There’s always a lot of advice available for those thinking about moving in with their partners. But, for some reason, picking a housemate doesn’t seem to warrant the same degree of thought. 

Which is unfortunate, because living with someone you don’t get along with can have a huge impact on your life.

So, here are a few things you should do when you’re on the hunt for a housemate.

1. Look at your friendship group

The first place you should look is in your friendship group.

These are the people who you choose to spend your time with, so it’s logical that one of them could be the perfect housemate for you.

A good tip is to choose someone with whom you’ve enjoyed travelling in the past. That way, you’ll already know how grumpy your potential housemate can be in the morning before you move in with them.

Friends can often make great housemates. Picture: Getty

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 2. Or disregard your friendship group

Your friends might be amazing people, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to live together harmoniously.

You should never apologise for not wanting to live with a friend. Simply let them know that you value their friendship too much to put that kind of pressure on it.

Looking for a housemate? Find your perfect match here

3. Check out other people’s housemates

Renters tend to move around a bit, and in most social circles, there’s normally at least one person looking for a housemate.

Listen to what your friends say about their housemates. If they love coming home to their home-cooked meals and beautiful vegetable garden, store that away for future reference.

Same goes if they have an annoying dog and never pay the rent on time. The people who currently live with your potential housemates have all the information you need, so listen closely.

4. Be honest in your advertisement

There’s no point in advertising a room for a quiet housemate who keeps to themselves when you’d actually prefer a housemate who chats to you while you cook dinner.

If you want a fun and bubbly housemate, say so.

Be honest about what you’re looking for in a housemate.

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5. Check references

Always check a potential housemate’s references, or, if you know someone they used to live with, ask this mutual friend for some honest feedback.

6. Avoid moving in with complete strangers

You’re not always going to find the perfect housemate in your extended friendship group, but, if you have to advertise and find a random person, make sure they have references and be sure to Google them.

This is not paranoid behaviour; it’s just making sure they are who they say they are.

7. Take your time

It’s a sad fact of renting that renters are often up against the clock when finding housemates – eager to find replacements before the next round of rent is due.

But you should try your hardest to allow enough time to find a decent housemate. You don’t want to be moving in with someone just because you really don’t want to have to cover the rent solo next month.

It’s no exaggeration to say that finding the wrong housemate is worse than one or two months of limited cash flow.

8. Be on the look out for red flags

If you get a bad feeling about someone, don’t ignore it.

Thinking that we’re being a bit silly, sometimes we try to ignore our intuition. But if you get negative feelings about someone when you’ve only just met them, it’s unlikely that feeling will go away.

It’s better to trust your instincts than move in with someone you’re unsure about.

9. Have the awkward money talk

You need to know where your future housemate stands on finances.

You should be wary of anyone who is in between jobs or can’t give you a decent answer as to where their money comes from.

When the rent is due, you’ll thank yourself that you picked a housemate with a steady job, rather than an unreliable, fun-loving creative who lumps you with their share of the rent.

10. Be honest about yourself

If you’re a smoker or you play drums and have band practice in the garage five days a week, you need to make that known to your potential housemates.

There’s no point in trying to hide anything about yourself, because they’ll find out eventually, and you’ll be back to square one.

11. Take the pressure down

Don’t let anyone talk you into moving in with them. Your home should be a space where you feel safe and relaxed.

This is particularly important in share houses where you may get along well with one housemate but not another. You won’t always love everyone you live with, but you at least need to be able to tolerate them.

This article was originally published on
22 Aug 2019 at 9:00am
but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.

Sharing a house is a lot of fun, but there will likely come a day when you’ll want to go it alone. That doesn’t mean, however, that you’ll necessarily need to earn a whole lot more cash. 

Here are a few ways to make solo living work, while saving enough cash to still do the things that you love.

1. Be a professional house sitter

If you’re keen on living alone but don’t want to fork out for an expensive apartment all to yourself, then consider house sitting.

There are plenty of reputable house sitting websites you can apply for, and once you’ve signed up, you can house-hop and not have to pay rent for months at a time.

You may have to take care of pets and do some minor maintenance, but, all things considered, it’s an excellent way to save money and experience living in a variety of different settings.

House sitting can be a great way to save money and retain your independence.

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2. Rent a studio

Studio apartments generally have a kitchen, lounge room and bedroom in a single room.

Whilst some couples may be able to live in studio apartments, they are generally designed for a single occupant.

The great thing about studios is that the rent is much cheaper than other single-bedroom apartments, and they are generally located in central areas, which means you get to live in a trendy location, without paying the hefty rent that usually goes with it.

3. Commit to a longer lease

If you find the perfect little flat and you can see yourself living there for a while, it might be worth negotiating a 24-month lease with the landlord, in return for a slight reduction in rent.

Finding suitable tenants can be an arduous process for landlords. It takes time and costs them money, as vacancies mean lost rent. So committing to a two-year lease could encourage them to knock $10 off your weekly expenditure.

A longer-term lease might offer a better deal.

