Having a roommate has many benefits. You can afford a much nicer apartment when you share the responsibility of paying rent with another person. You can meet new people and learn new things about the city in which you live. Despite the numerous benefits of having a roommate, the difficulty of finding the right roommate to live with discourages many people from living with a roommate.
We’ve all heard of roommate horror stories. Some of us may have even lived it, and if not chances are you know someone who has. The loud roommate who crashes through the front door at 2 am on a work night. The one who ate the last slice of your grandma’s peach cobbler. That person who NEVER cleans the dishes, but leaves their mac and cheese spot welded to the side of the pot for you to scrub clean. The list goes on and on!
While these experiences are hard to forget for those who lived them, it doesn’t mean that the majority of roommates out there are bad eggs. With the correct due diligence, and few helpful tools, finding a good roommate can be easier than you think. Here are a few tips on finding the right roommate.
1. Make a List of Attributes and Deal Breakers
You should treat finding the right roommate as if you were hiring for a job position. It is crucial that you know what you want from a roommate—and even more important, what your deal breakers are. Here are some important things to consider for screening for a potential roommate:
Financial Responsibility:
Don’t ever be afraid to ask for a credit check for a potential roommate, especially if your name is on the lease. If a roommate leaves you high and dry, it could have a negative affect on your credit score, so don’t be shy about this one. The bottom line is that if a person is late with paying their bills and have a poor credit score, your chances of getting rent and utilities paid on time diminish greatly. It’s much better to put the work up front and find roommates that have a solid history of paying…