Home > Roommate Financials and Personality
Once you narrow the scope of your roommate search from a large pool to a few potential candidates by using roommate finding services, it’s time to weigh your options. While free people finders are ideal for supplying a list of possibilities, a successful roommate search requires some detailed targeting on your part.
When its time to choose between possible roomies, you’ll need a more detailed picture of their financial status and personality beyond what is available through a free person finder. Remember, a roommate search is a business arrangement. Don’t be afraid to ask for information out of fear of offending the other person. You both have a right to ask for and receive an accurate picture of each other in addition to information supplied by a free person finder before committing to anything.
- Get personal references – Ask for and check out personal references. You want to get a picture of how a potential roommate handles themselves in any type of relationship. Use references to get an impression of your potential roommate’s communication style and how they handle conflict. Find out how long they have known your roommate. It’s important to consider this type of information to get an idea of your compatibility as roommates.
- Get financial references – While you probably don’t need to review bank statements or tax returns, a successful roommate search does require a clear picture of your roommate’s financial habits. By checking financial references, such as former landlords, former roommates or people that have had some type of financial arrangement with your potential roommate, you can get an idea of how they handle their money. Find out if they have a history of late payments, missed payments or bounced checks.
- Credit report - For a more detailed picture of your roommate’s financial status, you may want to ask for their credit report as part of your roommate search. Some landlords require a full credit check beforehand, but depending upon your living arrangement, this may or may not be something you need from a new roomie. Keep in mind that, there will naturally be more information available regarding on a potential roommate that has had time to establish a credit history than one fresh from college, for example.
- Verify employment – It is important to know your potential roomie is able to assume their share of the financial responsibilities for living together. Before bringing your roommate search to a close, make sure they not only have a source of employment, but that it is stable. Ask for pay stubs to verify current employment, and if possible, proof of length of employment at their current job.
