In New York City, it usually takes weeks, even months to find an apartment, and tenants often have to settle with something less than the apartment of their dreams. Roommate Finders, located at 250 W. 57th St, makes apartment hunting a lot easier. For $300 Roommate Finders guarantees its customers a suitable apartment within 30 days it usually takes only a week to 10 days.

Roommate Finders is one of only four roommate services in the city. It is not an apartment referral service. "Apartment referral services have a bad reputation," said Mike Santomauro, owner of Roommate Finders.

Most of the customers of Roommate Finders have their own apartments and are looking for a roommate to alleviate expenses. For these people, Roommate Finders charges no fee. People who are looking for a roommate and an apartment are charged a fee of $300. "If they're dissatisfied with our service within 30 days or if they find something on their own, they can request a refund," according to Santomauro; 50% is then returned to the customer and $150 is retained as a processing fee. If a customer becomes dissatisfied after 30 days, he has a continuous membership for one year and may move out of the apartment and start looking again.

Half of the people at Roommate Finders are divorced and have their own apartments, mainly on the Upper East Side, and are looking for a roommate to make ends meet. The other half is composed of single people and students, a great deal of whom are graduates of Ivy League Colleges.

The service matches roommates a according to personalities and living preferences. Customers are asked if they prefer a male, female, or gay roommate, two roommates, a student, etc. They are also asked if they smoke, their religious and racial preferences, if any, and whether they like pets. Roommate Finders also tries to categorize their clients' personalities and makes note of any pet peeves they might have.

Drugs: An Important Consideration

Since the conception of this service in August, 1979, a question has been added to the basic interview: How do you feel about drugs? Santomauro feels this is a "very contemporary question" and added, "We get mixed reviews. A lot of people say soft drugs are okay but no hard drugs, and no addicts."

Those customers who are looking for a roommate with an apartment are asked whether they prefer an apartment, loft, house, or sublet; whether they would share a bedroom or want one of their own; if a doorman and security building is essential; the area they would like to live in; and how much money they are willing to spend. The same information is supplied by those people who already have apartments. References are also required.

One client of Roommate Finders, Karen Gilmore, 28-years-old, and single, recently moved to the city from upstate New York. She found the service advertised in The New York Times while she was staying with a friend. "Everyone said they're unreliable but I came here anyway," said Gilmore.

Like most customers, Gilmore is satisfied so far with the service. Being from upstate New York, Gilmore is looking for an apartment that is "safe--as safe as possible in the city" and is searching everywhere except in the Village "I'm young enough to be in with college students," she said, "but I don't want to be in with college students." After two days, she has seen a number of apartments and has found a place she'd like to share. She is now waiting for the tenant to make her decision.

Most people who haven't heard about Roommate Finders advertise for roommates on bulletin boards and in the Village Voice. One of the advantages of Roommate Finders is that there is no charge for people who already have an apartment. "If they're going to put their listing on a bulletin board, why not give us a call and have us list it also?' said Santomauro.

"If you put an ad in the Village Voice under "Apartment to Share" and say that you're a woman, you're going to get dozens of obscene phone calls," Santomauro said. This is one of the reasons more women come to Roommate Finders than men. "Women dominate the market, especially when it comes to apartment holders." Santomauro continued. "I think women are more liberated and open to roommate situations than men are." About 40% of the women are willing to live with a member of the opposite sex. About 70% for men.

Services to Expand.

Roommate Finders is in the process of expanding its services to include placing two or three compatible roommates in empty apartments. The only obstacle is that there aren't enough empty apartments in the city right now for this concept to succeed. In the case of an empty apartment, Roommate Finders would only charge half of one month's rent as opposed to the usual tee of 15 to 20 percent of the first year's rent.

According to Santomauro, June, July, and August are the best months to look for an apartment, because there are more apartments available during the summer than at any other time of the year. So if you're looking for an apartment or have one to share, now's the best time to call Roommate Finders.