Roommate Finder Tips
Read these 23 Roommate Finder Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Room Mates tips and hundreds of other topics.
Writing A Profile For Your Roommate Search
Finding the perfect roommate takes some basic sales skills. If you're not good at writing concise, accurate descriptions, consider having a friend or family member help you out. Online services like
1) Describe the living space with words like, bright, sunny, airy, spacious, comfortable, cozy, etc. Avoid descriptions that might come across as negative. For example, if the apartment is small, describe it as “cozy."
2) Geographic location. Is the apartment within walking distance to a university, transit service, or shopping district? Your perfect roommate just might be looking for close proximity to any one of these areas.
3) Rent. Clearly indicate right up front what the costs are going to be.
4) Specify smoker or non-smoker, if you have a preference.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. If you were going to sell your place, what attributes
would you want people to know about? Start writing your roommate search description with that in
mind.
From Rural to Big City
If you've lived in a rural area for many years, you may feel it's time for a change. Before you move to the big city, consider the fact that housing expenses are often much higher in metropolitan areas. Moving in with a roommate may be a good option for experiencing city life on a budget. Use an online roommate finder to search for a roommate in virtually any location.
Getting Rid of a Roommate
With regard to finding the perfect roommate, it is wise to hope for the best, yet be prepared for the worst. If you rent to someone who turns out to be anything but perfect, you may need to evict him/her. Learn the local laws in your area to determine what the correct procedure would be for evicting a roommate from your home. Keep in mind that getting rid of a roommate may be even more complicated if you are renting yourself. Study your lease to determine if any language is included that addresses roommates.
Three's Company
Do you have a big apartment? Large residences typically have large expenses to match. Instead of just one roommate, consider conducting a roommate search for several. It's far more cost-effective to split rent and utilities five or six ways, instead of two.
Single with Kids
Have children? Don't worry, there is a perfect roommate for you. Many single parents are looking for someone with whom to share expenses. Finding a roommate who also has children may help you to reduce expenses and secure new friendships for your children.
You may do well to meet with potential roommates more than once before committing. Let the children have the chance to meet and get to know each other. Observe whether or not they get along. Making certain that your children get along reasonably well with a potential roommate's children may save you from headaches later.
Stay True
Honesty is always the best policy, especially when it comes to conducting a roommate search. If you're a couch potato, don't pretend to be an Olympic-class athlete. You're much more likely to have a roommate search that produces a well-matched roommate if you keep your profile authentic.
Keep it Private
In many ways, using a roommate finder can make your roommate search easier and more productive. Take full advantage of free profiles to locate your perfect roommate.
Remember to keep safety first as you conduct your roommate search. Take measures to keep your private information, such as your address and phone number, private until you are ready to meet with your roommate candidate in person. No free roommate finder can predict the success of your new roommate arrangements or the stability of those responding to your post.
Beware Of Roommate Finder Discrimination
If you're female, deciding you're only comfortable taking in a female roommate seems reasonable enough. When posting requirements for the perfect roommate on a free roommate finder, many people make note of the fact that they prefer a male or a female roommate. However, when you start getting really specific about things like race, religion, ethnicity, etc., you've suddenly moved into the territory of discrimination. While the online roommate finder may allow you to post the information you want, they're probably not going to back you up in case of any formal complaints or legal action. So, when deciding who your perfect roommate would be, try to stick with broad, general descriptions. You want to make sure the person has a job, can pay his/her share of the rent, and has a personality compatible to yours. It's okay to request a criminal record check and references. In fact, for your safety, those things are recommended.
Once you find the free roommate finder that you want to use, have a look at the fine print. Way down on the bottom of the web page, there's usually a “terms of use” link that outlines your rights and responsibilities as a user of the free roommate finder. It's not an exciting read, but it's an important one that most people overlook. Even though no contract has been signed, when you sign up to use sites like this, you're bound by certain rules and regulations that are outlined in the terms of use. We've all been asked to click “Yes” on a link to say that we've read a site's policies, terms, and regulations, even though most of us really haven't. Before you use a free roommate finder, have a look at what's expected of you, and what you can expect from the site's owners.
A New Roommate With A Pet
So you've registered for an account using a free roommate finder and after some carefully searching finally found the perfect roommate! Until, that is, your new roommate-to-be says she has a dog. It's one of those cute little dogs that you can carry around in your jacket pocket. The barks aren't loud enough to bother anyway and you're not allergic to dogs, so why not? After all, after meeting several potential roommates, you finally found someone you feel comfortable sharing your living space with.
