Tips to Help You Find a Room

It’s both a little bit scary and also disappointing when you start looking for a room and don’t seem to seem to be getting much response.

Here are some tips to help you find a room:

Add a housemate listing.

• Advertise yourself as someone looking in a specific town or region by adding a housemate listing, to tell people you are looking for a room in a house share, and/or are looking for a buddy-up.

• This advertises you in that location and most importantly tells others what sort of house share and housemates you are looking for. It is where people with a room look to see what sort of person is looking, and they may contact you. Without a housemate listing you cannot be seen and, if you do message the landlord/home owner, you are less likely to get a response. Although you can just call if a number included in the room ad, but it will be a ‘cold’ call.

• Upload a photo to your listing. Even if you’re shy, we recommend you do this. Don’t forget, everyone on Cohabitas is over 40 and it’s not a fashion show; it’s about finding somewhere to live with people you like. It also shows openness, which others like and increases the number of responses.

• If you can’t see many rooms offered in your preferred location, then select the ‘Considering Buddy-ups’ option, to indicate to other housemates also looking there, that you would consider joining with someone to rent a flat or house together.

Send personalised private messages.

• When using the private messaging system (the recipient cannot see your email address), then be sure to make the message personal. We emphasise finding the right person, so having read the room for rent ad, explain how you would be a good housemate.

• Say a little about your job and your typical timetable, to reassure the landlord you can afford the rental, but also that your movements generally fit with their needs. Some people want company, some people much less and are not worried if you come and go with little contact.

• We do not recommend you respond to messages from users without a listing. Often these can be from people who try to get you into a private conversation outside of the Cohabitas private message system, and then they offer you fictitious rooms. Please take care.

Respond to messages promptly.

• You will receive an email alert from Cohabitas when someone either has viewed you profile/user page or when they have sent you a private message. Click to go to the message on the site and from there you can see their listing. With more mature house shares speed is less important than a personal fit but try to respond promptly.

• If you are not interested, having viewed their listing, then please give them a polite response to say it doesn’t look suitable.

Expect to take longer to find a good match.

• When we are older and have experience of life, and quite possibly house sharing, we like to take our time. So if you are looking, then think about the other person as well, because they too will want to find the right person.

• Don’t got disillusioned. It can take a while to find the right person, and sometimes take time for a positive response. Don’t take rejections personally, as it’s all about finding the right fit for both parties. Be yourself in your listing and in messages, because when it comes to a viewing it has to match their first impressions.

There is additional information in the User Support section.