When and how to start looking for roommates

[rads138]

Hey everyone!

 

I have officially accepted an offer from UNC-Chapel Hill and will be moving there this fall for graduate school. Now I have to begin the daunting process of finding housing and roommates for the upcoming academic year. I was wondering if any of you might have any advice on how and when is the best time to start posting on message boards or emailing future potential roommates about sharing an apartment. 

 

Is there historically a certain time in the summer (May, June, July?) that most people begin their search? I've been perusing one of the UNC roommate boards and have seen that a large portion of the posts are about summer sublets, so I'm wondering if it is in my best interest to wait a month or two for people to start more actively searching for roommates for the fall. 

 

I'd appreciate any advice on the subject you all might have!

 

 

[Maziana]

Hmm, my roommates once found a place in Chapel Hill in May, but that's because they needed to move in June. This year, I signed a lease in mid-July to move in Aug 1. That was cutting it way too close, but hey, it worked. In the past, I've known people who signed a lot earlier than I have...

 

Try putting up a craigslist ad looking for roommates and/or places. You may get responses. If not, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I wouldn't recommend waiting until July, though. But I don't think Chapel Hill is as bad as some other places where you have to start really early.

[juilletmercredi]

It all depends on your market.  In small college towns where the housing market is driven primarily by academic hires, August and September lease starts may rent up fast, as early as February or March.  In larger cities or places where the economy is more diverse, the housing market is just completely different.  In NYC, the earliest you can reasonably start looking is about 2 weeks before you're ready to move in - any earlier than that and landlords won't want to deal with you, because they can just as easily rent their place to someone who wants to move in tomorrow and make more money.

 

When roommates start looking for each other is going to be driven, then, by the market.  I would say you'll see the first trickles pop up in late April through late May, and then the floodgates will really come in June and July as people are more sure of their plans and start to get an idea of the market of their new city.  It's too early as many people haven't even decided where they are going yet.  Even April 15 isn't the best date, as some places hold out on fellowship notifications and things of that nature.  So definitely wait at least until late April, but I wouldn't even bother until mid to late May honestly.  When I had a 2-bedroom apartment in NYC, I started posting in late June and found my roommates in mid-July for a late August move-in.

 

I found my first roommate through the waiting list for on-campus housing - or rather, she found me.  She sent an email to all of the people with clearly female names on the list and asked if anyone was interested in trying to find off-campus housing, and I was the first one to respond.  We lived together for two years before she moved out to move to a different neighborhood.  (We're still friends!)  I found a subsequent summer sublet and my second academic-year roommate through Craigslist.  It was very easy - I listed the apartment with pictures and got many emails and requests to meet.  It's been my experience that most people are serious about finding a roommate and are friendly (or at least non-confrontational), clean, normal people, so don't be afraid to look online for them.  Just meet them somewhere public first.  I met my first roommate in person before we moved in and we chatted on the phone several times before we solidified everything.