Sure, living by yourself might be the dream, but it’s not always feasible especially considering the rents in many parts of Brooklyn continue to increase. Living with roommates isn’t something to be ashamed of, especially in NYC. In fact, around 40 percent of renters in NYC have roommates. Of course, finding one can be difficult so we’ve compiled some useful tricks on how to find the best roommates in Brooklyn.
Why Find a Roommates
Before diving into the tips, there are a lot of reasons why you might want a roommate. Of course, for many it’s because they want to save money. The average rent for a one bedroom in Brooklyn is around $2,700 while a two bedroom is $3,600. Living in a two bedroom with a roommate means you get to save around $900. Not to mention you’ll also be splitting the cost of utilities such as electricity, gas, and internet fees. Depending on what you and your roommate agree to, you could even save money on toiletries, food, etc. if you decide to go with a 50/50 split for the essentials.
Besides the money, another reason why many people choose to live with a roommate is for the company. If you get along well with your roommate you will have someone to chat with. More importantly, you have someone who can call 911 if you are having an emergency at home. Some roommates will even go the extra mile for you when you’re sick to pick up things like cold medicine. Of course, not all will so don’t expect that level of care!
How to Find a Roommate in Brooklyn
A good roommate is hard to find. You’ve probably heard horror stories from friends or family members, or perhaps you have your own. Much like finding the perfect apartment, finding a good roommate requires planning and knowing your boundaries and setting them. Before you start cruising online for roommates, first reach out to coworkers or friends if they know of anyone who needs a roommate. Hopefully, the folks you know will only introduce you to responsible roommates who have a job and can afford the rent.
If you can’t find anybody through your own network, consider going through a broker or real estate company as many offer roommate matching. There are also plenty of online roommate finders you can use including Craigslist, Roomi, SpareRoom, and more. You can even narrow down your search to certain demographics such as Rainbow Roommates for LGBTQ+ community or even AirBnB for short term rentals.
No matter how you find your Brooklyn roommate, you still need to make sure you and your new roommate will be a good fit in terms of lifestyle and preferences.
Screen Your Roommates
Don’t move in with roommates without screening them first even if you’re the one moving into someone’s apartment. Much like a job interview, you want to see if living with this person(s) is a right fit. Create a list of your needs and personality quirks. Do you work late at night? What is your level of cleanliness? How do you feel about splitting and sharing food? Are you okay with a smoker? Do you have pets and/or are you okay with pets? There are a lot of different little things to discuss.
Set up a time to chat with folks on the phone before meeting in person. Make sure to bring up topics that are important to you and also ask them questions. Some things to ask include:
- Do they work from home? What are their hours?
- How will they pay for rent and other bills?
- Do they smoke or do drugs?
- How often will they have people over?
- What are their cleaning habits?
- Do they have a significant other?
Similar to the landlord process, consider getting references and have your own references ready. If you’re having someone live in your apartment or plan on signing a lease together, make sure they have copies of their last three paychecks as well as a letter of employment. And don’t forget to have this paperwork for yourself as the building management company or landlord will ask for it.
If everything sounds good on the phone, set up a time to meet potential roommates in a public setting so you can see if your personalities will mesh. Sometimes everything might seem great on paper, but you can’t stand each other. You’ll also be able to read their body language in person, which should make it easier to see if they are lying with their responses. If everything seems okay but you still feel uncomfortable, go with your gut!
Know the Law
You don’t have to memorize NYC rent laws, but there are legal implications when you have roommates. In fact, in New York there is something called the Roommate Law, which allows for tenants to add replacement roommates. That means if one roommate moves out, you can replace them with another one. Your roommates can also have an immediate family member be an occupant, but they cannot be on the lease. So long as each person has a livable area of at least 80 square feet and the number of occupants does not exceed the number of tenants, your roommate can technically move in several people.
When it comes to splitting the rent, there are also laws regarding that. In general, you cannot charge your roommate more than the actual rent so if your rent is $2,000 you cannot charge them $2,200 and pocket the rest. You can, however, charge something like $1,500, but it’s not really ethical and will definitely affect your relationship with the roommate going forward. They may even choose to exit the lease.
If you manage to score a rent-stabilized apartment you must split the rent evenly. So if there are two people living in the apartment you can’t charge more than half and if there are four people you can’t charge more than a quarter.
Write a Roommate Agreement
There are plenty of nuances when living with another person that the law doesn’t get involved in. That’s why it’s so important to draft a roommate agreement that lists out important things like:
- Basic information – such as the name of the roommates, the leaseholder, the landlord, address of apartment, and date signed
- Terms – the duration of the lease and conditions for termination. Don’t forget to include conditions for early termination
- Financial obligations – detail the rent that each roommate is responsible for, when it’s due, and how to split utilities
- Rules and social norms – this includes things like chores and maintenance responsibilities, quiet hours, guest policy, pets, smoking, etc. Don’t hold back on your expectations. None of this should be a surprise as you should have discussed this during the interview, it should just be formalized in the agreement.
Remember that the roommate agreement, once signed, acts as a contract between you and the other roommates so read everything carefully and make sure the others read it before signing. Each person should get their own copy of the agreement so you can refer back to it if necessary.
Move with a Roommate in Brooklyn
Once you’ve found your roommate, give NYC Great Movers a call for your Brooklyn relocation. We have hundreds of satisfied customers throughout NYC and know how to get you to your Brooklyn apartment with ease. Even better, we can help you and your roommates make the move together!
FAQ
What’s the difference between a lease and a sub-lease?
When assigned a lease, you are dealing directly with the landlord or management company if there are any issues. With a sublease the leaseholder is acting as the middle man for the landlord so all issues get directed to them to then bring up with the landlord.
Do I charge a security deposit for the roommate who is moving in?
If you are getting an apartment together, you both will need to provide a security deposit to the landlord in order to move in. If someone is moving in to replace a roommate, it’s not a bad idea to ask for a security deposit as your previous roommate will probably ask for their deposit back to pay for their new place. Or they might want to use their security as last month’s rent. Either way, make it clear to the new and old roommate what’s happening. Don’t be afraid to deduct from the security deposit you give back to the previous roommate either especially if they are behind utilities, rent, or have left behind a lot of damage to their room.
