Renting is expensive. You need a roommate.

Roomster

Roomster is a roommate-focused service that has been around since 2003. You can search available rooms or, if you have an apartment already, search roommate profiles.

Roomster tends to be a safer bet than Kijiji or Craigslist as profiles are validated in a number of ways. Basic email and phone number validation exists but address and ID checks are also available. Overall, there's a higher level of legitimacy than typical room for rent sites. All profiles require a mobile phone number to create an account.

On top of that, each post/profile contains fairly detailed information such as age, cleanliness level, guest rules, "party habits," food preferences, pets, work schedule and - of course - whether they smoke. Likewise, they have similar preferences listed in terms of who they would like as a roommate.

When searching Roomster, there are a number of filters available to help narrow your search: Location, budget, age, gender, zodiac sign and pets.

While creating a profile is free, a paid membership is required to communicate. If you're serious about finding a roommmate it's very likely worth the cost, especially considering the level of vetting that takes place on the site. You can wing Craigslist for free, but with more frustration and scam potential. Subscription plans do auto-renew so be sure to cancel once you've found a suitable roommate match.

Roomies.ca

Roomies.ca is another roommate matching service that is worth checking out. You'll need to create a free account (looking for a room or have a room) in order to do any detailed searching - and to communicate.

Roomies.ca requires mobile phone verification and members can optionally pay for ID verifications, credit checks and background checks. If you're struggling go find a place, these optional paid services may be of help as they solidify your roommate profile.

Search filters include location, age, gender, smoking, pets, and much more.

Kijiji

Kijiji lets you find anything and everything - and that includes rooms for rent. Likely still the king of classifieds in most of Canada, Kijiji has a "Room Rentals & Roommates" section (under "Real Estate") where those with rooms to rent post their openings.

It's a bit of a mess to navigate (i.e. full of ads) but still worth adding to your list of roommate sites. Filters include budget, pets, and whether the room is furnished. Of course, the level of verification is low so be aware of potential scams. If it sounds too good to be true - or you have to go through too many hoops, it's a scam. That said, it's free to use.

Craigslist

Craigslist is another classified site that you can use to find roommates. Craigslist tends to be more popular than Kijiji in parts of Western Canada.

Within Craigslist, check the "Housing" section and then "Rooms & Shares." There are number of filters available to you such as buget, pets, smoking, air conditioning, laundry and parking. It's likely best to toggle on "has image" to help increase the legitimacy of the listings.

Craigslist, as you may have heard, tends to be referred to quite a bit when it comes to online scams. That doesn't mean you can't find a great place to live here, but you need to be more vigilant. If the poster is overseas, it's a scam. If the poster asks you to go to another website, it's a scam. If the contact details aren't local, it may be a scam. And, of course, always see the unit in person. All said, it's free to use and does definitely have legitimate room for rent postings.

PadMapper

PadMapper is an apartment rental site but does have listings for rooms for rent. Use the filter to select Rooms to get to listings posted by those needing a roommate. For smaller cities, you may have less luck with PadMapper, but it's worth a try!

Filters include budget, pets, and square footage. You can also search with keywords. It's free to respond to roommate ads.

Roomlala

Roomlala is geared towards short-term rentals, with pricing on a per-night, per-week and per-month basis. That said, you may be able to secure a longer term rental. Profiles are very detailed, however filtering is limited to location, arrival and departure date, and budget.

Payments are made through the site (not direct with the person renting the room.) Bookings have a service charge but those fees are fully displayed upfront.

Roomlala is a bit different but is worth a search, especially if you're looking for a room to rent for a short-term basis.

Homestay

Homestay is a short-term rental site although many listings can be booked for an entire year. All rent payments made through the platform itself. Think of it almost like booking a hotel room, except you'll be sharing a house or apartment with others. The benefit of this route, however, is you can book a short-term stay instead of getting caught up in a long-term lease. Also, rooms are fully furnished.

Those renting rooms have ratings and reviews, so there's an extra level of certainty in your decision. Search filters are limited (location, move-in and move-out dates, and budget), and you may have little luck in smaller cities.

Sublet.com

Sublet.com is another apartment rental website with a filter for rooms. Filter down to "Rooms for Rent" and you'll have a list of people looking for roommates. Note that some listings will direct you to a "partner" website.

If there's interest on a room listed, contacting the lister may or may not be free. Some contacts will require a paid membership, while others will not. Some listers may have reviews and verifications. Note that Sublet.com is a bit ad-heavy, including overlay ads. Maybe use this site as a last option.

Need more? Ask Freddie.