Best Method for Searching for a Roommate on Craigslist

by Charlie Brooks, Demand Media

Using Craigslist effectively can land you a suitable roommate.

Although perhaps better know as a means for buying and selling items, Craigslist also includes a "Housing" section for finding apartments, houses and roommates. Whether you're a single person looking for someone who already has housing and needs a roommate, or an apartment-dweller looking to lower your cost of living, Craigslist Housing includes sections to aid your in your pursuit. Before you begin your search, devise a strategy -- and familiarize yourself with Craigslist etiquette.

Step 1

Post an ad for a roommate -- or housing as well, if you lack an apartment or house currently -- in Craigslist's "Housing Wanted" section prior to searching through ads others have posted. Doing so gives your search constant visibility and gives others the opportunity to contact you, even if they haven't posted ads. Keep your email address anonymous, which gives interested parties a Craigslist email that forwards messages on to yours.

Step 2

Set specific parameters for your search. Dozens of people in your city will inevitably need roommates. Prior to considering a potential roommate based on her personality traits, make sure the two of you see eye to eye when it comes to tangible things like location, price and and type of housing.

Step 3

Email the candidates who seem suitable through Craigslist and query them on issues like lifestyle and habits. For example, if you work a day job from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., it's not a good idea to get a roommate who works late at night during the week -- or makes a habit of having parties while you sleep. Similarly, if you're obsessively clean, avoid choosing roommate who seem relaxed in their stance on cleanliness.

Step 4

Meet potential roommates in person before extending any sort of offer to them. Although technology, with video chat tools like Skype, allows you to see and hear a person, only an in-person meeting will allow you to get a definite feel for whether you're compatible with a potential roommate.

References

Craigslist: Posting Anonymously

About the Author

First published in 2003, travel and technology writer and photographer Charlie Brooks has written for websites like CNNGo and Shanghaiist. His work has also appeared in print magazines such as "East & West." Brooks graduated from the University of Tampa in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in writing.