How to Find Roommates in a New City: A Guide

Moving to a new city is an exciting time in your life but it can feel lonely once you first arrive. There are new sights, sounds, and people to get used to and it can feel daunting...

Living with a roommate not only offers you some company when settling in but it is a great chance to get to know your neighborhood. In fact, some people are even opting to buy houses with friends to share the financial load! 

The question on everyone's mind is, how to find roommates in a new city when you don't know anyone. This article will answer this question so you can focus on enjoying your new home and starting this adventure.

Keep reading to find out more! 

Why Roommates Are Important

Besides the obvious advantage of living with a roommate, which is sharing the financial costs and expensive rental fees, there are other beneficial reasons to living with someone. 

One important reason to live with another person is dividing household chores. Let's be honest, no one enjoys doing all the housework themselves, right? 

After a long day of work, the last thing on most people's minds is taking the trash out and cleaning the bathroom. When you have another person to share your living space, you can make a schedule and share chores. 

That means you can spend more time enjoying your new city and exploring restaurants. 

In addition to the practical advantage of sharing the household management, having a roommate also provides more security for you. Depending on your job, you might be away for most of the day and your home is left empty. 

Now, after you've decided to look for a roommate, you need to find the right places to go searching for someone to live with.

How to Find Roommates in a New City

When it comes to finding a roommate in a new city, there are several ways you can go about meeting the ideal person. The three methods to finding a roommate are: 

• Take advantage of your social networks 

• Use roommate-specific sources 

• Ask the right questions beforehand

So, the most obvious choice is by starting with your existing social networks. Nowadays, the internet is a great place to make new friends and also roommates! 

How to use social networks to find a roommate 

Although many people use social media to keep in touch with their friends and family, it's also an ideal place to meet new people. As you can use filters for your location and keywords, you can find possible roommates there too.

You can also use social media to post advertisements online about searching for people to live with. Just make sure to write in detail about who you're looking for, where you live, and the size of the apartment. 

Otherwise, you could spend a lot of hours talking about information that you can already include in your post. But, how do you use individual social media sites? 

1. Facebook 

Facebook is a great platform because you can join specific groups for other people who are also looking for a roommate. Plus, if you connect with someone that you might want to live with, you can check out their profile. 

2. Instagram 

Although Instagram works differently from Facebook and there aren't separate groups, that doesn't mean you can't use it to find roommates. For example, you can share a story about your search. 

Finding roommates can be easy if you use hashtags such as "find roommate" and "how to find roommates online" because you can narrow down your search to the people actively looking.

If you don't specify this, your followers could be very confused and your post will be lost. No one wants that.

3. LinkedIn

Of course, LinkedIn is primarily used to find new jobs and business connections. But it can also be a good tool if you need to know how to find roommates in a new city. 

Why?

Well, you can search for people in your nearby area and reach out to them. LinkedIn is full of professionals who work and have a lot of responsibilities. Therefore, if you're looking for a mature roommate, then this is the place. 

4. Twitter 

Last but not least, Twitter is also a social media platform you can use to find the best roommate. The retweet features give you the chance to reach more people online who you might never have found elsewhere. 

Using social media when you're searching for a person to live with could solve all your problems, but you can also try and reach out to close friends and family. 

Sometimes you never know until you ask. In the case of finding a roommate, your neighbor might know of someone who just moved to your city or has a childhood friend who rents out an apartment. 

Unless you ask, you'll never know and you might miss the opportunity to connect with someone who matches your lifestyle. 

5. Get Active in Alumni Groups

For people who have attended a university or other institutions, an alumni group is a wonderful resource for finding like-minded individuals who could be your new roommate. 

Normally, alumni groups are based all around the world in different locations, so there's bound to be a group of people in your area that you can talk to. Half the battle of finding someone to live with is sharing a common interest.

Alumni groups eliminate that pressure to be friends as you already have something that bonds you. The only thing you need to do is get active and engage in the group.

To do this you can try:

• Joining meetup groups for alumni societies 

• Get in touch with the alumni newsletter and website to share a post

• Send a message to your university friends and start a conversation

However, if you're still a student, then finding a roommate might be a lot simpler if you can attend a university event that is created for helping people match with roommates. 

Alternatively, if you've graduated and are working a job, then reconnecting with old friends and peers is a brilliant way to find a potential living partner.

