It’s often not possible to do without a roommate. Splitting bills and rent is much cheaper than paying for a smaller space to live on your own. It’s also true that having the wrong person move in can be a devastating experience, the risk of which increases if you fail to background check them.
Selecting a reliable person is of the essence when searching for a roommate. Here’s how to find and screen a new roommate in several easy steps.
Ask Around
Ask friends, coworkers, and acquaintances, and you’re sure to hear about someone who’s nearing the end of their lease or wants to move. The best thing about finding a roommate through friends is that you can rely on their recommendations. After all, you don’t know the person, and trusting someone no one has vouched for is hard.
Interview Them
Not only shouldn’t you skip the interview, but even do multiple ones. If you have more than one candidate, shortlist them and meet those who seemed most compatible and trustworthy one more time. Of course, this shouldn’t be a formal interview. You can meet for a drink or coffee. This way, you’ll get to know them better and make a good decision if something seems off.
Ask the Right Questions
You want to know what they do. Being gainfully employed indicates they’re reliable. Common red flags to watch for here are evading the question, being unemployed, or having a series of short-term jobs. If they’re still in school, you must make sure they will be able to pay half of the bills and rent.
Ask them why they’re looking for a new place to live. This question might reveal disturbing information, like a serious falling out with a previous roommate, or they were evicted. You might hear a perfectly acceptable answer, for instance, they like the area or their lease is up. Ask them if they’ve ever had roommates before and, if so, if they got on.
Get References
You’re entitled to ask a potential roommate for references, just like every property manager or landlord is. You could ask to talk to a previous roommate or landlord, even if it’s just to see their reaction. A trustworthy person won’t have a problem providing this information.
Don’t Lie About the Costs
The most common reason to look for a roommate is to share the costs because they’re probably excessive for you to bear on your own. Be honest about how much you’ll need them to pay each month. The person has every right to know what they’re signing up for. If the costs aren’t fixed, which they aren’t usually, provide an approximate amount they can expect. If you will be splitting food costs, set your expectations in that regard as well.
Screening a Potential Roommate
If something seemed suspicious about them, but you don’t want to reject someone over a gut feeling, you want to run a background check. Credit and background checks are good indicators of the extent to which someone can be trusted.
How to Gather Information
It is neither reasonable nor polite to ask about very specific personal details, but as a bare minimum, you need to have their name and current address. Also, ask for pay stubs and their employer’s contact information.
It’s not smart to rely on first impressions when you’re letting someone into your home, so looking into possible criminal history is advisable even if it’s hard to imagine the person having a record. You don’t need anyone’s assistance to find criminal history information. Visit your local courthouse’s site for data on any lawsuits or crimes they may have been involved in.
You will find the relevant court department through the National Center for State Courts, a reliable judicial organization of the US government.
Obviously, you can check for social media information. What they post on social networks can be telling in terms of their habits and interests. What’s more, a lot of people post their education and resumes on LinkedIn, so check that out too.
Get Everything Down in Writing
Ideally, everything will be fine. It’s important for your new roommate to be on the lease even if you feel you can trust them completely. The risk is just too much to take. If they can’t pay their share, inflict damage, or otherwise make you liable, you will need legal backup – hoping for the best just doesn’t make sense. Both of you will feel safer making your tenancy official.
