How to Rent with a Roommate: Everything You Need to Know
How to Rent with a Roommate: Everything You Need to Know
- Kaila Daley
- Published: August 21, 2022
All the things you need to know about how to rent with a roommate.
Find out all the details before your next big move.
Everything you need to know about renting an apartment with a roomie.
Find out all the details before your next big move.
Ever wondered what it’s like to rent an apartment or home with a roommate? We’ll give you all the information you need to know before considering living with someone else.
You’ll learn the major pros & cons, the ground rules you should set, how to find a roommate, and great apartment-hunting advice!
When renting with a roommate you want to consider several major factors, including financial compatibility, personality, and mutual respect.
Renting an apartment can be a tedious process but adding a roommate into the mix can make it even more challenging. You have to consider what your leasing options will be, how you’re going to split the rent, and what to do if your roommate does not pay.
Good Qualities to Look For in a Roommate
Good Qualities to Look For in a Roommate
Before you start your search for the perfect roommate to shack up with, there are several important factors that you want to consider before making your new living arrangement official.
1. Financial Stability:
Whoever you decide to move in with should be able to afford their half of the rent pretty comfortably. Your potential roommate needs to have a consistent and reliable source of income every month to pay their portion of the rent and utility costs.
Looking at this person’s job history and credit score can also be beneficial in helping to determine whether or not they can be a reliable roommate.
If they are always out of work for long periods of time or job hop pretty frequently, then maybe they’re not the best candidate to apply with.
2. Lifestyle:
Another important factor to consider is your potential roommate’s lifestyle. Everyone’s lifestyle is a little different based on where they are in their career, dating life and friendships.
If you are not someone who loves to smoke or do drugs then that could be an important factor to consider when selecting a roommate.
It’s also important to look at their work schedules, different sleeping habits, allergies, whether or not they have any pets, and anything that you would consider to be a major deal breaker.
3. Honesty:
If you have a friend that is eager to move in with you but they don’t necessarily have the best track record for being truthful, then you definitely need to reconsider.
Honesty is one of the most important qualities in a potential roommate. You want to move in with someone who is not only reliable but also trustworthy.
So how do you vet someone’s trustworthiness? Well, if it’s someone you know then you want to look at their communication style, are they forthcoming when they are in the wrong, or are they more on the defensive and refuse to take accountability for their actions?
You can also take note of what other people who they know have to say about their character. If you aren’t that familiar with this person at all, then you can do a social media deep dive to get some insight into their life.
If you really want to take it to the next level then you can also do a background check to see if your potential roommate may have a criminal record that would alert any red flags for concern.
4. Cleanliness:
I don’t know about you but I hate to clean up after other people constantly. If this is something you want to avoid while having a roommate, then it is important to take into account the cleanliness of the person you could be living with.
If they are known for being a very untidy, messy person then you have to think about how that could affect you negatively.
How to Find a Roommate
So, now that you know what qualities to look for in a good roommate, your next step is to actually start looking for your potential new roomie.
1. Tell Your Friends:
One of the easiest things you can do is to let your friends know that you are looking for a roommate so they can spread the word or let you know of anyone they know who is down to share a space.
2. Roommate Finder Sites:
Another common way to find a roommate online is to use a top roommate finder site like:
These roommate finder sites and apps can help make your roommate hunting process a lot easier by allowing you to select the location, age group, gender, and so much more.
You can also see what people’s hobbies are, their verifications for certain things like a valid ID, and the option to do a criminal background check if you’d like.
3. Social Media:
Another great way to get the word out that you’re looking for a roommate is through social media!
We all know word travels fast over social media apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok so if you are active on these platforms then why not utilize them to let others know that you are looking for a roommate.
Facebook in particular has a lot of great groups you can join, it would be easy to find one that is all about roommates in your local area or county.
