Finding a good roommate can be a stressful experience. To make it easier, the Seahawk Perch has provided our Off-Campus Housing Ad System, where you can read or place ads for roommates. But how do you know if the person that answers your ad is the right roommate for you?

Believe it or not, the first step in your roommate search is to know yourself ! You may want to take a moment to print out and complete a Roommate Personality Profile before you place or answer an ad. Then you will have a better idea about the types of behaviors you find desirable in a roommate, and you can then express your preferences in your ad. You can also use these questions when you interview prospective roommates over the phone or in person.

If you plan to have roommates, we strongly recommend that you draft a Roommate Agreement with each of them, especially if yours is the only name on the existing lease! This way you will at least have something in writing if your roommate bails on you and you need to seek legal action. A roommate agreement can be a simple outline of what each party agrees to pay, behaviors that will and won't be tolerated, and other expectations. For a sample standard Roommate Agreement, see first link below, or use our Cornerstone Compact for Roommates document.

 Here are some links you might find helpful:

A good article about the legal issues of renting with roommates.

http://www.wemediate.net/ - a link to the Community Mediation Center of Cape Fear. Help with roommate disputes.

Strategies for avoiding and resolving roommate conflicts - from www.residentassistant.com