Are you in the market for finding a roommate?
If you responded with a yes, you would not be alone out there.
For many, money is tight enough to where they are almost required to have one or more roommates in their lives.
With this in mind; how best to go about finding the right one?
Do Your Research
In your quest to come up with the right roommate situation, keep the following tips high on your list:
- Know one’s background – While it is all but impossible to know everything, do research. This will help you in getting to know prospective roommates. As an example, would it bother you if someone you ended up rooming with has a criminal record? Now, what could you have done to learn about such a thing in the first place? One step you could have taken was to go online and search arrest records. Such records are oftentimes available online on sites like Search Quarry and others. As a result, you can probe into someone’s background legally to find out if they are who they say they are. While one should be given the benefit of the doubt, make sure your well-being comes first.
- Know what you want in someone – It is also important that you know what you want in a roommate. That said what do you expect them to contribute to the living arrangement? Sure, what they can add with finances is more times than not going to top the list. That said you also want to know about their contributions to keeping the place clean and orderly. Unfortunately, some people end up with unorganized and downright dirty roommates. As a result, it can make the living arrangement rather uncomfortable in more ways than one. Take the time to find out if someone is in fact clean and orderly or exactly the opposite. One way to go about this is by talking to their previous landlord if you have the opportunity. You can also find out if they were good about paying their rent on time. The less surprises you have, the better off your living situation should turn out to be.
- Know the big picture – Finally, while one has the right to come and go with 30 days’ notice, talk to a potential roommate. See if they are all about what they see for the long haul. Do they expect to room with you for the foreseeable future or is this a short-time expectation for them? As long as they abide by the rules of the lease or whatever living arrangement you have, you can’t expect much more. There is nothing wrong with talking about what they are thinking they might do when it comes to rooming. If only there for a short time, they should be upfront about this. If there for the long haul and things mesh between the two of you, it saves you having to replace them anytime soon.
In finding the best roommate possible, will you come home to the right decision or look back with regrets on it?
