Find Roommates For Shore House You Rented in Sea Isle Avalon Etc

OK, you have committed to renting an entire shorehouse for the summer in Sea Isle City, New Jersey (or Avalon or Wildwood, or wherever.) You've committed yourself to tens of thousands of dollars. You need to find roommates or you'll be broke.

The bane of anyone who takes the responsibility of running a shorehouse is finding roommates and then getting them to pay. There is a lot of pressure to find people because your money, and often the money of others, is on the line. The closer you get to the number of roommates you want, the less you'll have to pay for the house.

There are a number of ways to find beach roommates. Here are some suggestions for finding beach roommates

1. Ask other "shore-people" within your network of aquaintences. People who spend summer weekends renting at the shore are die hards. They also switch homes like baseball players switch teams. If you've spend summers at the shore, you'll know these people. Find out if anyone is looking to leave last summer's house for a new beach house. Finding another shore person is good because 1) You might already know their personality 2) You might be able to ask their last shore house what kind of person they are and if they pay on-time 3) This person is familiar with the shore culture and knows what to expect

2. Ask friends that have visited but never 'did' the shore. Visit a shore house once and your hooked. Ask these people who've been down the shore before. They might say 'no' but I assure you they will wish they could. Everyone who comes to the shore as a guest has told me they wish they could spend the summer like I do. This is what makes them a good lead to ask.

If they say 'yes' you've scored big! Getting friends in your summer home is always more comfortable than rolling the dice with strangers.

3. Ask friends and acquaintances outside the shore. Just like in #2, it always is better if you get someone you know.

4. Ask other people who run shore houses. Very similar to #1 except you are focusing on the so-called 'leader' or 'leaders' of other beach houses. These are the people who collect the rent, sign the lease and otherwise tend to take the most responsibility. They tend to have their finger on the pulse of not only their house but other homes as well. They can tell you if they are losing roommates in their own home or know of people leaving other shore houses.

5. Ask real estate agents that are located at your shore point. I've actually never done this when looking for people to fill 'my' beach house. I have done it when looking to get into some else's beach house. That said, it is worth a try. Ask a local realtor if they know of anyone interested in being part of your shore house. If they don't know of any, leave them your number in case they come up with someone.

Keep in mind, you'll likely be bringing on a stranger (rather common at the shore) so be sure this person is a right fit for your house. .

6. Social Network. FB etc. Do it. Use social network sites to get the word out.

7. Craigslist, etc. Posting vacancies on internet sites like Craigs list does work and sometimes really well. Be sure to keep in mind there are risks in doing this since you are bringing in a total stranger. Make sure they are right for your group.

Have any other ideas? Let me know in comments below. Would love to hear from you.

When you start meeting these people be sure to ask them lots of questions to make sure they are the right fit for your shorehouse.


Be sure they can pay too! Get a deposit.


If you are someone who wants to be part of a shore house. That is, you are not looking to fill a house with people rather you are searching for a group already in a house. Check out this article I wrote How to Get in on a Shore House.

If you want more insight into getting the best roommates, especially if you are walking into a home full of people you may not know, check out these tips.

Find Best Beach Roommates in Sea Isle

If you are looking to get in on a beach house this summer and you are not sure where to start, check out my post Get in On Sea Isle Shore House For Whole Summer. I wrote this article with Sea Isle City, NJ in mind but it can apply to a lot of other shore points.

If you already have a few leads on people looking for shore house roommates, you will want to make sure that you find people that you will make you happy.

I highly suggest after making first contact, set up a meeting. It will be unlikely you will meet the whole group at once but at least get some face time key people.


Ask These Questions:

1. What is the total price of the shore house for the summer?

2. How much will it cost me?

3. How many people are in the shore house? Find out if you are comfortable with that number of people. For some, crowds mean a great party and social life. For others, just a few people allow for good one-on-one and comfort..

4. How many bedrooms are in the shore house? Very important question. Make sure you understand if you'll be 'guaranteed' a bed, or at least space on one, every time you are down. Will you be spending time on the floor at night? Very possible. Some houses have 3 bedrooms and 20 people. Other homes have 5 bedrooms and 5 people. Find out.

5. What does everyone like to do? Another big question. Think about your personality and then think about these potential answers:

"We are all big drinkers, up all night."
"We're pretty quiet. The guys fish and the girls lay out all day."
"We get up real early in the morning."
"We are single and looking to make out"
"All of us are married"
"We don't want people over at all hours"

Make sure you understand what personalities you are getting involved with first.

