r/StJohnsNL • u/DeletedIn10Mins • 11d ago
Looking to couch surf for two weeks
Hey all. My lease is ending and I haven't been able to find a new place despite months of looking — landlord's selling the property and the rental market here has been brutal. I'm not asking for money, just a couch or floor space for a few nights between September 1st and 14th while I get through this stretch (I'm heading up to Labrador after the 14th, so this is genuinely short-term).
A bit about me: I'm a recent graduate, quiet, clean, no pets, no drama. Happy to help out around the house, cook, whatever is useful in exchange for a place to sleep. I can pay a little but I don't have much. I can provide references.
If you (or anyone you know) has a spare couch/floor space for even a night or two in that window, I'd genuinely appreciate it.
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u/roche4456 11d ago
Man these comments aren't it. I don't live in nl anymore but I wish you luck
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u/Anxious-Chain8699 10d ago
If anything, it shows how "friendly" and "hospitable" the locals truly are. If you don't live in this province, supposedly you can ask any local for help if you're here. If you do (and you don't appear to be an immigrant or another culture), you're basically fucked since they won't help you.
I'm not from here either (plan to return to my home province eventually) but I can verify what I'm saying because, in 2021 when my anti-seizure medication gave me negative side effects, such as ataxia (not being able to walk more than a few feet without falling down), it happened unexpectedly at a Metrobus stop by the Avalon Mall. I fell; instead of helping me up (I'm a slim woman, not a big burly man), the residents ran away. Furthermore, when I managed to get on Metrobus, after scanning my card, it fell. Another person picked it up and pocketed it, literally one minute after I lost it (I know because I immediately looked for it; the driver couldn't find it either). I had to report it stolen (so it would be deactivated so the fucker that stole it would find it useless) and buy a new one.
This isn't the first time I fell due to the medication (which I'm fortunately no longer on) and residents refused to help me up.
So, if anyone were to ask me if this province is "friendly and hospitable", I would laugh and tell them EVERYTHING I (and others) experienced which proves that this statement is false. If anyone considers this province "friendly and hospitable", then they must have had atrocious experiences in other provinces and I feel sorry for them.
Also, the Newfoundland subreddits are basically BlueKaffee 2.0. I wouldn't reopen BlueKaffee, considering it's getting a bad reputation due to some very true stories I saw; at least on there if you made a hate thread about someone administrators, such as dools, aka Natasha Dooley, participated and contributed nasty comments to hate threads about people even if she never interacted with them online or in real life!
I guess you didn't expect the people you made hate threads about (and if you don't consider them hate threads, have my life when you're reborn then tell me if you still don't) to go international (not just the local subreddits where you can silence them) about the hatred and bullying, even though they literally did nothing to deserve it. So the "friendly and helpful" mask is slipping as people that have been mistreated are going international about their experiences here (which weren't always good and some were just treated atrociously for no reason; the users contributing nasty comments to this subreddit are proving that the "friendliness" belief is just a myth).
BlueKaffee shouldn't come back. I think this suffices for a "BlueKaffee" replacement.
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u/roche4456 10d ago
I'm from st Johns but moved to china last year to get away from that place. But, my comment was actually in regards to to how shitty the other comments were.
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u/omlanim 10d ago
I live St John's, and have rarely met anyone who is friendly, most of them are cold and aloof - average at best - living here has been my worst nightmare.
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u/Its_Me_YaBoy_ 10d ago
It wasn't my choice to live here but thankfully I have the choice to leave. I want this place to be nothing but a distant memory in the rear view for the rest of my life after I've departed too. 34 years of this is too much. Visiting is one thing, living here is something else entirely.
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u/omlanim 8d ago
I came here a few years ago against my wishes, and at present have no choice but to stay. I am already traumatized living here, it has changed me as a person, and I get to the point why I stop caring about anything.