In this case, the problem really isn't the dog, how cute he is, or whether or not you're allergic. What matters is what's written on your lease. If you live in a big apartment building where you know other tenants have small pets underfoot, you might want to consider talking to your landlord. He or she might be okay with the dog, but with an increase in rent to cover any potential damages caused by the animal. If your new roommate is willing to pay a little more for rent to cover that extra cost, and it's okay with you and your landlord, the little pooch might be soon calling your leather sofa “home”. Otherwise, you may have to get out there and restart your roommate search.
Tracking Down A Free Online Roomate Finder
Having trouble finding a perfect roommate? Is your roommate search producing a string of not-so-promising roommate candidates? Most people define the perfect roommate as someone compatible with themselves. If you're an energetic morning person, it's going to be in your best interest to find someone with a similar personality. But how do you go about narrowing down the possibilities and weeding out the bad seeds? Try using a free roommate finder in your roommate search.
There are several choices to choose from online, but a good way to start is by doing a search of your own city or town and adding the words “roommate finder” to it. For example, if you're from
If you're the one looking for a new dwelling, you can use a free online roommate finder the same way. Start by searching the geographical location you're interested in, sign up, and start searching for a place to live. Finding a roommate, or a place to live, through an online roomate finder site is a lot like searching the classified ads of a newspaper except it's easier, quicker, and more likely to offer you a lot more choices than a classified newspaper ad would.
Finding The Perfect Roommate With Help From Friends
The minute you realize it's time to do a roommate search, start your plan of action and make sure that plan includes an objective third party. Where you advertise for the perfect roommate is up to you. However, when it comes time to making the final decision, it's a good idea to get help and advice from someone who has your best interests in mind. While you're concentrating on details like whether or not this person works and can pay his/her share of the bills, your friends might pick up on more subtle traits that could spell disaster later on. Once you've narrowed down your roommate options, make arrangements for the person to stop by the apartment and make sure it's a time when a close friend can be with you. Before the meeting takes place, ask your friend to focus on specific details like:
-Whether the person appears genuinely interested;
-Is the person alone, or did a couple of friends join him/her? Remember, these friends might not just be there for moral support, they might plan on hanging out more often than you'd like; -Gut instinct. While you're asking the questions, you might totally miss something that, under normal circumstances, would drive you crazy.
Just remember that even a “perfect” roommate won't actually be perfect. If you can keep your wits about you, and rely on an objective third party to help you through the roommate search, you'll do just fine.
Getting Permission To Have A Roommate
If you're living in an apartment and only your name is on the lease, there are a few things you need to consider before opening your doors to a new roommate. Before even starting your roommate search, take the time to contact the local housing authority in your area. A good place to find them is by doing an Internet search of your own town or city. You'll usually find a variety of resources and contacts for various government agencies there. Once you notify your landlord that you're looking for a roommate, he/she may try to increase your rent, or significantly change your rental agreement. Before you get into that, find out what rights you have, and what rights your landlord has, to avoid unnecessary disagreements.
Once you've done that, send your landlord a written request asking for permission to add a roommate to your rental agreement. Don't forget to keep a copy of the written letter for yourself, with the date it was submitted.
Once you get the okay, ask your landlord what information he/she will need from your new roommate. That way, once you find your perfect roommate, you won't have to waste any time with the application process. Remember, your landlord probably isn't going to take your word on the suitability of the roommate. He/she will want to check references, etc., just like they did for you when you first moved in.
Using A Free Roommate Finder
It used to be that to find the perfect roommate, you had to rely on the classified ad section of your local newspaper or worse, you resorted to stapling posters to trees in your neighborhood. These days, you can use the Internet to pull up a free roommate finder. Try it out! Just do a quick search using keywords “
To find your perfect roommate, make sure to complete the form as accurately as possible, hit send, and wait for those matches. Once the matches start rolling in, it's up to you to sift through them. Anyone catch your eye or attention? If so, you (as a basic member of the online roommate finder) will have the option of contacting that person. Once you get into the contact or conversational stage of the roommate, you might be required to pay a small fee to enhance your basic membership. Once you do that, a full range of options become available to you, making the search for the perfect roommate much easier
A Roommate To Help With The Bills
The reality is, unless you find the perfect roommate, you're not going to be able to stay in that awesome apartment building. Forget that it's within walking distance to the shopping mall, your university, or your place of work. The sad fact is that without someone to help pay the rent and utility bills, you're going to have to give it up. What's a person to do? Well, before you panic, there are some key things to consider when doing a roommate search.
