When it comes to affordable places to live in NYC, Staten Island certainly tops the list and even has a lower cost of living than Queens. The downside, however, is the commute. There’s no subway station that takes you to Staten Island. Instead, you need to either take the Staten Island Ferry or drive over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. This can potentially limit your pool of roommates. However, it’s not impossible to find a roommate in Staten Island. So whether you’re planning on moving to Staten Island from another borough or a current resident, this guide can help you find a roommate.
Reach out to People You Know
Finding a roommate in NYC is almost as bad as finding an apartment. Your first step in the process is to ask friends, family members, or work colleagues whether they or someone they know are looking to move and need a roommate. Let them know your non-negotiables upfront such as pets, children, smoking, etc. After all, there’s no reason to waste each other’s time if it’s not a match. While you’re at it, make a post on your Facebook page as well to reach as many people as possible. You never know who in your friend group will have a good lead!
If you’re a new NYC resident and don’t know many people, reach out to your college alumni network to see if there are fellow graduates looking for a roommate. Your chances are even better if you were part of a fraternity or sorority as local chapters are more than happy to help previous members.
Work with Brokers
Considering around 40 percent of New Yorkers make less than what they need to rent a place in NYC, it’s no surprise that brokers now offer shared rooms for rents in addition to renting an entire apartment. It’s a great option if you need a place to live immediately and don’t mind not having too much of a say in who the other roommate is. Remember, it’s the broker who chooses the other person, not you. With that said, sometimes there are already people who are living in the shared apartment in which case you can see whether their lifestyle aligns with your own.
For some people, this option is a no go, but for others it can take a lot of stress out of an apartment search since all the brokers do all the hard work for you. You won’t have to worry about checking references or verifying employment. In fact, if someone does move in, it means they make at least 40x the allotted rent.
Go Online
If all else fails, it’s time to take your Staten Island roommate search to the internet. Craigslist might be the tried and true place for many people, especially when it comes to finding a room to move into, but it can be overwhelming and there are more than a few scams. On top of that, you are responsible for everything from scheduling the visits to getting employment verification. For many, it can all be overwhelming. That’s why there are more roommate finding services than ever and many do some of the vetting for you.
- Roomi – performs background checks and allows for in-app messaging for better security
- SpareRoom – staff weeds out scams and also performs employment verification
- Rainbow Room – tailored to the LGBTQ+ community
- Diggz – profiles vetted by AI and humans to remove scams. Also provides secure in-app messaging
Besides these services, you can also join Facebook groups where you can connect with potential roommates looking to move to Staten Island.
Vet Your Roommate
Regardless of what method you use, it’s never a bad idea to screen potential roommates yourself. Yes, you should do this even for people you know or were recommended to you! Unless you have lived with them before, you don’t know what their habits are so it’s important to know everything upfront. The next worst thing besides renting an apartment from a slumlord is living with a roommate who doesn’t fit your lifestyle. Before you meet with anyone, create a list and separate it into two columns:
- Deal breakers – your roommate absolutely cannot have these qualities and there is no room for negotiation. This can be anything such as drug use, smoking, pets, kids, cleanliness, etc. Be honest with yourself. Remember, you’re sharing the space with a person every day. Maybe you can handle a bit of mess for a week, but what if your apartment is messy everyday for a year?
- Nice to haves – these are extra houses that you’d like your roommate to have. Maybe you want someone who will go out with you to parties or events. Or maybe you want the opposite and prefer someone who keeps to themselves. Whatever the case, these are just extra traits that can help you decide when multiple candidates fit the base requirements.
Once you’ve created your list, it’s time to reach out to roommates. Ideally, you can set up an in-person meeting as you want to be able to read their body language when they answer your questions. Of course, not everyone is available or comfortable to meet in-person initially so you may need to settle for a phone call. While chatting, make sure to bring up your deal breakers and have questions ready for them. Make sure to also mention your own personal quirks as this meeting is for everyone’s benefit. If everything seems good, ask for references from previous roommates and landlords. You can even ask for recent paystubs to make sure they have a job.
Don’t rush the roommate finding process. Put aside at least a month or more, especially if you plan on looking for apartments together. If you don’t have the luxury of time, consider a short-term solution. While not ideal it’s easier to put up with some issues when you know you’re going to be moving out in 3 months.
Create a Roommate Agreement
Even if you’re moving in with your best friend, you should always create a roommate agreement. Many friendships were ruined once people moved in together because they didn’t know each other’s habits and just assumed everything would fall into place. Don’t let that happen to you! A roommate agreement is not the same as a lease. A lease will essentially outline your total rent, security deposit, rights and responsibilities of each party, and so on. A roommate agreement, on the other hand, details how you and your roommate(s) will share the space.
It’s important that each person agrees to the points before signing it as it is a legally binding document except for any clauses on chores. You can find templates online or hire a lawyer to draft one up for you. Make sure to include items such as:
- How much rent each person pays
- Division of utility payments and how other roommates will provide reimbursement
- What room each person occupies
- Payment of shared necessities such as toilet paper, trash bags, etc. and reimbursement
- Whether food is shared or each person buys their own and how to differentiate
- Quiet hours
- Drug use
- Whether pets are allowed or not
- Rules for parties and overnight guests
- Lease termination date
- Process if a roommate moves out early
- Breakdown of household chores including how often it needs to be done and rotation of duties
Nothing is too small to include in this agreement so make sure to get everything on paper. Once everyone agrees and signs, make sure everyone has a copy and post another copy in the common areas.
Check in with each other on a consistent basis to make sure there aren’t any issues or even to discuss potential amendments or updates to the agreement. Remember, open communication is key to every relationship, especially between roommates.
Move in With Your Staten Island Roommate
Finding an apartment and roommate is the hard part. NYC Great Movers make the moving process easy for everyone. Not only can we help with your move, we can also help your roommate as well! If you both live in NYC, we can stop by both of your old apartments and move everything in at once.
FAQ
How many roommates can I have in an apartment?
It depends on the size of your apartment. The law states that each person in an apartment must have a livable area of no less than 80 square feet, which does not account for halls, bathrooms, or closet space. So make sure to measure your apartment and get the total square footage for each room minus the bathroom, closets, etc. and then divide by 80. You can then see how the max number of roommates you can fit.
Can I make money from renting out a room?
It depends. If you are living in a rent stabilized apartment, you must split the cost of rent evenly among all the roommates. For other apartments, you cannot charge your roommate more than the actual rent.
