Living with a roommate can be a great way to split expenses and is often a necessity for young people who are just venturing out on their own.

Renting a room temporarily when you’re in a new city can also be a good idea. That way, you can scope out the city before you commit to a more permanent rental.

Assuming you get along with your roommate, it can be an ideal living situation.

But seeing as many people find their roommates online—especially if you’re moving from one city to another—roommate scams are an unfortunate reality. Here are some tips on how to find a roommate and how to avoid scams.

Ask your friends

Word of mouth referrals can be a great way to find a room for rent. Let others know that you’re searching for a room to rent, and see what comes up. Plus, this is a way to find rooms that aren’t even listed yet, so there won’t be as much competition.

Reach out to your social media network

Let’s say you’re moving to Phoenix and don’t know anyone. Reach out to your social media network and see if anyone you know knows anyone who lives here. They may be able to help you or connect you with someone who can. This will work better if the replies and suggestions are from people you actually know in real life.

Use valid online sources

Like so many things these days, the internet can help you find a good roommate. Some useful sites include Roomster.com and Zillow.com. You’ll just want to make sure you properly vet each listing to ensure you don’t get scammed. We’ll go over vetting tips below to help you avoid being swindled. 

How to avoid roommate scams

Unfortunately, roommate scams are not uncommon. Scammers typically look to steal money from potential roommates. You’re especially vulnerable if you don’t live in the city you’re moving to or aren’t geographically close enough to actually meet the folks in person and see the space.

Be cautious if they won’t meet in person, speak over the phone or do a video call

It’s pretty easy to fake being a real person onlinem but it’s much harder to do that in real life. If the person refuses to meet in person, speak over the phone, or won’t do a video call, it’s best to steer clear of them. Likewise, if you check their Facebook profile and they only have a few friends, it might be a fake profile. If you don’t live in the city you’re moving to, ask someone you can trust to vet the property on your behalf.

Scammers typically either invent a place entirely or take a legitimate listing and replace the contact information with fraudulent information. If you can’t find the address online, it could be a scam. Consider driving by the property to ensure it’s real.

Interview your potential roommate

They should be willing to do a phone interview. Be sure to ask enough questions to ensure that you’re compatible living together. Be sure to include questions about like how often they’ll clean, their work hours, and policies on overnight guests.

Request references and even a background check

Before you agree to live in someone’s home, it’s best to check their references. You’ll obviously want to call their employer to verify that they have a source of income. It’s useful to speak to former roommates, too. Consider conducting a background check.

Be wary of someone who sends you money before it’s due or asks for it too soon

I interviewed someone in college who fell for this common scam: She was renting out a room, found someone online, and the person sent over more money than the room actually cost. The person then asked for the money back, and the entire transfer was fraudulent. This situation goes both ways. If someone asks you for more money than the room was listed for or claims that they can’t pay rent and need money urgently, you’ll want to avoid the listing.

Be wary of extremely low rates

We all know the saying that if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. That applies to rental properties too. If the going rate for a room is far lower than the other listings, it might be a scam.

Avoid people who ask for your Social Security number or other sensitive information

If the listing is valid, they shouldn’t ask for your Social Security number or bank account information up front.

Pay attention to the renter’s behavior

If the room renter doesn’t run a background check on you and gives you a sudden deadline to fork over a deposit, those could be signs of fraud.

Avoid sketchy payment methods

If the lister wants you to pay them in crypto, cash, gift cards, or a wire transfer, it’s best to avoid the listing. Payment methods like ACH, checks, debit, or credit cards are valid.

Follow your intuition

If something about the person or the listing feels off, trust yourself. It’s not worth losing a deposit and the rent. If the person is actually trustworthy, they’ll \ back off and respect the fact that you don’t feel like you can trust them.

Report scams

If you believe that you’ve run across a rental scam, consider reporting it to the FTC or the Arizona’s attorney general’s office. The attorney general also has this list of tips to avoid rental scams. This can help protect others in the future.

Good luck with your search! By taking a few precautions, you can hopefully find a compatible roommate that you’ll get along with and save some money along the way.

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