New website treats finding a roommate in NYC like online dating

The only thing harder than finding a soulmate in New York City is finding the perfect roommate.

Both can be a nightmare. That’s why two women decided to take the concept of online dating and use it to create a new website to find the ideal roommate.

Manhattan-based The Room Ring launched on Thursday, providing free matching services for those who are in need of a room, have a room available, or are looking for a roommate in New York City and San Francisco.

The site was founded by Lia Wayman and Josie Hubschman after “hearing “countless stories from friends about the horrors of the roommate finding process,” according to their site. They thought there must be a better, more streamlined way to find a roommate.

“There is no denying the need for this type of service. We have experienced what it is like to move and fill our apartments without The Room Ring and it’s not fun. Josie and I knew that there had to be an easier way to navigate this process,” Wayman said.

The site uses the same match-making approach of popular online dating sites by matching roommates through filters such as budget, location, smoking, pets, and other living preferences and essentials.

Social media is another way that the site makes the matching process smoother. Users must login to The Room Ring using their Facebook profile. Through that authentication, a user can view the mutual friends of the people they are matched with and can reach out to a potential match through an online chatting option.