3. FIND A ROOMMATE USING INTERNET SERVICES

Online roommate services are a booming industry. Some websites just have you post your email address, and on others you can offer your phone number and/or address. For safety reasons, it may be best to just give your email and/or phone number, because giving out your address on the web could lead to some unpleasant interactions with scary people.

Some of the websites are free, meaning you can contact potential roommates at your own liberty (you also don't pay for people to contact you). However, many cost money, which means that you can't view the full profiles or get the contact information unless you're a registered member.

Pay sites
Free sites

Pay sites

  • www.roommateexpress.com: This site is a powerhouse of roommate finders, and offers Internet and/or phone service. Along with very reasonable rates (about $20 flat fee), it offers credit reports, a reference checker, continuous emails when a match is found, and a detailed questionnaire that claims to find psychological matches. Also, they post your listing not only on multiple Internet search engines, but also in newspapers and yellow pages, and can even match people to go out and find a room together.

  • www.roommatenation.com: All the features and none of the cost. This site is currently 100% free to use. It lets you complete a profile describing your personal and property preferences, search its database of users who are looking for a roommate, and message them. Its very easy to use and provides an opportunity to get to know someone even before you speak on the phone. This is helpful whether you are looking for a room or have a place you want to share.

  • www.RoomMates.com: This site requires you to register (although not pay) before you can do anything. Once you set up your username and password and fill out a room questionnaire, you can post listings for free. If you get a match and you'd like to contact him/her, you'll have to register and pay. The fees work on a monthly basis with the following prices:
30 days: $19.95 Renewal: $9.95 60 days: $30 Renewal: $15 90 days: $40 Renewal: Free

  • www.goodroommate.com: If you're not a cyber-freak, this site may suit you because they're dedicated to personal customer service and you'll be able to talk to a "real human" about your roommate search. The site costs about $30, and their claim is that by personally communicating with you they can find the most ideal roommate suited to your temperament.

Before you type your credit card number into any of these sites, check them out, take a tour, and see what suits you best. Also realize that there are many sites that provide roommate services for specific cities (such as New York City's www.roommatefinder.com); to see what is available in your area, check out our city-specific SYWs about finding an apartment in NYC, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

Free sites

All of the free sites basically operate in the same way: you can post your listing or browse listings for roommates, and the only contact information given out is an email address (no phone number, nor street address). When you see a listing you like, it's up to you to email the person as soon as possible. Then you're on your own.

Also, since these sites are free, it's probably not a bad idea to search around all of them and post your profile on multiple sites. And think how popular you'll feel when you get lots of emails from all those poor suckers wanting to live with you. Check out:

Again, there are many free websites that are city-specific. The best way to find these is to go to any major search engine and type in "roommate AND (your desired city)."

One important note: there are a lot of kooks out there on the Internet, souse your best judgment. If you get an email from "[email protected]," it's probably wise to stay away from him/her. Other than that, go for it! Just remember that you must act quickly waiting even one day to email or call someone could cost you a great match.