Roommates Wanted: How to Write an Attractive Ad

When writing a roommates wanted ad (sometimes spelled “roomates wanted”), you want to make the proposal as enticing as possible, while still being truthful, but you also want to attract only responsible people with whom you’ll get along. You have to accomplish all of this while being concise as well. Here are a few tips to writing an attractive ad:

Be Upfront

There’s no point in interviewing a dozen people who respond to a vague roommates wanted ad when a clear and upfront ad will attract only the people who understand the situation and are willing to commit to their responsibilities. Here are a few key points you’ll want to include in your ad, taking care to explain them in as clear terms as possible:

• Location: While you don’t have to put your apartment number in the ad, you should state the apartment complex or the nearest intersection to your apartment so potential roommates will know exactly where they would be moving. If people are counting on public transportation, for example, they’ll need to be able to look up where they’ll be living and how far they’d have to walk to the nearest bus stop or train station.
• Number of Rooms and Roommates: State the number of rooms in your apartment as well as the number of people who will be sharing the place so potential roommates will know if they’ll be able to have their own privacy. Abbreviations are commonplace for bedrooms. For example, “2 BR Apartment” means “2 Bedroom Apartment.”
• State Portion of Monthly Expenditures: Add up your monthly expenses related to the apartment and divide by the number of people you want living there. You shouldn’t go into great detail in your ad about how you calculated this cost, but do let any potential roommates know upfront in the ad how much they should expect to pay for their portion of rent and utilities.
• Gender/Age: If you want to live with someone in the same age range or you have a preference for which gender the roommate(s) should be, clearly state so in the ad. If you don’t care, you can state that both genders and all ages are welcome.

While there are a number of points you’ll have to make clear with potential roommates during the interview stage, you can’t list them all in your roommates wanted ad. However, being upfront with these few key points will focus your pool of potential roommates considerably.

Play Up Your Offer’s Strengths

Act like a salesperson and bring the best of your apartment to the forefront. When you interview a potential roommate, you should disclose all the problems with the apartment, but in your roommates wanted ad, let the best amenities shine. Any of the following points that apply are some examples that you may want to include in an attractive ad:

• Roommate(s) get the larger bedroom
• Apartment complex pool, clubhouse, concierge, etc.
• Bus stop in front of apartment
• Pets welcome (be specific as to what species and size and how many)
• Laundry in apartment or in complex
• Multiple bathrooms
• Attractive views

Once you’ve written your roommates wanted ad, have a friend or family member look it over for typographical errors. Most people can’t catch all of their own mistakes and you want your ad to look as professional as possible.