Finding rooms for rent is no joke, especially in a new city filled with unfamiliar faces and places. You may be a stressed college student looking to find a place to live in for the next four years or just looking for somewhere to start anew. We all have different circumstances and reasons to move to a new place, which is why there are many room finder websites and apps available to use these days. However, what’s the best website to find rooms for rent? Well, don’t look far! We’re here to introduce and compare two room finder apps, Roomi and HotPads. We’ll guide you through their features, pricing, and security to help you figure out which is the best room finder for your needs.

Features: What filters & preferences do these room finders offer to help you find your perfect room?

Using just any room finder app or website you stumble upon may make room finding harder for you. Instead, you want to make sure that the online room finder app you’re using has verified listings, a wide range of filters, and accurate pricing for a smooth and easy room finding experience. To help you out with this, below is a Roomi and Hotpads review based on their unique features.

No fee Apartments

Before making any big move, you first have to search for listings that are right within your budget and have no hidden fees. Thankfully, Roomi has no-fee listings, so you don’t have to worry about any extra costs in your rent. That makes it a great HotPads alternative if your funds are limited.

Pet-friendly Apartments

Apartment hunting may be a tad more difficult with a pet involved, but on Roomi, there are filters to make finding rooms for rent with pets easier for you. HotPads also has the same feature but has only two options to choose from, a cat or a dog. Plus, according to some HotPads reviews, their pet filter needs some work. But, as a pet-friendly HotPads alternative, Roomi gives you the option to filter other pets too. That way, you can be sure that you can bring your furry friend along too!

Related: 6 Low Maintenance Pets For Apartments & Small Spaces

Subletting

Not all room finders provide subletting, but it’s possible with Roomi. With a background check and secure in-app messaging, you can easily find potential roommates in Roomi.

Filtering rooms based on amenities

Filtering is an important aspect of the best room finders. One necessary filter is amenities, and both Roomi and HotPads have options to choose from. But, if you’re looking for more specific listing amenities like having a private bathroom, or a month-to-month listing, Roomi is the room finder app to use! Plus, some HotPads reviews say that the filtering in the app doesn’t always show the best results.

Filtering rooms based on Listing Type (entire place/shared rooms)

Whether you prefer to live on your own or in a shared space, you can easily filter listings to find your ideal room on Roomi. On the other hand, with websites like HotPads, you can only filter based on the property type. That means you won’t know exactly what’s on offer without requesting more information.

Related: Is Living In Cohousing Communities For You? Let’s Find Out

Filtering rooms based on House Rules

We all have different ways of living, and in finding a new place to move to, we have to consider house rules. This includes deciding what rules you’d like to have in place and ensuring your roommates are on the same page. With that in mind, Roomi has a filter specifically for house rules. From smoking or no smoking to pet-friendly filters, you can specify your preferences even more.

Pricing: Which app offers the best free and paid features?

When moving to a new place, finding somewhere that fits both your needs and budget is vital. After all, if you haven’t got enough funds, it simply isn’t going to work! Hence, there are many room finder websites and apps available to help you narrow your search. But which offers the best price with the right benefits? Here’s a comparison of some of the features of Roomi and HotPads.

Allowing Free Listings

All Roomi users are entitled to two free credits that can be used to either create two listings or activate any pending or deactivated listings. However, with a Roomi Gold subscription, you have access to more benefits! For only $29.99 per month or $14.99 per week, you get to have unlimited messages and a Fully Verified status badge on your profile. You’ll also receive ranking boosts for your profile and listings, five active listings, and no booking fees!

In HotPads, users are free to browse for listings, but there’s a $29 fee to apply to unlimited listings for 30 days.

In-app messaging

In Roomi, messaging any listing is free of charge. More than that, Roomi has secure in-app messaging that will keep any conversation between potential landlords or roommates safe within the app. The same goes for HotPads, but many HotPads reviews say that nobody messages back after inquiring about the listing.

Related: Bad Credit When Finding An Apartment In NYC? Here’s Help!

Security: How do these apps ensure that the listings are credible?

Roomi takes multiple safety and security measures to ensure the privacy of its users. One of which is verifying profiles (by providing a copy of their lease, utility bill, or any government-issued ID!) to ensure that users posting listings on the app are real people. Additionally, with their own Security and Safety Team, Roomi requires address verification from the room lister. Moreover, your listing address isn’t visible to others on Roomi and will only show up on approximate locations. If you ever encounter any sketchy listings or users, you can easily report them in the app. Alternatively, you can contact Roomi’s Support Team directly.

HotPads use Checkr to conduct background and credit checks for its users. However, some HotPads reviews say the app has hurt their credit with the $29 fee in applying for apartments.

So, Which Is the Best Room Finder For You?

For sure, finding a room for rent takes time and effort, but with Roomi’s features and benefits, moving to a new place is simple and easy. Roomi’s simple app and website are easy to navigate, plus they offer no-fee listings and have an extensive list of filters to make your room finding experience hassle-free. Plus, don’t forget the top-notch security and privacy features that Roomi provides too!

With HotPads, the $29 fee appears unclear for many users, the search filters are limited, and the in-app messaging is quite unreliable, according to many HotPads reviews. With these things in mind, it’s no doubt that Roomi has more to offer its users, making it the best room finder for you!

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