We all know that no matter where you land up staying, the three most important attributes for a property are location, location, location. But how has today’s technology changed the way we look for rooms for rent?
Simply put, it’s changing the way we live and work. Sure, location is still important, but in this age of improved mobility, the relationship between virtual and physical spaces has changed drastically and as technology continues to evolve, its impact on roommate finder websites will get even stronger.
Finding Rooms For Rent From Across The Globe
Technology has changed the way people find accommodation and paved the way for some of the best roommate finder websites. These days, most people under the age of 30 are renting via online portals, such as CityRoommates. This has led to a major shift in decision-making processes. For instance, more people have switched from purchasing summer homes to exchanging accommodation with complete strangers in other countries. And more people looking for rooms for rent have the opportunity to do their research and talk to landlords and potential roommates before even meeting them or viewing the room. Simply, online portals offer broader and more flexible options that may even be tailored to suit your desired lifestyle.
Technology has also changed the way people find rooms for rent. Now you can check out areas you may never have considered living in or thought were out of your price bracket. On a larger scale, you could rent a home in Hawaii and go surfing for a week, or find a roommate in Barcelona and go and practice Spanish for a month. Essentially, technology has made finding legitimate and cheap rooms for rent in NYC a breeze.
Safety Tips For Using Roommate Finder Websites
One thing the Internet has done, too, is open up space for plenty of rental scams. You can avoid this by using a reputable roommate finder website and being mindful of the following search safety tips.
- There Is Such A Thing As “Too Good To Be True”
If you’re looking for rooms for rent and the monthly rental just seems unusually low, be wary. Investigate similar rooms in the area to determine approximately how much rent you should be paying and then trust your instincts. Also, never send a deposit without having seen the room.
- Who Are You Dealing With Online?
You should set up an appointment to meet your prospective roommate or landlord in person before deciding to take the room. If you feel like any communication is suspicious, try looking the person up online to see if you can find out more. YourNewRoommate.com lets you talk with prospective roommates and landlords before even setting up a meeting, so you can get an idea as to whether or not they will be a good match for you.
- Avoid Strange Forms of Payment
When sending money to a landlord, never use a wire transfer service such as MoneyGram or Western Union, or even an online escrow service to make down payments or security deposits for rooms for rent.
- Never Agree to Rooms For Rent “Sight Unseen”
While there are times when renting a space “sight unseen” is unavoidable, before you send or pay any money for a room, make sure that the apartment’s size, features, condition and amenities match what has been described online by visiting the place yourself, or at the very least, getting a friend or family member to take a look for you.
- Most Roommate Finder Websites Won’t Handle Money Transfers Or Lease Transactions
Avoid doing business with someone who promises that the site you’re using to find rooms for rent will handle any part of the lease transaction, including escrow services, payment protection or any sort of “satisfaction guarantees.”
- Landlord In A Distant Location
The property manager or landlord claims to reside far away from the apartment, perhaps even outside of the United States.
Apartment Fraud – Red Flags
Unless you do your research and proceed with caution, there’s always the chance that there’s some sort of fraud going on when you use an un-reputable roommate finder website. Watch out for the above red flags when you’re looking for rooms to rent in NYC.
Internet Will Continue To Change How We Look For Rooms For Rent in NYC
We all know just how dynamic the online world is. While there may be fraudsters and scammers out there, don’t become easy prey to their tactics. Register with cityroommates.co today and start searching for rooms in NYC from trustworthy landlords and potential roommates. We’ve made searching and connecting to potential matches easy!