Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Take care when allowing a stranger to live in your home
FINDING a room-mate in a large city isn’t necessarily difficult, but without the right tools, says Adam Gleicher, head of growth at US-based room-mate connection app Roomi, finding the right one can be a “tedious, seemingly never-ending process”.
“Thankfully we’re now in an age where sophisticated room mate finders do exist, and with them come the tools and resources to make this process a whole lot smoother.”
In a blog post titled The Complete Guide to Finding a Room Mate, he advises people to set the right expectations and ensure they know where they stand on things such as:
Cleanliness.
Weekly routine.
Quiet hours and bedtime Partying, drinking and smoking. Finance.
Visitors and guests.
Pets. ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡
“If you want your potential room mate to be honest about it, you need to make sure you are being honest as well.”
Personal safety is the most important factor to consider when looking to share a home with others. Liezl Hesketh of TheRoomLink says it is “quite alarming” that many South Africans “throw out the rules and common sense” when it comes to letting.
“They allow complete strangers into their property, view properties alone, and share their personal details on classified sites.
“While there is no fool-proof way to find a good property or tenant, online tools can help you sift through people, which means you only personally meet the ones you feel more comfortable with.”
Apart from personal safety, tenants looking into house sharing also need to be comfortable with sharing their private space with others, says Ben Shaw of HouseME. The only way potential room-mates will know if they will be comfortable living with a particular person or group of people is to find out more about them first.
“It is imperative to schedule viewings with prospective flatmates and vet them thoroughly when you go for the viewing. Ask many questions to help you decide.
“If the house share is between more than five people, try to schedule your viewing appointment at a time when all of them are at home for you to analyse the dynamic and underlying body language of those present. We have social platforms at our disposal so use them.”
Other recommendations to ensure safety and security include not paying a deposit for a rental property you haven’t viewed in person, Shaw says.
“This avoids scams, and visiting the property yourself enables you to assess the safety and security of the property and area.”