Local online roommate matching site

People with a room to fill, and renters who want a shortlist of suitable roommates. Property managers of shared houses might pay for listings too.

A small listing fee for rooms, a monthly or one-off membership for seekers who want match suggestions, or a modest fee for each successful introduction.

• Clear writing and communication
• Organised, good at follow-up
• Basic comfort with website or form tools
• Fair and discreet with personal details

• Privacy law: you will hold personal information, so check your obligations under PIPEDA or your province's privacy law and write a clear privacy policy
• Human rights codes: matching preferences must not discriminate on protected grounds, check your provincial human rights code before designing your questionnaire
• Some provinces restrict fees charged to tenants for finding housing, and some rental referral activity may fall under real estate rules, check your provincial regulator and municipality
• Safety and trust: you cannot guarantee how a match turns out, so use clear terms, encourage people to meet in public and check references
• Needing enough listings and seekers in the same area before the service feels useful
• Home-based business licence rules in your municipality

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $300 to $1,500, depending on your website or form tools and how you promote it. You also need enough listings and seekers in one area before it feels useful.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $200 to $1,500, depending on your listing or membership fees and how many people use the service in your area.

Check your obligations under PIPEDA or your provincial privacy law and write a clear privacy policy. Also check your provincial human rights code, rules on tenant fees and real estate, and home-based business licence rules.