Looking for a roommate Top Websites in NYC to find a roommate

Looking for a reliable roommate to help you pay your portion of the rent so you can live in New York City? Financially, that strategy makes a lot of sense, but even if it’s a well-worn path, there are still plenty of potential pitfalls—I should know.

The lessons are the same no matter which path you choose, whether it’s browsing Craigslist advertising or using a roommate-finding service to perform the screening for you.

Always exercise caution. Ask your friends and coworkers for their recommended roommate search websites, and look through Yelp and other review websites.

Ask possible roommates these 21 questions, keep an eye out for warning signals of potentially troublesome housemates, and keep an eye out for typical roommate scams.

Also keep in mind that there are hundreds of instances of roommates who became best friends or even romantic partners for every scam story you hear.

When browsing any website or profile, keep the following two points in mind: Have an open mind and trust your instincts.

Also Read: How do I obtain a real estate license in New York?

Top 12 sources are a great place to start your quest for a lucky roommate match

1. Diggz

The 2014-founded NYC company Diggz has grown to include 23 other American locations. Making your profile only takes three minutes.

Diggz’s patented algorithm rates potential housemates once you join up, placing the most promising ones at the top of the list, which you can further refine with search filters (no poring over dead-end profiles).

The decision to “like” any of those people is up to you, and if they do, you can speak with your matches through the app before disclosing any personal contact information (similar to Tinder or Bumble).

If you want to contact with potential roommates more quickly, receive limitless “likes,” and access additional filters if you’re particularly picky, there is also the Diggz Premium Membership. Diggz can also connect you up with someone to look for a new home if that’s what you desire.

2. SpareRoom

From the home page of SpareRoom, you can search by zip code or area, or you can use its advanced search feature with the standard (no smoking, pets considered) and unusual (vegetarians preferred, utilities included) filters.

You can look for places where you live on-site with the landlord, LGBT households, and no-fee listings.

All postings are verified by the staff to ensure they are legitimate. Get this to entice you to sign up if the aforementioned reasons aren’t enough:

Each month, SpareRoom gives a different “Live Rent Free” contest winner a free month’s rent and donates an equal amount to Breaking Ground, a group that works to end homelessness in New York City.

3. Roommates from Rainbow

As its name openly declares, Rainbow Roommates offers a fully customized and tailored experience to the LGBTQ+ and gay-friendly communities in and around NYC.

Apartment listings are free, however apartment seekers are required to subscribe in order to maintain the participants’ anonymity.

The cost of the three membership kinds ranges from $30 for a 15-day account to $50 for a 30-day account and $93 for a 90-day account.

Even though the costs appear high, if you need to find a new house quickly—which the website promises to do in two weeks or less—it might be worth it.

Additionally, Rainbow Roommates will give you a one-month free subscription if you find out within the first two months that a roommate you selected on the website is not ideal, allowing you to search for another arrangement.

Also Read: How to Become a Real Estate Investor

4. The Project Listings

Listings Project is a bit of a local legend if you are one of the numerous creative workers in NYC and want an incredibly personalized service without any bait-and-switch listings.

The website, which Stephanie Diamond originally started as a side project to assist other artists like herself in finding living quarters (and workspaces) in NYC, has developed into a full-fledged business that offers rooms (and entire apartments) to rent or sublet, with 300 to 400 no-fee listings on the site each week.

A $30 listing fee is charged to anybody wishing to rent an apartment. After removing brokers and agents from each listing, a member of Diamond’s staff individually notifies the owners if they have been accepted.

Rent-seekers can then join up (free of charge) to receive a weekly email that is sent out every Wednesday morning, and rumor has it that you need to move quickly to take advantage of the best options…or try your luck again the following week (hint: set a recurring reminder on your phone).

5. Padmapper

Padmapper neither functions as nor is specifically a roommate-search website. That being said, you may search the interactive map—hence the name of the website—easily for locations that meet your configurable criteria.

For those looking for rooms, here are some pointers: To discover a share, go to the main search page and choose the “room” option under “additional filters.” You won’t get much information about the people you will be sharing a home with, though.

Although you may filter out listings from brokers and for-fee accommodations, the results also include listings from Airbnb, which may turn some people off.

There are already a little more than 120 rooms listed on the website, but bear in mind that some of these are furnished rooms, Airbnbs, and locations intended for college students (there are filters for this).

6. RoomieMatch

RoomieMatch injects some cheeky humor into what may be a tedious procedure with their taglines, “find a roommate without scams” and “we take out the garbage for you.”

