FAQ - Referring homemates and roommates successfully since 1979

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long have you been in business?
In May of 2005, we celebrated our 26th anniversary. Home-Mate Specialists has helped over 25,000 people find compatible home-mates since 1979.

How many prospects will I receive from Home-Mate Specialists?
Most of our clients interview between six to ten prospects before making a decision, but of course, there is no limit. Some of our clients have interviewed over twenty candidates before picking a roommate.

How long will it take to find a roommate?
The average placement for landlords is two to five weeks. The average placement for tenants is two days to two weeks. Home-Mate Specialists will cover you for three months, so you will have much more time than necessary to locate a compatible roommate. Extensions are available but rarely necessary.

How do I make sure I don't get "burned" by a roommate?
There is always a risk when obtaining a roommate. However by utilizing our professional roommate referral service you are minimizing that risk. We draw a respectable clientele, people of good character. For this reason, many professionals and educated people choose Home-Mate Specialists. Both landlords and tenants have something to lose, so that is why we "check-out" all clients equally so as to weed out the "riff-raff". Also, asking for a security deposit is a good way to lower the chances of taking in a problem-case. Our tenants are informed that they will be paying a deposit.

What kind of housing costs can I expect?
Depending on the accommodations: location, square footage, number of bathrooms, roommates, or private rooms, size of the room, amenities, and storage availability, etc., our places price from $200-$700 per month. Plus, we have some rent-free places available. Home-Mate Specialists takes the time to guide our landlords into determining the "fair-market-value" for their places so both sides get a good deal.

Why shouldn't I just advertise in newspaper classifieds?
If an unscrupulous individual with illegal or immoral intentions decided to seek out a roommate, he or she would stick to newspaper ads. They wouldn't come to a professional roommate referral service that meets them in person, checks them out, and keeps a permanent record of them on file. We keep the "undesirables" away!

Many landlords have paid triple the cost of our fee in classified advertising, while having to deal with crank and unqualified callers. Home-Mate enables you to be substantially more detailed with your personal preferences than with an ad. Tenants who scan the papers for places will normally find only two or three possibilities, and then once they get to the location, there are often some unhappy surprises. When tenants and landlords use Home-Mate details about prospective matches will be spelled out, so wasted trips are eliminated, which saves you time and money. Home-Mate is a simply less expensive, safer, more focused choice.

Are there any extra charges?
Some roommate companies have monthly charges, completion fees, reference charges, or other hidden costs. Home-Mate Specialists has a flat-rate registration fee so you know up front what you are committing to-a very reasonable one-time listing fee. Our fee is much lower than other services that charge a portion of the monthly rent, and our quality simply cannot be matched.

How many people do you have on your database?
Home-Mate' active file usually consists of between 150 to 300 landlords and between 100 to 150 tenants. These figures have been growing rapidly over the years as more single people buy homes in the Detroit area, and economic conditions continue to challenge Michigan. Under its new ownership, Home-Mate is promoting and marketing more than ever before and coupled with our expanding geographical boundaries, our active file will soon approach over one thousand clients.

Whether you are a homeowner with a room or more to rent, want a roommate to share your apartment, or a renter who wants to minimize living expenses – make a smart investment decision by calling us or simply click the appropriate link below to apply online...