Freqently Asked Questions
Why do you ask for personal information when I register?
We ask for your gender, date of birth (only age is displayed), city/town location, email address (not visible on the site) and a preferred user name and password so that other users can get an idea of who you are and whether they would be interested in sharing with you. We also ask you to upload a picture of yourself and, if you are listing a room, to upload a picture of the room in your flat or house that you are offering for rent.
How will my information be used?
We securely hold your initial registration details (as noted above) as well as any preferences for house sharing you choose to add to you profile (up to 10 can be added to assist people in finding a good match). This information is kept private at all times and the site is designed to keep your identity protected and managed by you alone.
What do I do if I have forgotten my password?
You can request a password reset via the sign-in page.
What do I do if I have forgotten my username?
Your username for sign-in is your email address. The name that appears on your profile is someting you choose when you register but should definitely not be your email address.
Can people contact me?
Your email address is completely private and never displayed. If you do want to make contact with another person about a room for rent or to discuss starting a new shared house share, then you can do this by using the online messaging service provided. Other people can contact you using the same message service as well.
Please remember, only your username, age and town, plus a profile picture if you provide one, are displayed to the other person, so things are private until you choose to disclose more personal information. We recommend you do not disclose your full location or address until you are ready.
Users can look at profiles (location, age and other sharing preferences you choose to include) and keep a ‘shortlist’ of profiles they are interested in. When ready, users can ‘send a message’ which you/they can respond to if they choose – we do ask for a response, as a courtesy within the community. You can just look around if you choose, but we hope you will contact other users about a room for rent or to discuss house sharing or the options in your local area.
As a part of the terms you agreed to when you registered we also send a fortnightly email with examples of the best rooms to let (picture and profile included), but you can go to My Account and opt out when you choose.
Why do you ask for my age?
Age is an important consideration when looking for a like-minded house-mate, but isn’t the only factor to consider. The site allows users to search for profiles of people within an age range (e.g. 55-65), so registered users need to include their age for their profile to be found in those searches. Other users cannot see your full date of birth, just as you cannot see their’s.
Can I delete my details if I don’t want to be registered anymore?
Yes, you can delete your profile at any time. Simply go to ‘My account’ in the top right hand corner, select ‘Account settings’ and click ‘Delete profile permanently’.
If I want to find a house-mate together with a friend what should I do?
You can sign up as a ‘couple’ or ‘group’ and can set up a profile with all of you in the picture and with a group name. Then use the username and password as a single user would.
Once I have found someone I’d like to share with, will Cohabitas help us to find a place to live?
Normally you are free to organise things yourself. You can contact registered users offering a room in their existing flat or house. Additionally you can contact peple in your local area to ask if they are interested in starting a new co-living house share or flat share. You can then use other established services such as Zoopla.com or rightmove.com to help find other properties in your area suitable for sharing.
Do I have to rent a house or flat through Cohabitas?
Not at all. You are free to look for a house or flat on any other property site or through your local estate agent. Our main objective and service is to match you with other suitable house-mates – which we know is the most important part of happy and successful sharing.
Can couples or groups use the service?
Absolutely. If you are married, are a couple, or are a group looking to share with other people, sign-up as a ‘couple’ or ‘group’ and mention what you are looking for in the ‘About me’ description on your profile and in the messages you send to other users. You might meet another couple, group or single people who want to join you in a co-living house share and many landlords and flat-mates are happy to have couples.
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