If you, like so many in this city, are looking for a new roommate or a new room to rent, fret not. Apartmate.ca has you covered.
The website is set to launch soon, and has already thrown two mixer events to help renters find each other. Yes, now you can go on a date with a potential roommate.
Awkward? Maybe.
But no more awkward than a singles mixer – and in the end it might save you hours upon hours interviewing potential roommates, hoping they’re not axe murderers.
On arrival at the events, those looking for a room receive a red name tag, and those offering a room up receive a blue name tag.
The events cost $10 a pop, include a free drink to help ease the nerves of meeting a bunch of strangers looking to finding shelter, and take place at a downtown bar like Tequila Bookworm.
Their goal is to make it speed dating for roommates, so you can meet a bunch of people in the time it would have taken you to interview one – and without having to let them into your home.
As a bonus, they let your friend join you at the event for free – so you’re not standing around alone hoping someone will come talk to you.
While the website is still in its basic form, we’re wondering if its launch will include comprehensive room listings and profiles of people searching and providing rooms, like an online dating site but for roommates?
Keeping it to in-person mixers will only turn off the less outgoing – and possibly more reliable – roommates out there. An online place to vet your potential roommate before meeting up seems like a fairly smart idea.
The only problem we see with this is the potential for some to treat it as a dating event rather than a roommate event. We predict this form of vetting could lead to many roommate situations that turn into dating situations, which is never a good idea.
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