Essential Rules to Set with a Roommate: Avoid Disagreements
Essential Rules to Set with a Roommate: Avoid Disagreements
The next step in figuring out how to rent with a roommate is setting some essential ground rules is one of the most important things you need to do before making anything official with a new roommate.
I would recommend creating an agreement, in writing with a digital footprint just in case things don’t go as planned. You can also contact an attorney if need be.
1. Determine Who Pays What:
In your agreement, you need to determine very early on who will be paying specific bills, and how these bills will be split.
No one wants to be stuck paying for someone else’s half of the bill in a shared space. Both parties need to decide on what utilites are going to be split, who will be paying for what, and whose name the bills will be in.
This will give both roommates a great headstart in having a good financial relationship and put everyone’s minds at ease.
2. Create a Cleaning Schedule:
Most people don’t like to live in a super messy space, especially with others around, this is why creating a cleaning schedule early on with your roommate can be beneficial for both of you.
Determining things like who’ll be washing the dishes, bi-weekly bathroom cleaning, dusting, and so on can create a structure for both people to fall back on.
In the beginning, making sure your potential roommate is okay with this is a good way to determine that you could be living with someone who is great at being responsible for their space and cleaning up after themselves.
3. Respect The Spaces You Share:
We all dislike when people hog the bathroom for longer than they should or finish all the hot water. In the case of having a roommate, both people need to respect all the shared spaces used such as the bathroom, kitchen, and living area.
Things like moving around furniture, adding art, hosting parties, and picking up after yourselves should be discussed to avoid creating a hostile environment.
If you’re unsure if your roommate will like a major change you want to make then communicate that with them first.
And whatever you do, do NOT eat your roommate’s food without asking, that is a sure way to upset even the nicest person.
Renting with Roommates: What Are Your Leasing Options?
1. How to Apply With a Roommate:
If you are 18 or older then you are eligible to complete a rental application for an apartment or a house. Most rental applications are going to ask that you provide your proof of income, any previous rental history, and an application fee.
They are also most likely to do a background and credit check so make sure those are in tip-top shape. When applying with a roommate you should usually have the option to add them as a co-applicant on your applications.
One major aspect to take into account is if your roommate does not pay their portion of the rent and utilities. If this happens then you could be left responsible for paying everything.
2. Leasing Options With a Roommate:
Option 1: Joint Leasing
When you are looking to rent with someone else the landlord can have you sign the lease together making you both co-tenants and therefore joint-leasing.
As co-tenants you both are equally responsible for making your rent payments on time and caring for the space you’ll be living in.
Option 2: Individual Leasing
Some landlords also offer the option of signing an individual lease, which is an especially great option if you are not very familiar with the person you’ll be renting with. With a separate lease, you are responsible for your portion of the rent and only your portion.
Learn more about the pros and cons of signing an individual or joint lease at lawdepot.com
3. What Happens If Your Roommate’s Application Is Denied?
If your roommate’s application has been denied then that means one of the things that you had to provide such as proof of income, previous rental history, background check, or credit history was not up to standard. You can reach out to both your roommate and landlord to find out why that is.
Your options from there are finding out if your landlord will allow a guarantor for your roommate. If not then it is best to start looking for another potential roommate. Making sure to discuss with them beforehand what’s needed for the rental application to be approved, do your due diligence and check their references.
Choosing to live with a roommate is a big decision so you want to make sure that you weigh all of your options carefully. This could be a great financial decision to save on costs but can quickly turn into a headache if not done right.
Below is a pros & cons chart on how to rent with a roommate that will help you decide. Happy renting!
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Author: Kaila Daley
Hey everyone! I’m Kaila, I love sharing advice about renting and my experience renting apartments and all things apartment living. I enjoy writing about this topic and would love to share what I know from my personal experience as a renter and writer!
Author: Kaila Daley
Hey everyone! I’m Kaila, I love sharing advice about renting and my experience renting apartments and all things apartment living. I enjoy writing about this topic and would love to share what I know from my personal experience as a renter and writer!