They have a crew that polices the website to prevent fraud. Its multiple-choice personality test probes deeply into peculiarities like your cleaning practices, comfort level with one-night stands at your apartment, and how you handle takeaway (one response being, “I’d rather just use the fridge to chill beer”).

Since matches are sent directly to users, RoomieMatch is also a wonderful option if you’re reluctant to publish all of your personal information online for everyone to see.

Upgrade to the $20 “Cheap Roommate Search” annual subscription if you want to be more proactive and approach people directly. This upgrade may be worthwhile if you frequently move or are a frequent subscriber.

Additionally, the subscription will be free if you need to find another roommate within the next 12 months.

Also Read: Will Mortgage Rates Go Down?

7. RoomZoom

Based in New York City Similar to how most good ideas begin, RoomZoom began as follows: Elien Blue Becque, the company’s founder, became tired of receiving hundreds of emails from strangers every time she needed to rent a room in her modest Williamsburg apartment.

You must first register an account on RoomZoom before answering questions about what to expect from your roommates, including their degree of cleanliness and willingness to host social events.

The business then provides you a sorted list of potential matches depending on your spending limit, lifestyle, and daily routine.

Once you receive your matches, you may examine in-depth profiles of your possible roommates and message them if they seem like a good fit because, of course, artificial intelligence hasn’t yet replaced good ol’ fashioned interpersonal connection.

8. Roomi

Roomi is the big (friendly) child on the block, being both global and expansive. Similar to other websites, you can use this one to look for someone to move into your apartment or a room to rent.

Although Roomi is free to use, you may subscribe to a premium account to have access to background checks, a verified badge  and improved search ranks.

You can learn a lot about a person from a quick glance before deciding whether to chat with them on the site by clicking on their page to see if they are verified, along with their name (and photo), verified social media accounts, age, work history, personal summary, and self-ascribed tags like “foodie, night owl, healthy, bookworm, early riser.”

There are preferences among roommates for things like how frequently they clean and whether they smoke.

9. Craigslist

Despite stories of frauds and other notoriety, this tried-and-true roommate resource is still the go-to for many New Yorkers, who (like my younger self) cite “skipping the middleman” and “I use Craigslist for everything” as justifications for continuing with it.

By searching the postings under the rooms and shares page and using the filters for things like no smoking, pets allowed, and private bath, you can discover roommates. A map view is also available.

You must trust your instinct and exercise caution when using any of the websites listed above. To assess potential roommates (and ensure they will get along), always meet them in a public place and preferably with some friends.

You may also contact with them on social media to learn more about their profiles. (Read “How to find a room (and roommate) on Craigslist—and avoid the freaks” for additional advice.)

Also Read: What makes a room a “Master’s Bedroom”

10. Reddit

Similar to Craigslist, using Reddit successfully requires a fair dose of skepticism and excellent judgment. Reddit.com/r/NYCapartments, on the other hand, is typically brimming with listings if you’re willing to do a little sifting.

On reddit.com/r/AskNYC, you can also discover a lot of New Yorkers looking for roommates and asking various real estate-related issues.

The fact that you might have to sift through lengthy threads about issues unique to New York City (like the exorbitant cost of broker fees) in order to find actual listings is another advantage (or disadvantage, depending on your point of view) of this unrestrained forum.

However, if you are new to the rental market, you might pick up some useful tips as well as a new roommate.

11. Ghostlight Housing

Ghostlight Housing, a closed Facebook community, excels at closeness and exclusivity due to its “members only” status.

To join, you must submit a request and provide proof that you are an engaged participant in the NYC performing arts scene. However, once you’re in, you get access to a variety of listings because there are more than 195,000 members.

Although many of the advertisements are cross-posted from Craigslist, you will still come out on top since even a tenuous connection made through a private Facebook group is better than none at all when it comes to getting responses.

12. iROOMit

A single resource for finding a roommate or sublet is iROOMit. Based on the area you wish to live in, your spending limit, your preferences for things like furnished apartments, and your tolerance for things like smoking, children, and pets, you construct a profile.

A layer of protection is added by having both AI and real people review profiles. Additionally, a background check can be finished instantly on the platform.

A lifestyle test is available to help you determine whether the applicant is a good fit. Also available are filters for area, price range, and video tours of apartments.

Paid subscriptions are also available, with a three-day trial starting at $6 and giving you access to full profiles, unlimited messaging, and other benefits.

You can plan a chat or video conference on the platform to meet digitally once you think you’ve discovered your match. If all goes according to plan, iROOMit also offers eDocuments for signing a lease or roommate agreement.