Super Strategy Guide on Finding Your College Roommates

If you are a college student and renting a house or an apartment and you are looking for a roommate, then this article will surely help you. Many of you have felt the pressure of finding an extra college roommate to fill up an extra bedroom for various reasons.

The following tips and guides can help you find a safe college roommate who is easy to live with and takes care of their rent portion as well:

First, local college newspapers are a very good source for finding a college roommate. Most colleges have some sort of local campus paper. Grab one and look for the classifieds section. You will find that there are many people looking for a place to live!

Also, you may ask your landlord. If you are having trouble finding an extra college roommate ask your landlord for some assistance. Many people come to apartment companies asking to be placed in an apartment with other college roommates. Landlords match them up with others all of the time.

Check classifieds on social websites. Myspace, facebook,hi-5, etc can all have a classifieds section. Look up the college roommates area there. All of the major social websites can be found at http://stought.com/social.html

There are a number of other websites that have a college roomate section. But as for the most recommended one, I suggest you visit www.roommate.ph, register, create your profile, then search there for other persons that like you are also looking for their roommates. Who knows, you might find there the perfect roommate for you.

Splitting Bills Responsibility With a Roommate

There are some people that are social creatures and enjoy living with others; most find a roommate to help pay the bills. Though roommates are great money savers, getting down to brass tacks can be awkward depending on how familiar you are with one another and your attitudes towards spending. To minimize the tension, start by finding a roommate who makes about as much money as you do. Then, sit down and make an agreement.

Read on with the following tips and guide, that will surely can help you.

Decide who is going to have utilities in their name. The most common of roommate agreements is to split the responsibility; one person takes cable, another electric, etc. Whoever is in charge of a utility is responsible for having it turned on and off, telling each person how much they owe, and sending in the payment on time.

Forge an agreement on how payment will be split amongst roommates. You can simply divide each bill by the number of people living in the house. But if you consume resources unevenly, take these differences into account. For instance: if you need premium channels but your roommate doesn't watch much TV, cover the cost of cable on your own.

Put your decisions in writing. You can find sample roommate agreements online that cover everything from sharing utilities, the presence of guests and the event of an early move-out. If you feel very confident about the character of your roommate, you can write an informal agreement.

Post how much each person owes as soon as a bill comes in. It is courteous to give your roommates as much time as possible to come up with the money. Remember, if a utility is in your name, a late payment will be on your credit report.

Make sure any utility you are responsible for gets paid on time. Collecting money and paying the bills isn't exactly fun, but it's better than dealing with angry roommates when the water or electric gets shut off. If you have trouble remembering, have the money withdrawn from your account automatically.

On Applying for a Rental With a Roommate

If you are planning to rent a house or an apartment with a roommate, you'll still go through the same process as you would if you were renting yourself - only, you'll need more documentation. Each person whose name will appear on the lease will have to supply references and rental history to the landlord or management company.

You should talk to your roommate-to-be before starting the application process. Find out if there's anything in your future roommate's rental history that would throw a wrench into getting approval for both of you.

Then, tell the landlord or property manager exactly how many people will be living in the property. Each of you will have to fill out a rental application.

Also, make sure each of you has all your rental history information together. This includes previous addresses, as well as phone numbers of previous landlords. After this, fill out the paperwork completely and honestly.

Finally, ask if the lease can be worded so that rental responsibilities between you and your roommate are divided. This is a legal way to protect yourself if you meet your half of the rent but your roommate doesn't. (In other words, you don't want to be responsible for the difference.)

By the way, I know a website wherein you can browse on rental listings and a community-based site where you can find and meet a roommate that will most likely perfect for you to live with. Just visit this site at http://roommate.ph. You can register as a roommate finder. Create your profile. Then connect with other roommate finders just like yourself. It will be a sure fun. I guarantee.

That will be for now. Til next time.

Tips on Finding a Roommate

If you live just by yourself and you are renting an apartment or house or even a room, rommates are certainly a good way to cut expenses. But before you move in together, take a few minutes to figure out what kind of living arrangement works for you - it could save a lot of headaches down the road.




In finding a roommate, you will need things like telephones, classified ads, internet access and roommate agreements.

If you are finding a roommate to move into your place, here are some tips that can help you:

First, figure out how you want to divide the costs of rent and utilities. Unless one of the bedrooms is substantially larger than the other, you probably will want to split the costs evenly between roommates.

Second, figure out how you want to divide daily living expenses - things that fall into the "common-use" category such as milk, coffee and laundry detergent. If you decide you want to have "mutual property," such as furniture or appliances, determine how to divide those expenses, too.

Then, determine what kind of person you want living in your home. Do you want a male or female roommate? A smoker or nonsmoker? Gay or straight? A partier or a homebody?

Also, ask friends if they know of people looking for a place to live. This gives you a character reference.

In addition, place ads on community bulletin boards and in local newspapers with a clear description of your home or apartment, monthly expenses and the kind of roommate you're looking for. Some Internet sites let users list their ads for free.

Moreover, screen applicants on the phone when they call. If you can tell right away that someone won't work out, don't waste your time meeting him or her face-to-face.

Furthermore, invite applicants who sound promising to come by for a meeting. If your ad specifies a nonsmoker and the person smells like cigarettes, you'll have saved yourself time and hassle.

Then, ask for references from previous landlords and roommates.

Finally, verify the applicant's employment.

While on the other hand, if you are finding someone who is looking for a roommate to move in, read on these tips below:

You can look in the real estate sections in metropolitan and community newspapers for "roommate wanted" ads. Ideally, the ads will give a description of the house or apartment as well as information on costs. You can also get leads on the Internet.

Then, respond to the ads that look promising. On the phone, discuss some basics about what you're looking for and what your expectations for privacy are.

Also, arrange a meeting with the potential roommate at the house or apartment so you can look at the place. Be sure to find out which bedroom will be yours.

Then, be up-front about any personal characteristics that may be problematic for you, such as smoking or staying up late to watch movies.

And finally, talk about dividing expenses for common-use items such as milk, coffee and laundry detergent.