Roommate Situation Question

Eh 2-3 sheets a month would be petty. Perhaps you can simply say "I'm on a really tight budget... I don't mind if you use it occasionally....putting a jar on printer here...10 cents a page sound okay?"

Printer ink is about $7 to refill at Costco. Pretty cheap, really.
I would just have a conversation with him, "Hey man. I notice that when I am gone you are printing some things on the computer. I don't mind, but I would like you to ask first next time."

Not petty at all. Printer ink is super expensive and I wouldn't consider that something to be shared. I would think he would have his own printer/ink/paper if he needs to use a printer, or go to the library.

I would explain this to him. As a college student, he honestly may not even realize how much it costs of that this is different from his mom and dad's home and not everything is for him to use.

i don't think your electronic items, especially ink which is expensive, should be considered a free-for-all. i'd just tell him very matter-of-factly that your computer equipment is personal, and if he wants to use it he needs to check with you and chip in for ink.
he can probably get stuff printed at his school for a very low cost, and is just going with what's easiest.
khairete
S.

I get the "stop touching my stuff!" feeling. I'm protective over certain things that I consider personal items too. I might share if asked, but I must be asked every time.

Given that it is the holiday season, I would gift roomie with an inexpensive printer of their own. "I noticed you didn't have one. I hope you like it!"

Your personal-property issue is solved and there are warm feelings for all.

I think it's petty unless he's printing way excessively more than normal.

We run our business from home and granted ink cartridges are pricey, still.... I print a lot everyday and still do not have to change the ink very often at all.

Maybe you just want him to ask to use anything not specified in your agreement.

It would be hard to live by such rigid rules as tenant if you have to question everything you touch or use that technically belongs to the landlord. I would not be able to handle all the tit for tat stuff in a situation like this.

What is it worth to you? Losing a tenant who abides by your rules with few exceptions or no tenant at all??

If your printer is in a common area? Then yeah...he can use it. If you don't want him using it? I would move it to a private area. I would say from this point forward, that if he needs to use your printer, he needs to ask first and help with ink.

You need to make it clear what you expect, which it sounds like you tried to do, and if the printer is in the living room and that's considered common space? Then he made an assumption that it was "common"...

Talk with him. Tell him you understand this wasn't covered. Tell him that printer ink is not cheap. And if he needs to use it to ask and if he would pitch in for the cost of the ink.

I know printer ink is NOT cheap...I just spent $100 for mine...urgh..talk with him!!!

If it's just occasionally & not very many pages, I wouldn't have an issue with it. If he's printing copious amounts of pages fairly often I would mention it & ask if he's planning on replacing the ink as it is running low (when that in fact occurs).
Hope you can find a solution.

College students often need to use printers a lot, so in my opinion you're not being petty. Printer ink is expensive. Make arrangements for how he is going to pay for the use of your printer, unless he uses it really infrequently.

No, not petty, not with the incredible cost of printer ink. I too would not consider your printer a common use item unless he has your OK to use your computer in general. You were careful to specify common items in the rental agreement, I notice, so you're into boundaries, and that is your right here.

I'd nicely tell him that with the cost of ink and paper these days, the printer is not a common item you can share with him. I'm sure his college has some printers he can use, either free or for a fee. Tell him, keep it short and cordial, and then I'd put a password control on the printer so it won't work except for you.

How does he get internet access at your house?

It's possible he has no idea about the cost. Some kids head off to college with absolutely everything having been paid for by their parents. So it could be complete cluelessness, in which case you can wake him up to the costs. Call your local quick printers or office supply stores and find out the going rate per page of printed items (black and color). Then take a look at your past 3 months' bills for paper & ink, and find an average cost per month. Tell him what that cost is and say you're not sure what his "real world" experience is, or his awareness of the costs of all the supplies that are not under his rental agreement.

Tell him that you are willing to renegotiate his lease if there are other items he wants to pay for on a monthly basis. If so, effective January 1, you are raising his rent by that much or moving/locking the printer. What does he prefer? Before you have this talk, let him know that his rent covers heat, hot water, electricity, wifi (if that's included), maintenance, insurance on the house, etc. but it doesn't cover printer, ink, paper or other office supplies, food, or insurance on his possessions (so he should get renter's insurance).

