Roommates in the City: Where to Find Yours

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Roommates in the City: Where to Find Yours

Staff Writer · Nov 9, 2010

City roommates are difficult to find. Not only is knowing where to look sometimes confusing, but knowing what to ask and what to view as red flags that an individual will not be a good roommate is also troublesome. Below is advice on where to successfully look for a roommate in the city.

Volunteer or Other Groups

The best place to look for a roommate is in a volunteer or other organization in which you participate. After a few meetings or get-togethers, you will understand the other participant’s attitude and personalities better. Additionally, having a similar interest indicates that you and any potential roommate from the group will get along well.

Make it known that you are searching for a roommate. Even if none of the other group members are looking for a new home, they might know of someone who is in need of a new apartment.

Sports teams and churches are other organizations that could provide good leads on roommates.

College Housing Offices

Many colleges contain housing offices that assist their students in acquiring off-campus housing. Not only will numerous students be searching these office’s bulletin boards each day, but it is likely that these students will be desperate to find a place to live and want a roommate. You do not necessarily need to live right next to campus, but your residence should at least have easy transportation to the college.

Most universities will not charge you for posting a sign stating that you are looking for a roommate, and may even recommend your residence to their students after being informed of your search. Additionally, many housing offices will have forms you can complete that they will then enter into a database available to their students.

Online Advertisements

While maybe less reliable than other options because you will know nothing about a person at first, many online websites offer free services for persons seeking roommates. These websites permit free posting or answering of advertisements seeking roommates. While they absolutely provide a wider audience for your search, there are also many red flags of which you should be aware prior to relying on these sites.

If you choose to post an advertisement for your search, be specific about what you want. Identify your compatibility in terms of:

  • gender
  • age
  • range
  • personality types

Also provide information on what you expect and will require of a roommate, such as the level of cleanliness, the amount of rent that will need to be paid and how bills will be divided.

If you are responding to an advertisement, beware vague advertisements or ones that seem too good to be true. An advertisement seeking any type of roommate generally indicates that the other roommate only wants someone to split the rent, and could mean they will be quite unconcerned with your likes and dislikes.

In your initial contact you should not provide any contact or other information about yourself other than what is specifically requested and would not lead to you being immediately located.

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