How to find a roommate you won't hate.

By Jared McKinney

It can be a stressful time when your lease is coming to an end. The question of if you should renew your lease, look for a different apartment, or begin the dreaded hunt of looking for a roommate will cross your mind often. After you've evaluated your living situation and have found the latter to be best, know that finding a roommate isn’t as daunting as it seems. 


Five Tips for Finding a Roommate

It’s best to begin the roommate search as soon as you think about getting a potential roommate. By getting a head start, you’ll be able to take advantage of finding a good fit. Remember that searching for a roommate can be a process, especially in cities, but there are a few free resources that can help you score a potential roommate.

1. Download an app

There’s an app for everything. Even an app for finding a roommate, well, there are several. Downloading one of the roommate apps is one way to speed up the process. Once you download an app, you can easily create an account to start searching for a good roommate!

Image courtesy: Roomi via Facebook

Roomi

Roomi is an easy way to find a good roommate. Roomi is an app that can help you do two things when it comes to your living situation. This app can help you find roommates and also find available apartments, all for free!

 

Roomi is secure in that it’s one of the platforms that background check users. When you use Roomi, you’ll be able to receive messages, approve or decline requests, and also invite people to move in. If you want to increase the chances of finding a person, you can also list a room you have for rent.

Roomiematch

Roomiematch is an app that does the searching for you. Instead of browsing listings, the search goes straight to your e-mail. This way, scams or spam don't end up in your matches.

 

While you do get potential matches sent to you with the free version, it might be worth investing in a year subscription at the cost of $19.95. When you pay, you’ll be able to contact others to make your search for a roommate quicker. 

2. Browse Listings on Social Media

A great way to find roommates is to search on social media. There’s a variety of platforms to choose from that you are bound to find someone. But, this might also depend on the city you live in, others might be looking for roommates or housing too.

Image courtesy: Jeremy Zero via Unsplash

Facebook

Just like apps, Facebook groups exist for everything. More often than not, each city has Facebook groups for finding roommates, finding places to rent, or for finding a room. What’s great about using Facebook to find a roommate is that it’s free, and you can send messages right away. If you’re still in college or have just graduated, you can try to search for a Facebook page run by your alumni network.

Twitter

You’d be surprised that potential roomies can be found on Twitter. All you have to do is search and see who else is tweeting about how badly they’re looking for the ideal roommate. Just remember to place your account on public so others can find your tweet about a roommate hunt too.

Reddit

If you live in a big city, you can create a Reddit thread that you’re looking for a roommate. Or, you might even want to search existing listings to see if any other Reddit users are looking for a new roommate. Reddit is a great way to connect with people of the same interests, which can lead to potential roommates being a great match.

Instagram

Instagram might be the last app you find a roommate on. But that’s because it’s not that great of a place to network, and if you post to your story or feed, it’s only for a limited amount of time. But, if you’ve done your due diligence on all the other social media... then it won't hurt to try.

3. Post in local online communities

Desperate times call for desperate measures. That is, hopping on a website like Craigslist to post a listing for a new roommate. While you might be hesitant, it is another free way to search for a roommate or to rent a room.

Craigslists

Craigslist allows you to filter the apartment search you do online, like narrowing down cities. But, it can be hard to find a good listing that's a match for your roommate situation. Like any site, you shouldn’t post any personal information or give any personal information out on Craigslist even if someone sends you messages asking. 

Rommates.com

If you’re hesitant to try Craigslist, roommates.com is another site where you can try to find a roommate. Roommates.com is a dedicated site for roommate searching. It'll background check, allow you to create an account where you can connect with matches, and is available in many cities, making it easy to connect with users. 

4. Ask friends for referrals

You don’t have good friends if they don’t help you. So, if you can think of a friend that also might be open to a roommate, then maybe you two can work out finding an apartment together.

 

But, moving in with a friend is not always the best solution even though it would make looking for a potential roommate way easier. Being friends with someone and living in a room beside them takes personal to a new level.

 

Sometimes you can be a match as friends, but not roommates. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t ask for their help!

5. Ask the apartment or landlord

If you already found the apartment you’re going to rent, have a lease you’re waiting to sign, but need a roomie, then it might be a good idea to ask the apartment office.

Depending on the complex, city, or if you’re in college with student housing - where you rent from might have a list of persons who are also looking for a roommate or potential roommates. Rentlingo.com has professional reviews that may mention this idea too.

Get Ready to Room

Interviews and Advice

Interviews

It can be nerve-wracking, time-consuming, and stressful when trying to find a roommate. You can search all the tips, sign up for every roommate finder, or constantly match, but will never know if the person you found is the perfect roommate for you until you interview them.


Image courtesy: LinkedIn Sales Solution via Unsplash

Examples of Interview Questions

  • Do you work from home?
  • What are your cleaning habits?
  • How often do you have friends over?

Advice

It might seem odd to interview someone, but deciding on getting a roommate is a big deal. Who knows, your roommate might even turn into your friend in the end.


And remember, you want to get along with your roommate in case you ever find yourself needing roommates in the future, so you don't start the process of how to find a roommate all over again!

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