How to Find Queer Roommates

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posted on 2 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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As a queer individual, it can feel comforting, validating, and just plain nice to live with a fellow member of the LGBTQ+ community. Thankfully, there are tons of LGBT-friendly roommates and apartment listings on the market at any given time—the secret is knowing where to look. We’ve compiled plenty of websites and other resources to help you get started, so you can live your truth in a supportive environment.

Steps

Facebook Groups

Countless Facebook groups help connect queer roommates. Log onto Facebook and select the “Groups” option from the lefthand menu. Then, type in a search term like “LGBT Roommates” or “Queer Roommates” along with the name of a nearby city (or the city you’d like to live in). Join the group by clicking or tapping the “Join group”. Here are some popular FB groups you can scope out: Queer Housing New York City LGBTQ+ Roommate/Housing Exchange (Chicago) Queer Housing In Los Angeles County Las Vegas LGBTQ Roommates Seattle Trans and Queer Housing Network You’ll have to request to join a private Facebook group. Once the group’s admin team accepts you, you’ll be able to see everyone’s posts and comments.

Craigslist

Search “LGBT” in Craiglist’s “Housing” section for local results. All regional Craigslist sites have a section dedicated to housing—with the right search terms, you can narrow this down to only include LGBT-friendly roommates and listings. On the housing page, type in terms like “queer,” “gay,” “trans,” and “LGBT.” LGBT-Friendly Craiglist Listings (NYC) LGBT-Friendly Craiglist Listings (Chicago) LGBT-Friendly Craigslist Listings (Miami) LGBT-Friendly Craigslist Listings (San Francisco Bay Area)

Roommates.com

Roommates.com has a custom search engine for finding LGBT roommates. Head to https://www.roommates.com/types/lgbtq-friendly-roommates-looking-to-live-with-someone and type in your city name. Make sure that the “I need a room” option is selected from the drop-down menu, and then click or tap “Let’s Go” to see the results in your area. Roommates.com verifies all of its users, so you can be confident that you’re scrolling through real, legitimate listings. If you have a room available for rent and are looking for a queer renter, select “I have a room” from the drop-down menu instead.

Sublet.com

Sublet’s custom search page makes it easy to find queer-friendly housing. Visit https://www.sublet.com/apartments-for-rent/gay_roommate and type your location into the search bar. Once the apartment listings pop up, use the website’s built-in features to narrow down your results by location or price.

Roomies.com

Roomies.com has a page dedicated to LGBT-friendly roommates listings. Pull up https://www.roomies.com/profiles/lgbt-friendly on your phone or computer and scroll through the different profiles. Unlike other rental and housing sites, Roomies.com doesn’t let you sort or filter your results by location, so it may take a few minutes before you find a roommate that’s close by. If you’re looking to rent a room from an LGBT-friendly landlord, visit: https://www.roomies.com/rooms/lgbt-friendly.

SpareRoom.com

SpareRoom lets you customize your search for LGBT individuals. SpareRoom doesn’t have a specific webpage dedicated to finding queer and LGBT-friendly roommates, but they do let you filter your search results by clicking on “LGBT Household.” Simply go to https://www.spareroom.com/, type in the area where you’re hoping to live, click on the “LGBT Household” checkbox, and see what comes up.

PrideRoommates.com

Prideroommates.com is the self-proclaimed “gay roommate finder.” Make a free profile on https://www.prideroommates.com/signup.php?status=F by entering your country, state/region, and city. Once you’ve made a profile, you can search through the site’s listings and contact any potential roommates you’d like to live with. Pride Roommates operates in the US and UK, as well as in Italy, France, Spain, and Germany. The site caters to queer individuals looking for LGBTQ+ roommates, as well as queer people who have a room to rent out.

RainbowRoommates.com

Rainbow Roommates helps you find or list a room as a queer individual. Officially licensed by the New York State Department, Rainbow Roommates helps connect queer roommates from all over NYC. Go to https://www.rainbowroommates.nyc/renter.php to fill out an application. Rainbow Roommates does charges a subscription fee based on how long you’d like to receive listings from them. A 15-day account costs $30, a 30-day account costs $50, and a 90-day account costs $93. Rainbow Roommates claims that most people are matched with a roommate within 2 weeks.

LGBTQ+ Center

Advertise on their bulletin board that you’re looking for a roommate. Chat with one of the staff members at the center and see what their advertising options are. Depending on the place, you might be able to hang up an ad or flier letting others know that you’re on the market for a roommate. Visit https://www.lgbtcenters.org/LGBTCenters to find your closest LGBTQ+ center. You could also ask the staff at the center for advice on finding a queer roommate. They might be able to point you towards some helpful resources.

Word of Mouth

A friend might be able to help you find a queer roommate. Check in with your queer and LGBT-friendly friends to let them know that you’re looking for a queer roommate. They can spread the word within their own friend circles. With any luck, you might be able to match up with a queer roommate this way!