedroom suite.

Besides, what self-respected, privacy-loving, corporate-working 30-year-old adult woman (or man, for that matter) really wants to share with flatmates? It's reminiscent of college days gone by, and not a reality many women we know want to relive.

No, the single girl wants to live alone - and should be able to afford to do so. We're not sure what the solution here is - or if there even is one - but we're putting it out there with the hope we can put our heads together and generate some ideas.
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Thirty and *gasp* single

It started about five years ago. Everyone – and we mean EVERYONE – got married. Being in a university sorority meant we knew a lot of women – some as close friends, some as acquaintances and some simply as recurring names in the endless stream of gossip that permeated our lives as part of the so-called “Greek system.” Back then we were like all the other girls – crushing, flirting, dating, crying, begging, breaking up, getting back together, falling in and out of love and, from time to time, daring to dream of our future weddings. What would the dress look like? How many bridesmaids would we have? And – most importantly – who would the groom be? We were all travelling the same path at that time; all puzzling over the complexities and emotions of “being in a relationship;” all wondering (and worrying) – when would that wonderful, white day, with its “I dos” and promises of everlasting love and happiness, come?

And then we came to that big, fat intersection. You know the one. You can either take a right, hit cruise-control and coast down scenic Wedding Way, where the sun shines and the birds sing and all the floral arrangements match the place settings or hang a left, shift into four-wheel drive and do your darndest to navigate Lonely Lane, a rocky, winding, unpredictable route fraught with potholes, landmines and seats at the singles’ table (it’s the one at the back of the room, in case you didn't know). Read more.