How to Find a Roommate in NYC

Maybe you prefer having someone else around in your living space. Or, maybe you need to share the cost of rent and utilities with another person given the current state of inflation in the U.S. If you’re hoping to relocate to or within NYC, living with a roommate may be particularly necessary. Currently, the rental market in NYC is seeing high rents (some sources say average rent in the city is around $4k now) and low availability of rentable properties at the moment.

If you’re considering a roommate for whatever reason, it’s worth it to have a game plan so that you can secure a roommate you’ll feel good about living with AND get an affordable place to live. Keep reading on some key considerations you’ll want to think through as you search for a person (or persons) to bunk with.

Strategies to find the perfect roommate for you

• Give yourself lead time for your search. Rushing into the process of finding a roommate or deciding to live with the first person who responds to your callout for sharing an apartment may not yield the best living situation. Spending time understanding what you’d like out of a roommate and speaking with potential candidates will help you make the best decision for all involved.
• Figure out your priorities when it comes to living with another person. Think about your ideal living situation and let that guide the way. Do you prefer to keep your space tidy by regularly picking up? Is your top priority keeping on top of your bills? Are dirty socks and crumbs left in the living room your biggest pet peeve? Do you need quiet hours each day? Thinking through your preferences and pet peeves will help you figure out what you must have in a living situation and what you can negotiate with a roommate.
• Use online tools to help. In this day and age, there are many resources to help you locate a potential roommate you may not have met organically. There are several apps and websites (some that are free, some require a small fee) that will help you sort through listings of fellow humans who are hoping to find a cohabitation situation. You might also use social media to post about your desire to find a roommate. That way, the network of people you know online can put their feelers out to see if they know anyone with a similar need/interest. Use the technology at your fingertips to support your search, but be wary of scams. Plenty of people have successfully found roommates this way, though it’s wise to be skeptical of anyone or any listing until you know more information.
• Reach out to your in-person social network. This oldie, but a goodie tip can also be a good compliment to your Internet search for a roommate. Letting people in your life — friends, family, coworkers — know you’re looking for someone to live and share housing costs with can be a benefit. While they may not know of someone off the top of their heads, they may reach out later with some potential leads. The bonus here is that you may actually know or already be familiar with a person from your network. Or, someone you know and trust may be able to vet a potential roommate candidate from having known them personally.
• Determine what question to ask of a potential roommate. Since you’ve already gotten a handle on what your must-haves and negotiables are when it comes to living with another person, you can use those to draft questions to help you find a good match. You’ll likely want to ask a potential roomie:
  • What qualities are they looking for in a roommate?
  • What is their typical daily routine? Are they an early riser? Night owl? What’s their work schedule? Do they work at home or report to an office?
  • What length of time are they able to commit to a lease? Can they sign on for a year? Will living with them require you to get a sublet roomie at some point?
  • How do they spend their free time? What are their hobbies? If they play drums or regularly join in bar crawls, you’ll likely want to know that up front.
  • Do they have pets?
  • Do they smoke?
  • Do they have any allergies or sensitivities?
  • How often do they like to/intend to have visitors over? Do they have a significant other that may be a frequent guest?
  • What sort of rent could they afford?
  • Do they have any references they could share with you about their experience living with other people or other relationships they have?

  There may be more you think of, but this could be a place to start. Again, taking time to think through these questions will help you sort through your needs, get a sense of the needs of a roommate and hopefully determine a living situation that will work for all who share an address.

Finding people you can live with is no small task. Neither is relocating. Take the work out of your next move (with or without a roommate) by working with Piece of Cake Moving and Storage. Our moving professionals can help at every step of the process, from sourcing moving materials or renting eco-friendly plastic moving bins and even providing a complete packing and unpacking service. Plus, you’ll be happy with our flat fee guarantee to eliminate any surprise charges so that you can stay on budget with your relocation. Hire our expert movers for your next move to save on time, stress, and money so that you can spend where it really counts.