How to find a roommate in your city
Updated October 25, 2026
A good roommate makes a city affordable. A bad match can make a great apartment unbearable. Most problems between roommates come from things nobody asked about before moving in, so the work is mostly in the first conversation.
Decide your must-haves first
Before you message anyone, write down what you will not compromise on. It saves you from long chats that go nowhere.
- Budget: the most you can pay each month, including utilities and internet, not only rent.
- Area: which neighborhoods in your city work for your commute, and which do not.
- Move-in date and how long you plan to stay.
- Lifestyle: smoking, pets, guests, working from home, and how quiet you need it at night.
Where to look
Social media groups, local listing sites and friends of friends are where many roommate searches happen, but posts get buried quickly and you cannot filter them. On Roomly every listing and every roommate profile gets a match score based on your city, budget, move-in date and lifestyle, so you see the people who fit you first.
Ask friends and colleagues too. A roommate who comes with a reference is often worth more than a slightly cheaper room.
Questions to ask before you meet
- What does a normal weekday look like for you? When do you wake up and go to sleep?
- How often do you have guests over, and do partners stay the night?
- How do you want to split cleaning and shared groceries?
- How do you split bills: equally, or by room size?
- Whose name is on the lease, and does the landlord know about the roommate?
- Why did the last roommate leave, and how long are you planning to stay?
Meet in person and see the place
Always meet before you commit, ideally at the apartment. Check the room you would get, the kitchen and the bathroom, and notice how clean the shared space is. That tells you more than any answer to "are you tidy?".
Put it in writing
Once you agree, write down the basics: rent split, bills, deposit, notice period and house rules. It does not need to be formal. A short shared note prevents most arguments. See our roommate agreement guide for a full checklist.
Red flags
- Asking for a deposit or rent before you have seen the apartment.
- Vague answers about who signed the lease with the landlord.
- Pressure to decide on the spot, or payment only by gift card, crypto or a payment app to a stranger.
- Refusing to put any agreement in writing.
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