1) Rally your friends and family. It's possible they know of someone who might be interested in becoming your new roommate. Unless you've recently played a cruel practical joke on your friends or family, they'll probably suggest someone compatible with your lifestyle.
2) If you're in school, conduct your roommate search at the college or university you attend. Campuses usually have public display boards, or other methods (like email) of conducting a roommate search.
3) If you're employed, spread the word among your colleagues that you're looking for the perfect roommate.
The best way to find a perfect roommate is to do your roommate search when you're not under pressure. If you have advanced notice that you're going to need to find a roommate, don't wait until the last minute to start your search, even if the former roommate hasn't moved out yet.
Choosing The Perfect Roommate
Sometimes life-altering decisions are made at the worst times, like after a few drinks at a friend's house, or during a stressful time when you might not be thinking clearly. Social settings are a great place to mingle, get to know new people, and even make new friends. Unfortunately, some people mistakenly believe they've found the perfect roommate while under the influence of alcohol. Think about it…how much could you possibly know about someone you've just met? Okay, sure, you're only looking for a roommate to share the rent, not a life partner, but is it really all that different? You'll still be sharing the same space and with that comes a certain degree of accountability. How do you know that this “perfect roommate” you just met doesn't become a raging party animal on Saturday nights? Does this person have any unusual phobias or fears that could disrupt your living space? While some of these scenarios might be somewhat extreme, it's important to consider all of the possibilities before settling on what you believe is the perfect roommate.
Conducting a roommate search doesn't have to be under strict conditions, but you should be clear-headed with a good idea of the type of person you can share a living space with.
Healthy Communication
Roommates.com Tip: When you call to check a potential roommate's references, be sure to ask how he or she handles conflict. If the candidate has an explosive temper or has a reputation for being hard to deal with, move on and continue your search for the perfect roommate.
Long-Distance Roommate Search
Roommates.com Tip: Keep in mind that many newspapers are available online as well as in print. To help your roomate search, use a search engine to find the local newspaper for the area to which you are planning to move.
Jumpstart Your Search
Using a roommate finder can jumpstart your roommate search, putting you in an excellent position to find others searching for roommate arrangements. While newspaper classified ads and flyers can be hit or miss propositions, a roommate finder can help you hit your target head on.
Be sure to take full advantage of the roommate finder you choose by including as much detailed information about yourself as possible. Doing so can help to ensure that potential candidates know what to expect when they call you.
Learn to Compromise
If you find the perfect roommate and discover later that he or she is not so perfect, what will you do? Take some time to figure out how you will deal with sticky situations before they happen.
It's always best to try to discuss conflicts and find solutions to problems before you even think about asking your roommate to move. There's no guarantee that you will have less problems with a new roommate. Instead, make every effort to compromise.
Don't Expect Perfection
As you search for the perfect roommate, don't stress the perfection too much.
Don't keep good candidates on hold, simply because you think can find someone who meets your idea of a perfect roommate. Good candidates may get tired of waiting and go elsewhere, leaving you in a lurch when the perfect roommate fails to appear. Instead of expecting perfection, make a list of qualities you feel are absolutely necessary in a roommate. Once you find someone with most of these qualities and good references, snap him or her up.
Big City Roommates
It's no secret that living in New York can be incredibly expensive. In fact, the rental costs of living in New York City are very frequently prohibitive. If you really want to live in New York, however, all is not lost. Use an online New York roommate finder to sniff out the perfect roommate.
You needn't have your own place to live to conduct a roommate search. There are many individuals looking for others to share their homes or apartments. Just look for the profiles of those in such situations and start responding.
Healthy Communication
Healthy communication is vital to any relationship. When it comes to finding the perfect roommate, try to discover the communication styles of candidates in advance. Try to choose someone with whom you can communicate well. If you like to talk things out and your roommate prefers the silent treatment, you won't be engaged in a very common living situation.
Long-Distance Roommate Search
If you are relocating from a long distance, a free roommate finder may be extremely beneficial. Unlike those who looking for roommate situations close to home, you will have to conduct your roommate search without the benefit of local newspapers and community bulletin board. Fortunately, a free roommate finder can help you to find a roommate from afar, allowing you to search for roommates in practically any location.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Joe Wallace |
