History PlayingWith / FriendsRentControl

* '''Played For Horror''': Alice and Bob's landlord forced them to sign a LeonineContract and the awesome house is a GildedCage that they live in, under the thumb of a man who constantly forces them to endure atrocities.

* '''Played For Laughs''': The bafflement of other people about how Alice and Bob have such a nice home and the [[SustainedMisunderstanding subsequent misunderstandings]] of [[MistakenForCriminal what they do to able to afford it]] is a RunningGag.

* '''Played For Laughs''': ???

* '''Downplayed''': What Alice and Bob are both mid level managers at their respective workplaces. Their apartment is rather nice but also spartanly furnished, and they complain about having to spend less when their rent date comes near.

* '''Downplayed''': What Alice and Bob are both mid level managers at their respective workplaces. There apartment is rather nice but also spartanly furnished, and they complain about having to spend less when their rent date comes near.

* '''Straight''': Alice and Bob live in an fancy apartment, despite not having high paying jobs.

* '''Downplayed''': Alice and Bob both have jobs, but theirs don't seem be enough to cover their rent.

** The property was stigmatized and thus has a low cost.

** The apartment only looks fancy. The pipes only get cold, brown water, the electricity flickers whenever someone plugs something in an outlet, and the walls are filled with rats and cockroaches. Alice and Bob are getting ''exactly'' what they pay for.

** The well-kept 2 or 3 bedroom apartment in the BigApplesauce belongs to Charlie, a wealthy friend they are house sitting for. Alice and Bob actually live in a cramped, run-down studio they can barely afford.

* '''Played For Drama''': Alice questions why Bob lets his parents make his decisions for him, and Bob is to embarrassed to admit that they pay for their rent.

** Alice and Bob are professional vloggers, and because we are never clear how famous their vlog is, its possible that there apartment is well below or well above there level of income.

* '''Straight''': Alice and Bob live in an fancy apartment and despite not having high paying jobs.

* '''Downplayed''': Alice and Bob both have jobs, but theirs seemed not to be enough to cover their rent.

** They had rent control.

** They won at a lottery.

** Alice's family owns the apartment, and Alice inherited it.

** But the landlord likes them so much, he's willing to let them stay for free

** Fortunately, Alice did have a secret job and was keeping money stashed away from Bob. The haggles with the landlord to get their apartment back and succeeds.

** Alice and Bob have trust funds set up by their wealthy parents

* '''Lampshaded''': The apartment's slogan is ''"You never have to worry about rent again!"''

* '''Discussed''': ???
* '''Conversed''': "How can Alice even afford this palace?"

* '''Straight''': Alice and Bob live in an apartment and they don't seem to have any jobs.

** Alice and Bob are employed.
** Although Bob is unemployed, his live-in girlfriend Alice is not.
** Alice and Bob make enough to cover the rent.

** Rather than living in a well-kept 2 or 3 bedroom apartment in the BigApplesauce that ''no one'' could afford on a minimum-wage job and an unpaid internship, Alice and Bob live in a cramped, run-down studio they can barely afford.

** Alice and Bob are ''each'' working two full-time jobs to make ends meet.

** Alice and Bob are homeowners, not renters.

** They're working at minimum wage jobs: Alice works a SoulCrushingRetailJob and Bob works at BurgerFool. Both of them are dependent on government assistance to get by.
** Alice works as a "consultant" or "distributor" for an MLM company that has her selling perfume/makeup/essential oils/food containers/sex toys/whatever. It's very hit-or-miss, and Alice spends more money buying products to sell than she gets from selling them, or from recruiting other people from work/school/church/etc. to be distributors.
** Alice and Bob have part-time jobs, not full-time jobs.
** Alice and Bob are unpaid interns.
** They don't make enough to cover utility bills and groceries, plus things like prescriptions, car insurance, or emergencies.

** Soon enough, they move to a newer, nicer place, but their jobs and salaries haven't changed.

** They each lose one job, and are able to keep up with the cost of living, without making any major changes to their lifestyle.

* '''Averted''': Alice and Bob have living conditions proportionate to their income.
** Alice and Bob are homeowners, not renters, and their mortgage and living conditions are proportionate to their income.

** The landlord conducts interviews of potential tenants, and rejects ones without steady incomes. He might even require proof of income, such as pay stubs, bank statements, or tax statements.

* '''Implied''': Alice and Bob are [[NewJobAsThePlotDemands shown at various jobs for the saķe of gags]], implying that they have long periods of unemployment.

* '''Double Subverted''': But the landlord likes them so much, he's willing to let them stay for free

* '''Subverted''': It turns out they had a lease, and will have to pay at the end of the year.

** All the money goes toward rent and bills. Alice and Bob have little to nothing in savings, almost never go out because they can't afford it, and when an emergency comes up (like Bob getting a flat tire, or that time Alice had to go to the emergency room), they charge it on a credit card.