Roommates

The 6 types of roommates you find on Craigslist

TwitterPinterestFacebook

It can be difficult, especially when moving to a brand new city, finding roommates to live with. When living with friends isn’t an option, lots of people turn to Craigslist. There, you can find tons of postings under “rooms & shares” or “sublets & temporary” regarding different living situations, room or apartments for rent, and other housing options. It just takes some time and lots of work to sift through all of it and come across a good match.

Though some find success on Craigslist, there are, more often than not, horror stories about the different types of roommates you find on Craigslist. Be aware. Continue reading for the six types of Craigslist roommates you might come across…

The Bff-You-Didn’t-Ask-For

These are the type of people who share a lot about themselves in the post:
“Hey, future roommate! I’m [name], an [age]-year-old [male/female] from [place]. I’ve been living in [city] for [number] years, studied [thing] at [school], work at [job]”…

They’re probably very nice and a good person at heart, but you’re trying to find housing, not a new best friend. Of course, they have a long other paragraph describing the apartment, how cozy it is, how they have both Netflix and Hulu, and how good of a housing deal it is, selling every aspect of the place. Being specific and a little TMI can work for some people, but others are thrown off by the creepy approach and think of them as red flags.

Type of language used: “An awesome roommate wanted”

The Contractor

Several of the posts on Craigslist specify temporality; someone is out of town for a certain period of time or a roommate moved out a couple of months before the lease ends. These potential roommates usually treat the situation as work and a business deal, especially if they’re considering extending the lease.

As a result, they organize a whole deck of documents for you to sign and require a background check, a credit check, a minimum annual income, and a criminal record. They basically do the landlord’s job and are even meticulous about money calculations, expecting you to pay a security deposit.

Type of language used: “NO FEES!”

The Basic One

You’ve seen these profiles over and over again. They are “down to earth,” “love adventure,” and “like hanging out with friends.” Most times, they just ask that you don’t bring the party home, not passive-aggressive, and pays their share of rent on time. Simple enough, but after reading their post, you really have no idea who this stranger is and what they’re like to live with. Almost everybody loves adventure and hanging out with friends — there’s potential there, but can they really be this normal?

Type of language used: “Drama-Free Roommate Wanted”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Tag your roommate. We’ve all been there.

A post shared by Common (@hi.common) on

The Ghost

The most mysterious postings on Craigslist — the ones without pics and only three lines of descriptions — belong to these “ghosts.” You reach out because they offer housing at a reasonable price, but they barely reply to your email and only say a few lines over the phone. As you would expect, they don’t have any social media profiles and don’t share much about their personal life, like where they work and what they like to do. They’re just quiet and private, and that’s okay…sometimes.

Type of language used: “chill roommate”

The Fussy One

It’s good to be honest and upfront about expectations to predict compatibility. Some people, however, take it a tad too far by publishing a whole laundry list of requirements: “creative/laid-back female,” “clean,” “no visitors,” and so on. Listing likes and dislikes can express personality, but it can also make a person seem hard to get along and live with. There should be a general agreement to seek respectful roommates in public and deal with specifics in private, once a decision is made.

Type of language used: “looking for single, sane, educated, quiet roommate”

The Duo

When looking through Craigslist, there are a whole lot of couples looking to rent out a room for one lucky winner. They’ll say that they’re quiet and mostly keep to their self, which sounds like a good deal at first. You’d most likely be getting your own private bedroom and bathroom in a “large apartment,” splitting the lease and paying the proportional amount of rent. But think about it, living with one person is hard enough, but a couple? And couples, no matter how nice, fight.

Type of language used: “young professional couple seeking…”

Where to find normal roommates…


Don’t waste your time on Craigslist and risk any rental scams. Just move into Common.

You won’t have to worry about finding a roommate because we do that all of that for you, vetting all applicants with a credit and background check. This means moving is simple and easy, involving just your suitcase. You’ll immediately feel at home in your own fully furnished, private bedroom and shared spaces (fully stocked kitchens, furnished living rooms, basement lounges, rooftop decks, outdoor patios).

Your one all-inclusive rent covers a furnished space, private room, onsite laundry, professional cleanings, and utilities. Coliving is a good fit for modern renters, those moving to a new city, or just hoping to save money on rent. Tour our homes today.

Follow us on social media:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Common (@hi.common) on

Related posts: