Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Originally Posted On: https://www.davisapartmentsforrent.com/7-tips-for-writing-a-sensational-roommate-wanted-ad/

Attracting the right roommate is easier with a well-drafted Roommate Wanted Ad.

Nothing is worse than posting a Roommate Wanted Ad and getting…zero responses. It can be especially troubling if you have a large apartment and will, quite possibly, get stuck paying the full rent. Or even having to move to a smaller apartment would be a royal pain.

The best thing to do would be to create a SENSATIONAL Roommate Wanted Ad. The ad should be full of information that captures attention of prospective roommates and explains why they want to live there.

No experience writing a roommate wanted ad? Don’t worry. All you need is a little help to get started.

Below are some suggestions on putting together an awesome ad! And don’t complain when you have a boat load of potential roommates from which to choose.

1. Catchy tagline – The key is to grab attention and curiosity from the potential roommate to want to read more. And there is no better way to “hook them in” than with a catchy tagline. Keep the tagline short and sweet. Create a list including all the great things about where you live. From that list, choose the best characteristic (that’s right, just one) you think will attract a potential roommate who would want to live with you (and your roommates too!). Then, write your tagline using a colorful adjective to describe that great characteristic found where you live.
2. Basic information – Don’t forget the important stuff – the basics! Include what kind of apartment or home it is, shared or private room, number of rooms, how many roommates, and the amount of rent, utilities, and fees per month.
3. A description of the apartment and complex including amenities – Really sell it! Just like your landlord did when they showed you the apartment or home. You can do some research by going on to the property’s website to see how your landlord advertised the property. See what is there and include the information in your advertisement.
4. Mention the location of the property and nearby conveniences, if any – How far is campus? Are there grocery stores nearby? Restaurants? Parks? Quiet street? Bike paths? Bus routes? This is another opportunity to sell the location to your potential roommate and showcase convenient destinations near where you live.
5. Give a brief synopsis of you and your roommates – People who read your ad want to know more about you. It’s a great idea to use a narrative that sounds most like you and your roommates. Your Roommate Wanted Ad does not have to be formal and stiff; it can be casual and authentic – like you! Perhaps mention hobbies and interests you and your roommates have.
6. Describe the roommate you are looking for – Be honest about what you want in a roommate. You certainly don’t want to attract the wrong people to respond to your ad. You want your new roommate to be a good fit. Just be sure to set reasonable expectations or else you’ll have a harder time attempting to find someone.
7. Provide contact information – After all, there must be a way to get a hold of you for inquiries! You will want to be careful of what contact information you release to people who will be seeing your ad. Do you want people to call, e-mail, text, or DM you? You may even consider creating a new email account just for this purpose in order to maintain the privacy of your personal contact information. Everyone is different when it comes to privacy. There isn’t necessarily a correct answer. Just be sure to take it in consideration when deciding on how you want people contacting you.

We hope you find these steps useful when writing a Roommate Wanted Ad!

Here is a sample ad…to help you get started. Use the information as a guideline. Provide as much detail as you need to let people know what a great apartment you have and why it is the best apartment location in town.

Use the steps listed above along with the sample information below to create your own SENSATIONAL roommate wanted ad.

Sample Roommate Wanted Ad

$900 / PRIVATE ROOM – LUXURY APARTMENT 1 MILE FROM UC DAVIS CAMPUS!

The Apartment:

The Master bedroom is available w/ private bathroom in this large, 1,108 sq. ft. apartment in North Davis, CA. We have walk-in closets, a small private patio, central AC, dishwasher, cable/Internet, etc. Good street parking where visitors can also park. The apartment complex also has a gym, pool, spa, BBQ area, study lounge and Business Center with computers and printing. As well as package receiving. The complex is cat friendly. Utilities -PG&E and Comcast Cable are approximately $100 per month, which we’d split 3 ways. Water, sewage, Wi-Fi internet and parking are all included in rent!

The Location:

The apartment is located at 1212 Alvarado Ave and right across the street from the Marketplace Shopping Center  with Starbucks, Pete’s coffee, bagels, pizza, Chinese food, CVS, Safeway and more. Basically, we have all the amenities of living in a city without having to worry about parking on campus or a big commute. The UC Davis campus is 5 minutes by bike!

The Roommates:

Early 20s females. 1 Vegetarian, 1 not, but okay with having meat in the house. We are into yoga, running on the greenbelts, relaxing, and quiet study time after 8pm on weekdays.

You:

Looking for respectful, social, kind female roommate who is responsible about rent and bills (we split everything 1/3 each for common supplies, toilet paper, etc.) Perfect for a UCD undergrad, young professional or grad student who does not party late or let people sleep over without roommate’s permission.

When:

Apartment will be available September 1st for a 12-month lease. We would ideally like to have new roommate add on to the lease and sign by June 30th.

Summary:

If you need an amazing apartment w/ all the amenities at an affordable price because you’re a UC Davis student and want awesome access to everything you need either onsite or across the street, this is the perfect place for you! Looking forward to hearing from you. Contact us via e-mail (your email address).