Find a Roommate—Fast: 12 Online Roommate Finders

Trying to find a roommate? You’re not alone. There are plenty of people looking to share a home — and the rent — with another person. You just have to know where to find them. Enter online roommate finders: web-based tools that help connect roommate-seekers for a (hopefully) harmonious shared living situation. Much like a dating app, an online roommate finder lets you browse potential matches and pick and choose who you’d like to meet for further consideration. Go in with an open mind and keep an eye out for red flags and rental scams, and you should be able to find the perfect roommate.

Where to start? Here are 12 online roommate finders worth your time.

Craigslist

Diggz

PadMapper

Rainbow Roommates

Roomi

RoomieMatch

Roomies

Roommates.com

Roomster

Roomsurf

SpareRoom

Tips on the best ways to find a roommate

Keep a healthy dose of skepticism going when you’re using the internet to find a roommate. Do your due diligence and you should be able to find a great match quickly and easily. There will always be tons of great options and success stories, but you also have to be aware of potential scammers and illegitimate postings.
Don’t sign a lease or share any financial information before confirming legitimacy. Always meet up with potential roommates in a safe and public place (even better if you bring a friend along).
Before you try to find someone that you don’t know, reach out to your network of friends.
If you end up with someone you don’t know, get references from past roommates and landlords and perform a credit check on that person.
Some of the questions to ask a potential roommate include: What do you do for a living? What’s the most you can spend on rent? Are you in a relationship? And if so, will your partner be sleeping over regularly? Ask them if they have a pet or plan to get one, how they spend their weekends, and their policy on smoking, noise, guests, and schedule.
Before you move in with someone, draw up a roommate agreement. It’s not a lease that sets expectations between tenant and landlord. This agreement sets expectations between tenant and tenant. Things to include: the rent amount, how it will be split and when it’s due; how you will be splitting the utility bills and chores; the guest policy (weekends only, overnight ok, do you need to notify the other party in advance, and so on). It’s also good to talk about establishing quiet hours (for example, the music stops playing at 3 am) and whether you will be sharing food. Finally, if things don’t work, discuss the conditions of an early move-out.

Moving in with a roommate can be challenging. It’s best to be as prepared as possible as you get to know your roommate. If you disagree on anything early on and some subjects are a dealbreaker, it’s better to know sooner than later. However, if everything works out, Moving.com’s extensive network of reputable and reliable movers makes it easy to book the best moving company for the job. All relocation companies in our network are licensed and insured, so you can rest assured that your move will be in good hands.