I think it's best to start with the "I'm sure you don't realize" approach rather than the "you're sneaking and ripping me off" approach - by his reaction you'll be able to move to the latter position if you have to. But if you have an argument starting out, it makes it unpleasant to have him in the house and also you risk him moving out and losing your rent.

From my perspective, a printer isn't like a microwave or toaster. It's part of your personal business set-up. I wouldn't want a roommate feeling comfortable enough to use it without asking. If I was there and he asked, sure I'd let him, but honestly I might have him send me the doc to print instead. I feel like the privilege could be easily abused. He needs to buy his own printer.

I recall not knowing certain things that seem obvious now back when I was college age. I honestly think he is not thinking about how rude it is to use you printer without asking (I think it is rude). If you can explain in a polite way that it is expensive and either you don't mind a couple of page or that you need some help with the cost of ink.

I would not be passive aggressive (putting a lock on it) as suggested below.

Roommates will most likely get under someone's skin if they are used to having their house to themselves. My MIL got a roommate sometime after becoming a widow. My MIL complained all the time, for example "She's watching TV in the living room and I wanted to watch something else." to "I notice some of my milk is missing. She is costing me so much having to feed her." The elderly church lady decided to move out because of the tension.

Just out of curiosity, if he had specifically asked your permission to use the printer, would you have said no?

:)

Of course you're not being petty. This is a tenant situation, and if boundries need clarification, then address it politely (and not apologetically). The bonus is, that you and your tenant will have created a more clarified set of boundries and how you would like them addressed (e.g. Ask before you use my things!) There will probably be other concerns and this will be a good opportunity to practice being a good communicator, so that both you and your tenant are comfortable.

If you don't want him using your printer, consider moving it to somewhere he won't have access to it.
Or put a plug lock on it - if he can't plug it in, he can't use it to print/scan/copy.
Printing can get expensive.
Given the opportunity, most would try to get a freebie in every so often.
Locking up the plug for it solves it for you.
How do you know he used your printer?
Are your sure your kids didn't do it?
They don't always own up to things like that.
Locking the plug will keep them from using it too unless you want them too.

http://www.amazon.com/Roride-RRKA-StoPower-Power-Plug/dp/...

He is out of bounds. Printer ink is not cheap and your computer and printer are your personal items. I would disable the printer when I'm not home so he can't use it.

Petty. But I would ask before I used something like this. I would also assume they don't have their own paper so lock yours in a drawer then when it doesn't work say it ran out and you don't have money to refill it.

How did he hook up to it if it has a password? Ours has to have a password when it's hooked up to a new computer.

I would just tell him nicely, "hey, I understand if you had a last minute paper or something that needed to be printed, but going forward please don't use the printer unless we agree on what your contribution for ink cartridges will be. I can barely afford the ink for myself much less a college student."

My son wanted to print an 80 page script (for a play he's in) off our printer. Needless to say I pointed out that Kinkos would be a much more efficient way to do that print job.

Your tenant probably didn't think about it. But I would say something to him, in a nice way.

Some printers are tricky in that they require all inks to be filled to print or receive a fax (canon) if this is the case, put the printer in your room. Otherwise, ask him if he wants to use your printer. If he does, charge him for a ink and a ream of paper, give it to him and ask him to use it whenever he prints. I think he will feel more at home that way (using his own ink). When his runs out offer to do it again. College students don't take the time to shop or run to the library to print so it would be helpful to him this way. Open communication is important. You don't want him to feel like he is sneaking around using your things when a printer is a major convenience factor. He probably will use it in spurts, some months not often and some weeks very often (finals coming up).

If you are not around and you assume he's using his own paper how do you know he's printing? Just an idle curiosity question.

Petty? Ink cartridges cost a ton! And they run out quickly when being used for a lot of printing. Paper isn't as expensive as print cartridges, but still...

You need to tell him that you did not specify your printer as part of his privilege. There are Kinkos or Office Depots around that he can use. If it's critical that he print something like ONE PAGE, then he can ask. But no larger projects.

Bottom line, he is using expensive equipment without asking. I'd be tempted to take the cartridge out and only put it in when you're going to use your own printer.

The printer is your personal property, just as your phone is. He should not be using it without asking, and if he uses it, he should be splitting the cost of ink.

I think I just saw somewhere here that it is only $7 to get more ink refilled? Wow, I didn't know that we've been paying upwards of about fifty dollars for ink.
If this is a college student he can copy his work at school. That's what my son does sometimes when our printer is misbehaving.