Survival tips for roommates: make a match, find a place, keep the peace

By Lucy Cohen Blatter | July 28, 2014 - 12:59PM

It's Roommates Week on BrickUnderground, and we're rolling out lots of fresh advice all week long. But it's not like we've ignored the subject until now. Here's a sampling of our best roommate coverage from the archives:

Meet the perfect housemate:

How to pick a roommate From a veteran renter—who's kept the extra two rooms in her Gowanus three-bedroom full for 11 years—come the top techniques for finding a roommie, from the best time to look for one to her shared accommodation dealbreakers.
Should you live with a stranger or a friend? The age-old conundrum, solved.
The top roommate-search websites From SpareRoom to Rainbow Roommates, here are nine portals to connect you with your next apartment buddy.
Avoid the freaks on Craigslist The online listings juggernaut may have gotten a bad rap over the years, but it's still a decent way to find a roommate—provided you follow these steps.
Secrets behind the perfect share Respect counts, but opposite schedules are even better.
Five roommates to avoid The couple, the pet owner, the telecommuter and more.

Rent an apartment together:

Renting a NYC apartment with roommates Our go-to guide for locking down a place when multiple agendas are involved.
Why you should bring your roommate with you to find your apartment You're asking for trouble if only one person goes to the showings.

Live in harmony:

Split the expenses with these apps. Your smartphone is one of the best tools for shared living. Here are six apps that will make divvying up the bills, the rent and the toilet paper purchases that much easier.
Three simple rules for splitting the rent fairly. Down the middle is not always the way to go, but when should you take a different approach? Read on.
On apartment shares, leases and dominance. One person's story of living with roommates, from putting names on the lease to navigating the decor.
Signing a roommate prenup. It's not just for lovebirds: an agreement in writing is a good idea for anyone sharing a roof.
If your roommate has sex too loudly. The path of least resistance involves ear plugs and a white noise machine ... but honesty might be best.
How to win the toilet paper wars. Communication, communication, communication. (And not by email.)

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