How to Apply for a Pittsburgh Rental with a Roommate

1. Begin by finding a Pittsburgh roommate that shares your interests. Matching services like roommate.com make it easier than ever.
2. Search for apartments through one of the online rental sites or contact a local real estate agent that deals with rental units. Know in advance how many bedrooms, bathrooms and total rent you can afford. It's also a good idea for you and your roommate to check your credit scores in advance to avoid unpleasant credit problems.
3. The landlord or rental agent will probably require application fees for each person since they wil need to run several background and credit checks. If any of your potential Pittsburgh roommates have credit problems or a prior eviction it could hurt your ability to get the apartment or house you want so find out in advance.
4. Understand your rights and responsibilities for the deposit, rent and damages. Remember, the landlord doesn't care how you and your roommates divide expenses, in most cases if the rent is late or there are damages then you can both be held responsible so read the lease carefully to understand the terms of the lease.
5. Make sure everyone is listed on the lease. Most leases have a clause that requires all adults in the household to be listed on the lease. Failure to comply might result in eviction or other problems for everyone involved.