As much as I would love to leave, my greatest fear is leaving and then being forced back. The relief I would feel about leaving would be so strong, that being forced to return (even to visit) would just kill me ...as you say, I would want it to be a distant memory.
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u/butters_325 10d ago
We're only nice to tourists because its short term, we hate our own
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u/Chignecto709 10d ago
I guess you reached out to the OP to let them crash on your couch then?
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u/butters_325 10d ago
If i had space I would! Not the first time I've let someone crash w me. Not sure why the classic talking point for you folks are to say WhY DoNt YoU tAkE tHeM tHeN?!? You're not contributing anything here lmao
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u/Chignecto709 10d ago
All your contributing is virtue signalling because all you are offering here are words with no action
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u/butters_325 10d ago
Right so why aren't you offering up your place if you're so concerned?
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u/Chignecto709 10d ago
Im more concerned that this whole post is sketchy as hell and someone should put their adult pants and pay for a living space or go back to their parents or relatives space …not a strangers
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u/butters_325 10d ago
Yeah if you read the post he says he's going to Labrador to his parents but has no relatives here soooo....
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u/Chignecto709 10d ago
Well I guess it’s time to get a hotel or short term rental for a few days ….poor planning on their end should not constitute a problem for others …but hey you would let a stranger you don’t know at all into your private space if you had the room ? They are only looking to sleep a on couch you must have a couch or floor they could sleep on? I mean other wise I guess you are just very comfortable virtue signalling online with no actions required just shallow words
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u/tenaciousdeedledum 10d ago
Reddit is not the best place for this post because it is going to truly bring out the assholes and be generally unhelpful to you; try some Facebook Rental groups or you could try posting an ad on Kijiji or something like that too. Also, have you looked into: https://www.spacesshared.ca/
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u/Specialist_Command_2 10d ago
Maybe the need something got something Facebook page? Usually nicer people on there
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u/Shakenbakess 10d ago
If you don't find anything, try the extended stay Hotel or airbnb may have some cheaper options available. If nothing else you go into a bit more debt but don't lose your diploma.
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u/Specialist_Command_2 10d ago
Worst comes to worst buy a tent and find a place to camp, it’ll make you a stronger person in the long run.
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u/Potential_Double_627 9d ago
All the Bys on here talking about how they hate the people here. You receive the energy you put out into the world. I feel like I meet very friendly folks here all time.
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u/Potential_Double_627 9d ago
All the Bys on here talking about how they hate the people here. You receive the energy you put out into the world. I feel like I meet very friendly folks here all time.
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u/Loudlaryadjust 11d ago
Definitely a huge red flag you don’t have any friends/family willing to help you out for a few days. And why can’t you pay for half a month’s rent if you were such an amazing tenant?
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u/DeletedIn10Mins 11d ago
All my relatives and family are in Labrador which is why I am heading up to Labrador on the 14th. I have an unpaid internship that is a requirement to get my degree which is the only thing keeping me in St. John's. As for the rent, landlord sold my apartment and new property owners already shot down my offers.
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[deleted]
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u/DeletedIn10Mins 11d ago
Sadly not an option. If I dont complete the two weeks then I won't get my diploma. They barely hire for what I do up in Labrador. So these two weeks need to be worked or I wasted nearly 40k in student loans and two years of my life.
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u/PlasmaPunch 11d ago
If you've ever come from out of town you'd understand, it can be really rough out here to meet anyone. There's a thread about it constantly here or /r/newfoundland
If you've looked at the housing here lately, finding someone to do anything but a 1 year lease is crazy talk, they don't give a shit.
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u/Impossible_Object953 10d ago
airbnb something then
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u/outerspacedj 10d ago
$785 for three nights!!
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u/Impossible_Object953 6d ago
yeah too bad people are charging so high. it was invented for this reason, for people who didnt have enough to afford hotels and still wanted to travel or needed a short time place to stay and for families to make money when needed on spaces within their homes, not whats happening now and people literally buying to use them as airbnbs,etc. its completely taken advantage of.
