You may be wondering how difficult it will be to locate the ideal roommate to share your Wilmington rental home. After all, a roommate can make your home life better or, in some situations, significantly worse. However, there are some things you can do to assist you in finding a roommate with whom you will get along. By following these guidelines, you can help find someone whose habits, values, and personality all add together to make the ideal roommate.
Start early. The most critical aspect of selecting an excellent roommate is to provide adequate time. When you’re in a rush, you’re more likely to make poor judgments that will negatively affect your quality of life. If at all feasible, begin looking for a roommate far before you require one.
Ask your friends. While sharing a room with a friend may not be the best option, you should ask people you know if they know anyone who’s looking for a roommate. Someone you’ve been recommended by a friend, coworker, or family member may be a roommate with whom you’ll get along nicely because you know and enjoy the same people.
Use social media. Make use of social media to spread the word about your search for a roommate. You can quickly create postings describing your position and the type of person you’re seeking. Social media can also help you reach people outside of your immediate neighborhood. It’s possible that you’ll meet your new roommate when they relocate to your town from another city.
Do multiple interviews. Once you’ve narrowed down your list of candidates, make sure to interview them multiple times. Prepare a list of questions to ask them, and then follow up with the candidates you like the best once the initial round of interviews is completed. See to it that you ask about their employment situation and earnings. It may be uncomfortable, but you must be aware of these facts. This will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of each applicant and how well they could fulfill your requirements.
Know your deal-breakers. It’s also crucial to know what you won’t put up with in a roommate. These are the “deal-breakers” that would make living with this individual intolerable. While everyone’s deal-breakers are different, recognizing yours might help you weed out those who aren’t a good fit (and communicate them to your potential roommate). Nobody wants to forfeit their security deposit due to a bad roommate.
Ask for references. It’s always a good idea to request many references from your prospective roommate – and to contact them. If the applicant is unable to provide any names or if all of their references are family members, these are red flags to be aware of. Ask questions that will help you grasp who the applicant is and how they conduct themselves at home as you chat with each reference. When applying for a rental through RPM Champion, they’ll be asked to provide landlord references to check for previous tenant conduct. This is part of our screening process.
Be upfront about costs and expectations. It’s necessary to be candid with each potential roommate during the interview process. This covers the amount of rent the roommate is responsible for, how and when payments are due, whether utilities are included in the rent, how much they cost, and so on.
Put everything in writing. Finally, any roommate arrangement must be documented. A written, signed document will serve as a useful reference for both of you in the future, as well as in the event of any disagreements. Make your written agreement as clear and exact as possible to your particular agreement. All prospective roommates should submit an application via our website in the case of a landlord-tenant relationship. Otherwise, you may have an unauthorized tenant, which could result in your contracts being terminated.
Are you in the market for a new rental home? Real Property Management Champion has an inventory of great listings that update regularly. Contact us or browse available properties online.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
