Moving out
can be one of the most exciting things to do. You get to design your own room,
cook your own food, and learn how to be an adult. However, being on your own is
difficult enough. Some might feel like they need to share the space with
someone else.
In the world we live in today, you would think that everyone would be accepted for who they are, but there are those who are discriminative towards the LGTBQ+ community. That’s why finding a gay roommate may make your living situation easier since there will be no discrimination or intolerance.
It might be
a little overwhelming to think about getting someone else to live with you,
less alone a complete stranger, because you have to find someone who is
compatible with the way you live. Additionally, if you want to find a gay
roommate before you get a new place, you need to start looking early. One or
two months ahead of time would be ideal.
Advertising
is one of the best ways to get your word out that you’re looking for a gay
roommate. There is always someone looking for a gay friendly place to stay or a
gay roommate. Keep in mind, you need to be very specific when putting your ad
out there to prevent any misunderstandings or miscommunications. As much as
there is someone looking for a gay friendly place to stay, there are just as many
looking for a place to stay.
Not only do
you need to include your living style and habits, whether you’re living in an
apartment, a house or a townhouse, and the neighborhood, you also need to
include that you are LGBTQ+ and you want a roommate who is LGBTQ+.
If you are renting out a room and wish to find a gay roommate, you can post an ad that says “must be LGBTQ+”, “must be gay”, etc. That’s a surefire way of making sure that your future roommate is gay. You can even add “friendly” to your ad to ensure that only friendly LGBTQ+ people looking for a room will apply to your ad.
If you are
looking for an LGBTQ+ friendly place to stay, you do the same thing, but
instead of posting an ad, you look for an ad that says “LGBTQ+ friendly”,
“looking for an LGBTQ+ roommate”, “looking for a gay roommate”, or something
along those lines.
You could
even post an ad saying you are gay and looking for a place to stay or a gay
roommate.
Social
media is where you’re connected with people at your allowance. Advertising on
social media would be another way to get your word out to people that you’re
looking for a gay roommate. Since you’ve already had contact with them and
might already know what they’re like, it’s a good chance you’ll find a friendly
gay roommate there.
When you
spread your news by mouth, you will be spreading it to your family and friends,
and they will in turn spread it to their friends or who they know might be
interested.
Ask your
friends and family if they know anyone who is gay and would like to live with a
gay roommate. Since your friends and family know how you are and what your
lifestyle is like, the likelihood of them passing along the information to
someone who is compatible with you is high.
Gay Room
Rentals, among others, allows all LGBTQ+ people to list their home or look for
a gay friendly place to live. You can create a profile and tell your future
roommates about yourself, what you like doing, the amenities of the place, what
parts of your property your future roommate can use exclusively, show pictures
of your place, etc.
Check it
out here!
You’ve
posted your ad, people have applied, and now you have a list of potential gay
roommates that are interested in living with you. You should never agree to
live with someone right off the bat until you interview them in person. That
way you can gauge their real reaction instead of reading some text or through a
video conference.
You should
ideally meet in a neutral location like a coffee shop or a park, somewhere with
a lot of people and where people can see you.
Never do
your first interview in your home, but if you do, it would be a good idea to
have someone there with you to make sure everything goes well. Your safety is
your number one priority.
If you are
the one being interviewed, never do the first interview at their home. The
safety rule applies both ways. Always be cautious of the ones that want you to
be a roommate without even doing an interview or meeting you first.
Don’t fret about asking questions. You are interviewing for someone who
is going to be living with you.
You should ask:
·
What
is your job/career?
·
What
are your working hours? Overnight or during the day or stay at home?
·
What
are your hobbies and activities? Do you watch a lot of TV or stream the
internet?
·
What
is your lifestyle like? Are you social? Will you be inviting a lot of people
over?
·
Will
you be going out a lot of staying in?
Now that you’ve got their lifestyle down, you have to find out if they’re
clean. Be honest about your cleaning habits as well. If you occasionally leave
dishes in the sink from time to time, let them know.
Another good question to ask would be why they’re looking for a new place to stay. This would be a good way to see if they have any red flags right from the start. They need a reasonable need to move like wanting to live closer to work or being new to the city and they like the area.
Finally, you need to make sure your new roommate can cover the expense
of rent and bills. Their income has to exceed what the total amount costs
because you don’t want to be lending them money or paying for most of the costs
every single month when the bills are due.
To make sure they can cover the cost, your new roommate applicants have
to be working a permanent job, nothing temporary. If they have a temporary job,
they might not be able to pay rent in a few months’ time.
It’s
completely okay to ask if they have any references from their previous
landlords or roommates and call them to ask if your future roommate was on time
with the rent and if they were a respectful roommate.
You could even run a background check on them to see if they have a criminal record and to check their credit score. These can be requested in your ad so they know what to bring to their interview. Someone strongly objecting to any of these are red flags.
If you are
the one renting out a room, make sure the rules are clearly known to your
future roommate. Have everything done in writing and signed by both you and
your new roommate. Everything needs to be in the agreement; the rent, bills,
chores, social agreements about inviting people over, and parties. Anything to
prevent disputes and arguments down the road.
You want to
live peacefully and happily. You two will be living with each other after all.