Start early. Giving oneself ample time is the most critical aspect of selecting a suitable roommate. If you’re in a rush, you’re more likely to make poor judgments that will negatively affect your quality of life. If at all practical, begin looking for a roommate well before you need to move in.
Ask your friends. While living with a friend may not be the best option, you should ask the people you know if they are aware of anyone who is looking for a roommate. Someone you’ve been recommended by a friend, coworker, or family member may be a roommate with whom you’ll get along nicely because you know and enjoy the same people.
Use social media. Make use of social media to spread the word about your search for a roommate. You can quickly create articles that describe your circumstance and the type of person you want to connect with. Social media can also help you reach people outside of your immediate neighborhood. You might meet your new roommate when they relocate to your town from another city.
Do multiple interviews. After you’ve received a few applicants, conduct multiple interviews with your best picks. Prepare a list of questions to ask them, and then follow up with the ones you like most after your first round of interviews. Make certain to ask about their employment situation and earnings. You should know these things, even if it feels awkward. This will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of each applicant and how well they could fulfill your requirements.
Know your deal-breakers. It’s also critical to be clear about what you will not tolerate in a roommate. These “deal-breakers” are the characteristics of this individual that would make living with them intolerable. While everyone’s deal-breakers are different, recognizing yours will help you quickly eliminate those who aren’t a good fit (and communicate them to your potential roommate). Nobody wants to part with their security deposit due to a bad roommate.
Ask for references. It’s always a good idea to get multiple references from your possible roommate — and then follow up with them. If the applicant is unable to provide any names or if all of their references are family members, these are red flags to be aware of. Ask questions that will help you grasp who the applicant is and how they behave at home when you chat with each reference. When applying for a rental through RPM Prime, we check landlord references to see if there have been any previous tenant issues. This is part of our standard screening process.
Be upfront about costs and expectations. It’s necessary to be candid with each potential roommate during the interview process. This covers the amount of rent the roommate is responsible for, how and when payments are due, whether utilities are included in the rent, how much they cost, and so on.
Put everything in writing. Finally, any roommate agreement should be written down. A written, signed contract will serve as a useful reference for both of you, as well as in the event that any future problems develop. Make your written agreement as specific and thorough as possible to your particular arrangement. All interested roommates should apply through our website in the case of a landlord-tenant relationship. Otherwise, you may have an unauthorized tenant, which could result in your contracts being terminated.
Are you in the market for a new rental home? Real Property Management Prime has an inventory of great listings that update regularly. Contact us or browse available properties online.