Go straight to the source to find a new roommate

The good news is, if you don't have a social media profile or you prefer to look for a roommate online, then there are specific sites made for the purpose of advertising and matching you with roommates. 

Instead of spending your time creating a social media post, you can scroll to the information you care about, which is the profile of roommates and apartment details. 

1. Craigslist 

Craigslist is a platform that displays garden services as well as roommate openings.

Just remember to be cautious about meeting a stranger on this website and be sure to have a conversation beforehand. 

2. Roommates.com

The name says it all. This site only shows profiles with verified identities and neighborhood connections. So, you don't need to worry about your safety when talking to someone on this platform. 

If you want to be a little extra safe, then this is the option for you! 

3. Roomiematch

Finding love online has become common, but finding a roommate is just as easy with the right tool. Roomiematch is the ideal place to be matched with a compatible living partner. 

This website gives you the chance to provide personal information that can link you with people who like the same things as you. It's important to have that bond or living together could be tricky. 

4. Diggz

Living with someone affects every area of your life, from how you relax at night to the way you prepare your meals. If the chemistry is off, then your daily life could become stressful and unpleasant.

To avoid that, you need to know as much as possible about someone. Diggz is the most in-depth way to meet new roommates. It's friendly and relaxed, but it enables you to see if your lifestyles are suited to each other. 

Now that we've exhausted the options of where to find roommates online, you won't have any issues meeting potential candidates. So, imagine you find the perfect roommate and you ask to live together. 

Then, two months later you need to move out because your roommate hosts parties every evening and you can't sleep. Or, your roommate never takes the trash outside and you have to do everything yourself. 

It's never fun going through the upheaval of finding a new place. To avoid that, you need to ask the right questions in advance.

Ask These Questions 

It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of finding a new roommate and picturing the fun times you'll have together discovering the city and trying local coffee together. But, be careful not to miss any red flags.

Here is a list of questions to ask your roommate that will determine if you should move in together: 

• Are you clean?

• What is your work schedule like? Do you get home late?

• Will your partner be spending time here?

• How do you feel about splitting the bills?

• Have you had good experiences with roommates in the past?

• Would you say you're introverted or extroverted? 

• What are your interests?

• Would you consider yourself reliable with paying rent and other bills?

It's not the most exciting topic to discuss with a new roommate, but it's an essential conversation to have before you sign any contracts together. 

Common red flags to look for when searching for a new roommate

In addition to knowing what to ask your roommate, it's also vital you learn the warning signs so you can detect any red flags during the vetting process.

Even though a lot of the time the best way to find a roommate is through experiencing different living conditions and dynamics, it can only help to have some tips to help you figure out if the person is right for you.

Unemployment 

Undeniably, unemployment is a huge concern with a new roommate. You don't want to end up the only person paying bills and taking care of food spending. 

Lifestyles

If you're someone who enjoys reading a book, watching movies, and getting to bed on time and you move in with someone who goes out every night and hosts parties, then it's not going to work in the long term. 

Be honest about your lifestyle and preference so the other person is aware of what to expect as well. Then, you can make a decision on whether it's right.

Something Doesn’t Feel Right

Meeting someone online is entirely different from seeing them and talking in person. If your gut instinct feels strange and it doesn't seem natural, then you should reconsider moving in together. 

Even if it doesn't work with someone, you can just try again and hope you have better luck with the next meeting! 

It takes a few tries to find the ideal roommate, so don't just pick the first person you connect with. Ask the right questions, meet up in person, and then see if you can imagine yourself living with the person. 

Ultimately, you're the only person who can determine whether someone is going to be a good roommate.

Keep in mind that security is important, so after you've found a new living partner, you should talk about how to secure your home. Luckily, ADT Security Alarm System is the best way to help protect your space. 

They'll take care of your security concerns so you don't need to worry! 

Safety First When Moving to a New City

There's never a perfect roommate and no matter how many times you search "how to find roommates in a new city," you won't magically find the right person without meeting them in person. 

As long as you take the time to get to know someone, ask them the important questions, and discuss the details of living together, you should find someone that you can share a home in no time! 

However, security comes first. ADT Security Alarm System is the ideal way to help protect your precious home and give you the safest experience in a new city.

Get in contact today to find out more!