Pros And Cons Of Finding A Roommate Through Craigslist

With all the horror stories out there, there’s just as many “We’ve been happily sharing a place together for 2 years” type of accounts about finding a roommate on Craigslist. Having myself experienced the good, the bad and the ugly, I thought I’d tally up a pros and cons list.

Pros:

• If you’re new to a city, Craigslist can be great resource for finding a place to live and connecting with roommates.
• It’s not always ideal to live with friends. Finding a roommate on Craigslist allows you to go about your daily routines and negotiate domesticity with a neutral counterpart. No strings attached and less to lose.
• When moving in with a stranger there’s a certain objectivity to the relationship which can make it easier to voice any boundaries, needs or complaints you may have. It’s not personal.
• It’s the cheap option! Other websites like LA’s westsiderentals.com charge a joining fee. Craigslist is free and unlimited :)

• Throwing caution into the wind can reap benefits. Besides, isn’t life all about showing your best hand and giving it a shot?
• You may make a great new friend!
• If you’re looking to move into an already established household and either don’t have the credit rating or simply don’t want to be on a lease, Craigslist often offers arrangements where you can walk into a furnished home on a sublease arrangement.
• If it doesn’t work out, you can always move on.

Cons:

• You’re moving in with a complete stranger. Regardless of how legit their post on Craigslist seems or how normal they may have appeared in your 20 minute meet and greet, you never really know if their quirks, idiosyncrasies and rhythms will vibe with yours.

• Crazy people can seem normal in short, contained periods of time. Like, what if they’ve got some kind of personality disorder issue and are happy and friendly sometimes and then extremely unhappy and unfriendly other times. And you’re stuck under the same roof! This could also be an undesirable symptom of moodiness…
• You don’t know what their sex habits are like. Do they bring multiple suitors home during the week? And if so, do they or their saucy one night stand scream like a banshee in the throws of it?
• It’s often hard to ask questions about the others personal habits in that initial meeting. Someone can seem really pleasant during a daytime meet and greet, but how will you know if they remain so nice after 9 or so beers…? And are you prepared to clean up the vomit when shit gets real?
• If you’ll be sharing a bathroom with your Craigslist roomie, you may find that your standards of hygiene aren’t the same. This is where the impersonal becomes personal, if ya get my drift…
• Just as hard as it is to live with a filthy slob, it is to cohabitate with an anal retentive type. Although you can ask one another questions about standards of tidiness, most people will dumb down their extremities in the meet and greet…
• While you may be a House of Cards girl, your new roomie could be a die hard The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fan which would likely cause major friction around the remote control.