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4. Wait it out

There are times of year when rents tend to increase and flats become harder to find.

The beginning of the year, for example, is often a difficult time, as it’s when students start university and relocate to different cities. This means the rental market is usually in a frenzy from January to March.

If you have a bit of leeway, pick quieter times of the year to look for a flat; you’ll have more choice, and, if you’re the only person applying to live in a vacant apartment, you’ll have a lot more bargaining power than those competing with a dozen other people.

Keep your 1Form application up-to-date all the time, as this will allow you to pounce on a great rental as soon as you see it, making it much easier to exploit off-peak rental periods.

5. Live in the suburbs

Generally speaking, the further away from the centre of the city you get, the cheaper the rents will be. Think about your lifestyle, travel habits and social life. And then choose a cost-effective suburb that allows you to maintain as much as your current way of life as possible.

Don’t rule out any suburbs until you’ve thoroughly researched them, either. The housing market is constantly changing and suburbs are being transformed with new builds. It might pay to revisit suburbs you ruled out a few years ago to see if they now fit your requirements.

A rental further out from the city may be cheaper and offer a more relaxed lifestyle.

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6. Take advantage of any extras

When comparing different apartments, make sure to factor building amenities into your calculations, too.

You could save money on a gym membership by using the gym in your apartment complex, or on venue hire for your next party, if your apartment building comes with a cool rooftop terrace.

An apartment with a car park presents another great saving, too, eliminating the need for costly permits or street parking. Likewise, close proximity to a cheap supermarket could save you heaps on your weekly grocery bill.

7. Compromise

Remember: Signing a tenancy agreement doesn’t lock you into an apartment forever, and building some savings in your 20s is always advisable. After all, you can always live in a swish pad once you’ve made it.

So, consider looking at older flats, rather than state-of-the-art, inner-city condos. They’re a lot cheaper, and some are quite charming, too.

This article was originally published on
16 Sep 2019 at 9:00am
but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just get along?

Sadly, when you’re living under the same roof as someone else it’s not always that easy, and share houses are the source of endless tales of nightmare housemates who leave a trail of filth wherever they go, or worse, refuse to pay their rent.

Sometimes if tensions escalate or conflicts can’t be resolved, you’ll want to get a housemate out of your house as quickly as possible.

So how do you evict someone who’s living with you?

Not surprisingly, it’s not always an easy process, as co-tenants and sub-tenants effectively have the same rights to continue living in the house as you do.

But there are some options that can help resolve the situation.

When things are going well, sharing a house is great, but when things turn ugly, it can get complicated. Picture: Getty

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Talk it through

The easiest course of action, of course, is to have a frank but civil discussion between all housemates. You may even be able to resolve the issues amicably and agree to continue living together, which will negate a lot of extra hassle and paperwork. If not, in an ideal world the housemate in question will accept the situation is untenable and agree to move out.

Problem solved. You’ll now need to notify the landlord and put in a request to vary the lease to remove your housemate’s name from it, as well as adding any new tenants who fill the soon-to-be-vacant room.

It’s worth remembering that if it’s purely personal differences that have you at each other’s throats, your co-tenant is under no obligation to go anywhere and is entitled to see out the agreed rental term. If they can tolerate living in a tension-filled home, there’s really not a lot you can do.

Seek mediation

If you’re unable to resolve the situation yourselves, getting assistance through a mediator is also an option.

Sydney’s Redfern Legal Centre suggests seeking help at a community justice centre in order to facilitate a discussion between both parties, which may include your housemate agreeing to move out.

Issue a notice to vacate

If you’re the head tenant and your housemate is a sub-tenant, effectively you’re their landlord, so if they’ve breached their tenancy agreement in any way, you should be able to issue a notice to vacate – attainable from your state’s consumer body – citing those reasons.

Depending on the cause of the breach (and the state you reside in), the sub-tenant will have a certain amount of time to vacate. For example, in Victoria it ranges from an immediate eviction to 120 days.

If your housemate doesn’t comply with the notice, you can apply to have the matter heard in court.

Get a termination order

In most states, you can legally apply to your state’s civil and administrative tribunal (i.e. NCAT or VCAT) for an order terminating your housemate’s tenancy.

The tribunal can make orders including forcing tenants to comply with their rental agreement, as well as terminating their tenancy, but you’ll have to prove or convince the tribunal member that the circumstances warrant it.

Even then, it’s unlikely to deliver you a quick fix.

In New South Wales if your housemate is a sub-tenant on an open-ended agreement, they’ll likely still have 90 days to vacate the property even after you secure an order to evict them.

Talk it through as housemates as a first step to resolving any issue. Picture: Kate Griffin

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Take it to court

If a termination order doesn’t work and all other avenues have been exhausted, you can apply to have the matter heard by your state’s tribunal.

It will cost you a small fee and you’ll be required to attend a hearing, where a tribunal member will make an enforceable decision on the tenancy.

Should your housemate still refuse to comply, the tribunal can order the sheriff to forcefully evict them.

This article was originally published on
17 Sep 2019 at 9:00am
but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.