If you can use some help with the rent or you plan to move but your long term plans are uncertain, you may want to consider a roommate. This is an often overlooked yet highly practical alternative for many people in transition. In this article we'll explain the advantages of renting a room or sharing a dwelling as compared to more traditional alternatives, and we'll show you where to get started.

Why find a Roommate?

Most often after separation, the matrimonial home has more space than required. And, although the rent or mortgage remains the same, with the absence of the former spouse, the household income typically diminishes. That is why, if you happen to have excess space in your dwelling, renting out an unused room can be an excellent source of much-needed supplemental income. If, on the other hand, you find yourself looking for a place to live but are not ready to commit to a mortgage or long-term rental contract, renting a room or sharing an apartment may be a more practical and cost-effective solution, at least in the short-term.

If these options sound appealing, an excellent place to learn more is Roommates.com, which is the largest roommate service in the United States. Whether you have a room to rent out or you're looking for a room in an already established residence, Roommates.com offers a roommate search service which covers thousands of cities nationwide to make your search process easy. Currently, Roommates.com is the Web's most popular roommate matching service, receiving over 50,000 visits and 1,000,000 page views per day. Rest assured that they can help you find the perfect roommate and/or room for rent.

How does it work?

To get started, Roommates.com will ask you to provide some basic information regarding your specific interests such as

• What type of Roommate do you seek?
  
  
  • Male / Female
  • Age Range
    
    
• Do you need a room to rent, or have a vacancy to fill?
• Location (City, State)

How to get started

Using the information you provide, Roommates.com instantly displays a listing of potential "matches". You may review the list at your leisure, view additional information for any of the candidates and contact those that meet your criteria, using "RoomMail". "RoomMail" is a service of Roommates.com which protects your privacy by allowing you to send and receive messages without revealing your e-mail address. It essentially allows you to protect your personal information until you feel comfortable with your contact(s). It's that simple.

Still not convinced?

If the concept of a roommate is new to you or you're a little apprehensive about sharing your living space with a stranger then you may want to ease your concerns by exploring the Roommates.com website. The search engine gives you a really good feel for what's available in your area in terms of price range & availability dates. It also provides general background information pertaining to potential roommates. You'll find everything from college students to people just like yourself, who offer or seek an affordable housing alternative. The search engine is easy to use and there's an ample range of options to choose from. So what are you waiting for? We consider Roommates.com to be a highly effective resource for those who can either benefit from some extra income or who just want to save money on housing. We encourage you to visit them today to learn more and as always, if you have found this site helpful we ask you to tell your friends and family.

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