Today, we'll be going over a four-step process
for finding the perfect roommate for you to live with.
So you want to live in downtown Vancouver, downtown L.A. or New York.
These are some of the most expensive places to live in the world.
In fact, in almost every large city in North America,
you may find yourself with the exact same couple of problems.
Very few rental accommodations, and two, very high rent.
You may be able to find a solution for both these problems
by looking for someone who wants to share some living space.
In other words, maybe it's time to consider and look for a roommate.
Decide if you want to move in with strangers or friends.
If you're lucky, your best friend will have an extra bedroom and will want you to move in.
But this is highly unlikely for most of us,
and friends may not always be the best roommates.
In fact, lots of friendships have actually ended after becoming roommates.
So you need to seriously evaluate your friend regarding their lifestyle compatibility,
just like you would a stranger before deciding to live together.
Is it possible to find a total stranger you'd actually be comfortable living with?
You may be surprised to discover that there are a number of websites
set up for just that very thing.
Similar to a dating website,
these sites require you to complete a profile
and can help you find someone with similar traits.
You have several options.
You can first look for a good roommate match
and then you can start looking for a place to live together.
Or maybe you already have an apartment
and you're just looking for someone to move in with you.
Or maybe, you're looking for someone who already has a place.
Step two: Use an online roommate application site.
A few examples of websites to look at when you're searching for a roommate are
RoomieMatch, easyRoommate and Roomster.
All these sites will create a profile for you
and will try to match you up with a person you can live with, hopefully.
The application will ask you to fill in a lot of your personal information
like your current living situation, the rental term,
how much you can afford and your rental budget, the noise levels you're acceptable with,
if you're sharing your unit, and security, and several more questions.
As with most roommate search websites, there's a free option,
and one you'll have to pay for, which gives you more benefits and access.
You can check out their sites and all the details
as we've included the links in the description below,
so you can choose one that's best for you.
Step three: Important questions to ask potential roommates.
Well, here's some questions and scenarios you should consider before you move in.
First, why are they looking to move?
Maybe they were evicted from their last place for making too much noise.
Would you really want to live with someone like that?
What do they do for a living?
If they work from home and are always underfoot, it may not be ideal for you,
especially if you work from home as well.
But having someone at home every day might be a bonus.
They can accept deliveries, meet the cable guy,
and do any other chores you can try and pawn off.
If you're lucky, you may find someone who works the opposite shift from you.
They sleep during the day and are gone all evening.
This would give you both plenty of opportunities to have the place to yourself.
If you both work the same shifts, you may need to talk about setting up a bathroom schedule
so you're not fighting over the shower every morning.
What kind of sleeping habits do they have?
Are they a morning person? Or do they tend to stay up all night?
You don't want your sleep disrupted by someone who is watching TV until all hours of the night,
when you have an early morning shift the next day.
Will they feel safe in the type of apartment you have to offer?
Some people are not comfortable with ground floor units or basement suites,
so that's something to consider.
What about the bills?
Will you split any bills such as utilities, internet and cable?
Maybe you're the only one who watches TV so your roommate won't want to chip in on a cable bill.
These things need to be decided well in advance.
Will they be coming and going at odd hours
or will they be staying away for long periods of time?
You may want to know at what point you should consider calling the police,
if they have gone missing and haven't returned to the apartment in a while.
Will you be sharing kitchen items or food,
or will everything be kept totally separate?
You might want to discuss how often you like to cook.
If you both have the same work schedules,
are you both going to be in the kitchen trying to make dinner at the same time?
If one of you likes to cook and the other likes to clean,
this could be a match made in heaven.
Can they give you a deposit?
If you select a roommate and he or she skips out on town after a few months,
leaving you with the full amount of rent to pay,
it's wise to have a deposit on hand.
What is their rental history?
If they tell you stories about their horrible ex-roommates,
this could be an indicator that they have an issue with them themselves.
Maybe they had bedbugs in their last apartment,
or if they're reluctant to tell you anything, maybe you should look a little closer.
Here's a tip. Ask for a reference or two
from a former roommate, landlord, or maybe even their work colleagues.
Be sure to follow up on the references, preferably by phone or email,
just like you would any job applicant.
You might even want to do a credit or criminal record check, just to be safe.
If your potential roommate makes a scene, it could indicate a potential problem.
So Step four: We're going to finalize this all in writing.
Once you found the perfect roommate, it's a good idea to put things in writing.
Like Sheldon in the Big Bang Theory said,
"Create a roommate agreement and get it signed on the dotted line".
Include all the things you've discussed and agreed upon,
so there are no questions should a situation arise.
Sharing your home with a roommate isn't always what you've dreamed of.
But if funds are tight or accommodations are in short supply,
a good roommate can turn out to be just the right solution.
So if you're looking for a tenant insurance and need a quote,
you can visit squareone.ca,
or you can check out some of the other tenant resources up here.
Thanks for watching, guys.