How to Find a Roommate in Queens

Queens might have more affordable apartments than other parts of NYC, but it can still be pretty expensive to live on your own. According to studies, around 40 percent of New Yorkers cannot afford the living expenses in NYC and thus the majority of these people end up with roommates. Of course, even if you can afford to live on your own, there are benefits to having a good roommate. Not only will you save money, a roommate also provides companionship and support. Whether you’re new to Queens or a current resident, the guide below can help you find a roommate.

Ask People You Know

Finding a good roommate anywhere is hard, but it’s especially hard in NYC. Your best bet is to start asking people you know if any of their friends, family members, or colleagues are looking for a roommate. Be clear about your non-negotiables beforehand (no pets, kids, smoking, etc.) so neither of you waste your time meeting with someone who isn’t a fit. More importantly, make sure they can afford to pay the rent for the length of the lease. Landlords and management companies ask for a letter of employment and recent pay stubs so it’s not a bad idea to ask for these as well. 

While asking in person is always a great idea, you want to let as many people you know as possible. Put a post up on your social media feed saying that you are looking for a roommate. Hopefully you’ll get some additional responses so you can start sifting through potential roommates. This is a great option whether you’re looking for someone to move into your place, moving into someone else’s apartment, or finding an apartment together with the roommate. 

If you’re a fresh transplant and don’t have any friends or coworkers yet, consider reaching out to all of your college alumni network to see if there are fellow graduates looking for housing. While they might not be vetted by people you know, at the very least you know you’ll have something in common.

Look Online

If you didn’t have any luck through your personal contacts, then it’s time to try out some other services. Before you go the online route, consider finding a real estate broker if they provide roommate matching. At the very least, you know the people the broker is working with should have a steady income so that’s one worry to cross off your list! 

Of course, don’t just depend on one avenue to find roommates. Nowadays there are plenty of online services that can help you find a roommate in Queens. Many of these services even do some vetting in your place. 

• Roomi – does background checks and allows in-app messaging so you don’t have to provide your personal details during your search
• SpareRoom – has staff that weeds out scams 24/7
• Rainbow Room – tailored to LGBTQ+ community
• Diggz – AI and human-vetted profiles to avoid scams and secure in-app messaging

Outside of these options, there are also other communities you can join. For example, Facebook has several groups that help people connect with roommates for short or long term options. Or you could check out the Listings Project, a community that offers free access to real estate listings every week.

Screening Your Roommates

Finding roommates is just the first step. The next thing you need to do is to screen them and weed out anyone who doesn’t fit your lifestyle. Of course, before you can do that, you need to write down exactly what you’re looking for when it comes to cleanliness levels, overnight guests, quiet hours, and the like. When you’re writing these things down, separate these into two columns:

• Deal breakers – your roommate cannot have these qualities and there is no room for negotiation. This can be anything but the most common include drug use, smoking, pets, kids, and so on. Be honest with yourself about what you consider dealbreakers. If you can’t handle living with a messy person, make sure to have that on the dealbreaker side as you don’t want to have to compromise
• Nice to haves – these are the extra bonuses that you’d ideally like your roommate to have. Maybe it’s someone who would want to host dinner parties or maybe you prefer the opposite where you each stay in your own side of the apartment. Whatever the case these might not be deal breakers, but the more a potential roommate checks these boxes, the better your situation should be

Once you have your list, reach out to potential roommates and set up a phone call or a meeting in a public place so you can chat. Approach this meeting like an interview and make sure you set boundaries and ask questions. While you’re chatting, pay attention to the way they are answering your questions. If they seem like they are avoiding certain topics or giving you non-answers, take it as a red flag that they are hiding something from you. Even if they seem like the perfect roommate, always ask for references from previous roommates and landlords. You can even ask them for recent paystubs to make sure they have a job. And don’t forget that the other person is also interviewing you so be as upfront and honest about yourself as possible. 

Finding a good roommate takes time, so don’t rush. You should set aside at least a month when looking for a roommate in Queens or more if you plan on looking for an apartment together. Of course, you might not always have the luxury of time. In that case, consider looking for a temporary roommate situation so if you do end up having problems, you don’t have to deal with them for a year!

Make a Roommate Agreement

Unless you’re moving in with a friend or family member, chances are you’re moving in with a complete stranger. Even if you are living with someone you know, you should absolutely make a roommate agreement. Unlike your lease, the roommate agreement should go more into detail about how you two will share the space. You can find some templates online or, better yet, you can hire an attorney to draft one up for you. Make sure all roommates talk out and agree to the points in the agreement before signing as it is a legally binding document, except for clauses that contain division of chores. When creating your agreement, make sure to include:

• How much rent each person pays
• Who pays what utilities and how the other roommates will provide reimbursement for the bills
• What room each person occupies
• Who buys food or if 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
• When the lease ends
• Process if a roommate moves out early
• Breakdown of household chores
• Paying for communal items such as cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc.

Ultimately, a roommate contract spells out the ground rules to avoid potential miscommunication and serve as a reference in case conflicts arise. Once everyone has agreed and signed the agreement, make sure you and your roommates all have a copy and post another copy in one of the common areas.

Of course your and your roommates’ needs may change as you continue living together. Make sure to check in with each other monthly to see if any rules need additional clarification or modification or if you think you need to add anything else to the agreement. The more open communication you have with each other, the easier it will be to live together.

Move in With Your Queens Roommate

Now that you’ve done the hard part of finding a roommate, make the rest of your move easy by hiring NYC Great Movers. We can help make you and your roommates’ transition as seamless as possible. Our team of professional Queens movers can help you with almost every aspect of the move from packing to unpacking to storage. Reach out and we’ll walk you through the process.

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