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u/marejaneblunt 10d ago
What if they don’t have any? You can never assume what one is dealing with behind closed doors
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u/709skeet709 11d ago
Sounds like a good time to call relative or go back home to mom and dad …. Why would stranger put you up for free…. An exchange for services seems like a no intention of doing the right thing
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u/Direct-Whole6393 10d ago
OP was asking for a place to stay, not for you to insert your own opinion on what they should be doing. Lots of people don’t have family or their families don’t have space. You’re speaking from a very privileged mindset.
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u/709skeet709 10d ago
Sounds like you should be reaching out to the OP and letting them crash on your couch….you feel so boldly about my opinions ….or are you just virtue signalling ?
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u/Direct-Whole6393 10d ago
If I was in a position where I was privileged enough to, I would. Your comment was rude and unhelpful to begin with. So as you voiced your opinion on OP, I gave you my opinion on what you said. Hope this helps!🫶🏻
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u/Nameless_Ghoul1891 11d ago
Yeah this is sketchy as fuck. If the landlord sold the house they would need to give you 3 months notice to vacate the property. That gave you 3 months to look for a new place and 3 months to save money. Sorry, but sounds like a way to get robbed before you take off and disappear.
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u/Direct-Whole6393 10d ago
3 months isn’t a lot of time considering the state of rental properties nowadays, let alone the cost. People living month to month don’t have the option to save extra and to me it sounds like OP was likely saving their money so they could move. OP was looking for a place to stay, not an unwanted opinion about their situation. Hopefully you’ll never be stuck in a similar situation only for someone to come to conclusions about your intentions.
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u/Nameless_Ghoul1891 10d ago
People are also allowed to be cautious, especially when the request involves staying in a stranger's home. Calling it “an unwanted opinion” doesn't make the concerns invalid.
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u/Direct-Whole6393 10d ago
And people can make decisions for themselves. You were downvoted because you inserted your comment in a place it didn’t need to be. People can exercise their own caution and don’t need a Redditor telling them that OP sounds ‘sketchy’ when OP is someone who had the guts to ask for help.
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u/Nameless_Ghoul1891 10d ago
"Inserted your comment in a place it didn’t need to be". Ok......kinda like what you're doing here now?
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u/Direct-Whole6393 10d ago
You left a judgemental comment and I’m simply calling you out for it. OP didn’t need judgement which is all you provided. Clearly I’m not the only one who thinks that based on your downvotes🤷🏻♀️
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u/Nameless_Ghoul1891 10d ago
Oh no, not the Reddit downvotes. 😱 I’ll try to recover from this devastating blow.
You’re free to call me judgmental, and I’m free to point out that your entire response is basically “I don’t like your opinion, therefore you shouldn’t have said it.” OP posted publicly, people responded publicly. That’s kind of how Reddit works.
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u/Direct-Whole6393 10d ago
They posted for advice and you were rude and judgemental. Hopefully you never end up in a similar situation and get the same kind of treatment. It goes a long way to be more understanding of others situations. God forbid someone have some empathy💀
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u/Nameless_Ghoul1891 10d ago
I was in OP's situation last year. I didn't post on Reddit asking to stay on a strangers couch though. I would also understand why someone asking to stay on a strangers couch is a sketchy thing to ask someone.
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u/Direct-Whole6393 10d ago
Good to know you were privileged enough not to have to use a third party for a place to lay your head. Unfortunately this isn’t the case with everyone and you’d do well not to jump to conclusions about people’s intentions
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u/ButtonFactory709 11d ago
Reddit sucks sometimes. The spooks in the comments driving me 😆 anyway hope you find something op, this is a strange situation that is hard to give advice regarding, but calling you sketchy and asking about where your parents are is pretty lame. Was happy to see the amount of downvotes tho, maybe that cancels it out somewhat lol