6. What is the guest policy? Ask if you can have guests come over or not. Often this policy changes as the summer progresses but not always. Some shore roommates don't care how many guests you bring down and how often. Others put restrictions on the amount of times you can have the same person over. Some insist on having guests pay every time they visit. Find this out and then consider what this means to you and those you have relationships with who are not 'in' on the shore house.

7. How long do we have the house for? Can we use it any time we want? Typical shore house summers last the weekend before memorial day to the weekend after labor day but not every house has this policy. Find out.

8. Is there a lease? Especially if you do not know these people, it never hurts to make sure this is all legit. Heck, I've never done this, but it wouldn't hurt to contact the realtor to make sure the lease is real and so are the names of these people.

9. Where is the house? I did a whole article on locations in Sea Isle City for beach house. Regardless of which beach you are staying, be sure to find out where the house is. Location says a lot. Do you want the house to be close to the beach or the bay? Close to the bar? Is the house in a flood zone? Close to town? Close to restaurants? Ask.

10. Pets? Allergies? Do you have any? Do They have any? Important stuff

11. Attitude and expectations. This is related to number 5 above. Think about the qualities you most admire and least admire in a person. Don't think so much about your own personality, rather think about what makes you happy or upset when you meet others. Then find out if any of the 'happy' or 'upset' qualities are rooming in the same house. For example, if you loathe the aggressive in-your-face types, ask if there are any in the house. That sort of thing.

12. Is the house nice? I can only speak for Sea Isle City, New Jersey but I can say that most houses are really nice. Modern appliances, great carpets, spacious rooms, central air conditioning, nice beds, etc. Others beach homes are more worn out. Torn screens, old furniture, dirty carpets, limited or no air conditioning, etc. Get an idea of what the house is like

13. What days do people come down? Some beach homes are only in use during the weekends. People drive down Fri night or Sat morning and then leave on Sunday. Others, especially homes with a lot of teachers, stay during the week or even for the whole summer. Some folks work odd hours and just come during the week. See if this works with your schedule.

The bottom line is be specific about what you want. There will always be surprises, good and bad, when you get involved with a group. Try to eliminate as many bad surprises as possible.

If you are looking to rent a house for the whole summer and want to find good people to split the rent and the summer fun with you, check out these tips as well.

Get in On Sea Isle Shore House For Whole Summer

Getting in on a Sea Isle City, New Jersey shore house for the whole summer is easier than you might think. A lot of people spend their dog days of summer wishing they could afford a shore house. They wish they had a home to go to in Sea Isle or Ocean City or Wildwood or Avalon, etc but feel they don't have the money to do it.

You do not need to own a home down the shore or have to rent one all by yourself to spend your summer at the beach. You don't need a million dollars. There are already throngs of people who weekend at the shore every summer who are not spending tens of thousands of dollars a year for beach property. These 'shore people' rent a beach home for the entire summer or half of the summer and then get a bunch of roommates to split the rent.

A summer rental usually allows 24 hour access to the home for the length of the lease. From my experience, a typical full seasonal lease, runs from the weekend prior Memorial Day to Labor Day or the weekend after.

The price is really expensive. Price for the whole summer can run $20,000 - $30,000. Sometimes less, sometimes more. Depends on the size, condition and location of the house.

For the past 10 years I figure I spend myself about $2100-$2700 yearly to get in on a group rental. This number will fluctuate based the price of the house (for the rental term) divided by the amount of people in the house.

If you want to get involved with group shore house there are a couple things you want to start doing.

1. Ask around. Ask everyone you know. Ask people at work. Ask your friends. Just ask. The New Jersey shore scene is truly a devoted sub culture that is not entirely on-the-radar so to speak. No, this isn't some fanatical sect. These are everyday people who just love the beach scene. You might be surprised how many people do summer beach houses. The best part is, they are almost always looking for people.

2. Craigslist and other ads. Always be wary of strangers but, honestly, a lot of people look for house mates this way. Use good judgement when responding to ads, meet in public places, make sure they are for real and see a lease before sending any money.

3. FB. FB other social media. Checking ads and other social media will certainly turn up potential shore roommates. Just throw the comment out there that you want to be in on a shore house and you'll be bound to run into someone, who knows someone who has done this.

3. Ask Realtors at the shore. Pick a shore you would like to spend the most time in. Ask a realtor in that area if he knows of anyone looking for roommates. They often have people who rent from them that also ask them if they know anyone looking for a place to stay.

Once you have a few leads you'll want to be sure you find the best beach roommates (click here)



If you already have rented a house and need to fill it with people, check out these important tips.