You might be wondering how difficult it will be to find the right roommate to share your Tulsa rental home with. After all, a roommate will greatly affect your home life– for better or worse. However, there are several things you can do to aid in your search for a roommate with whom you get along. Following these guidelines will help you locate someone with the habits, values, and personality traits that will make them the greatest potential roommate for you.
Start early. Giving oneself ample time is the most critical aspect of selecting a suitable roommate. If you’re in a rush, you’re more likely to make poor choices that will negatively affect your quality of life. If at all doable, begin looking for a roommate long before you need to move in.
Ask your friends. While living with a friend may not be the best option, you should ask people you know if they know anyone looking for a roommate. Someone you’ve been recommended by a friend, coworker, or family member could be a roommate with whom you’ll get along smoothly because you both know and enjoy the same people.
Use social media. Use social media to publicize your search for a roommate. You can quickly make articles that explain your circumstances and the type of person you want to meet. Social media can also help you reach out to people outside of your immediate neighborhood. You might meet your new roommate when they move to your town from another location.
Do multiple interviews. After you’ve received a few applications, make sure to interview your top candidates multiple times. Prepare a list of questions to ask them, and then follow up with the ones you liked most after your first round of interviews. Be sure to inquire about their employment and earnings. You should know these things, even if it feels awkward. This will allow you to gain a better understanding of who each applicant is and how well they fulfill your requirements.
Know your deal-breakers. Additionally, it’s critical to grasp exactly what you will not tolerate in a roommate. These are the “deal-breakers” that would make living with this individual miserable. While everyone’s deal-breakers are unique, recognizing yours makes it easier to screen out those who are not a good fit (and communicate them to your potential roommate). Nobody wants to give up their security deposit due to a bad roommate.
Ask for references. It’s always a good idea to get many references from your potential roommate — and then 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 behave at home when you chat with each reference. When applying for a rental through RPM Tulsa, we check landlord references for previous tenant conduct. This is included in our screening process.
Be upfront about costs and expectations. It’s essential to be honest about your expectations and arrangements when interviewing possible roommates. This covers the amount of rent the roommate is responsible for, how and when payments are due, whether or not utilities are included, how much they cost, and so on.
Put everything in writing. Finally, any roommate agreement must be written down. A written, signed document will serve as a useful reference for both of you and will also come in handy if any future problems develop. Make your written agreement as specific and thorough as possible to your particular arrangement. All potential roommates should apply via our website if they are in a landlord-tenant arrangement. Otherwise, this might be a case of an unauthorized tenant, which could lead to your leases being terminated.
Are you in the market for a new rental home? Real Property Management Tulsa has an inventory of great listings that update regularly. Contact us or browse available properties online.