How to Write a Flatmates Wanted Ad in NZ

When I read a room ad, I want to know the practical details before I arrange a viewing: where the room is, what it really costs each week, when it is free, who else lives there, and what sort of household it is. A clear ad saves time for both sides and helps people decide whether to make contact.

This guide is for a tenant or household advertising a spare room. It is not a guide to a whole-home rental listing. RentManager's flatmate marketplace is starting with Auckland-focused discovery; check the live pages for current listings.

What should a flatmates wanted ad include?

1. Suburb and city. Give a useful area such as the suburb and nearby transport or landmarks. Do not publish the full street address in the public ad.
2. Room price and bills. State the weekly room price. List fixed contributions separately, and say which bills vary. Do not call the price all-inclusive if a housemate may still pay extra.
3. Availability. Give the move-in date, whether the date can move, and the expected length of stay if you know it.
4. The arrangement. Explain whether the person would join the tenancy agreement as a co-tenant, share with a head tenant under a flatting arrangement, live with the owner, or sign a separate room tenancy with the landlord. These arrangements can have different rights and responsibilities. Read Tenancy Services flatting guidance and its room-by-room tenancy guidance. If you are not sure which applies, describe the facts and check with the landlord or a qualified adviser before promising a type of agreement.
5. The household. Say how many people live there, what shared spaces are like, and practical expectations such as quiet hours, cleaning, smoking, pets or work-from-home routines.
6. The room and photos. Mention whether it is furnished, has an ensuite, storage or parking. Use photos of the room, and check that they do not show mail, identity documents, vehicle plates or another person without permission.

Make the costs easy to compare

Separate the weekly room price from fixed contributions and variable bills. For example, write "$260 per week for the room, plus $25 per week toward internet and power; water is shared when billed" if that is genuinely how the household charges. Explain any couple contribution or other mandatory cost. Do not use the whole home's rent as the room price.

If you ask for a bond or contribution, explain who will hold it, what it covers and how it will be returned. Tenancy Services explains that flatmates who are not named on the tenancy agreement may pay bond to the head tenant. Check its current bond guidance and get the arrangement in writing.

A simple room-ad template

Room available in [suburb], Auckland

• Available from: [date]
• Room price: [$ amount] per week
• Fixed costs: [what is included and the weekly contribution]
• Variable bills: [which bills vary and how they are shared]
• Room: [furnished or unfurnished, storage, ensuite, parking]
• Household: [number of people, shared spaces and practical routines]
• Arrangement: [explain the agreement the person would be asked to join]
• Stay: [minimum or preferred length, if applicable]

Finish with a short invitation such as: "If the room and household sound like a fit, send a short introduction and the date you hope to move." Avoid asking for identity documents, payslips or a full rental history in a public post.

Protect your privacy when you publish

A public ad can be shared and may be found by search engines. Use the suburb rather than your exact address, keep personal phone numbers and email addresses out of the ad, and do not upload a tenancy agreement or other private paperwork as a photo. Use the marketplace contact request to decide who can start a conversation. You can still choose what to share later; contact does not automatically give someone your rental profile or tenancy records.

Focus on practical household expectations and what the room costs. Avoid screening people based on personal traits or protected characteristics. Read Tenancy Services guidance on discrimination and check the official guidance for your situation.

Post or browse room ads

RentManager's flatmate marketplace separates rooms available from people looking for a room. A public room ad shows the details you choose to publish; your private tenancy record and rental profile remain separate. Current stock and response rates will vary while the Auckland pilot grows.