Flat stick finding a house mate | Auckland News | Local News in Auckland

Did your last flatmate use your toothbrush and disappear - owing three months' rent - leaving you nervous about looking for another? Hayley Hannan discovers a new way to weed out weirdos when seeking a flatmate.

GSOH?* Dog-lover? Vegan? It can often be hard to find a flatmate who meets all your criteria.

Let me introduce you to the latest trend in this time-poor, fast-living, modern world.

Speed-renting enables you to get to know potential flatmates without prolonged awkward conversations.

The free Auckland service aims to pair people who "needa room" with others who've "gotta room" in a fun, relaxed bar scene, says its founder Liz McLean.

Marketing manager Chloe Faaiuso explains the beauty is that you're not stuck getting to know someone after they move in. "If you don't like them and if they don't like you, then you just keep moving. It's a lot more pressured in the home. You're spending time analysing them."

I went along to watch attempted pairings going on one Wednesday evening. Against a backdrop of live music, participants lean in to chat and size each other up.

Meeting and sizing up potential flatmates while preserving her privacy appeals to Alexandra Wilkinson. She's got a room to let in her Parnell flat and has come to Juice Bar after hearing about speed-renting from friends.

"There are some dodgy people looking for flatmates," she says. "Here, you don't have to have people in your house."

The night is similar to speed-dating but, instead of walking out with an agreement to meet again, participants leave with a flatmate lined up or agreeing to meet again at the flat.

Here's how it works: those with a spare room place an ad online with a link to the speed-renting site. On the night they're given one of two cards - either a "gotta room" or "needa room" - and keep a note on the card of people with potential. Anyone can go along, although the target markets are young students and young professionals.

Liz thought up the idea when looking for a new flat in Queenstown. She tested the concept in 2006, and took the idea to Wellington two years later.

Since Auckland's launch in November, Liz says there have been multiple matches. Some people meet and decide to leave their separate flats and move in together because they get along so well.

At the moment the service is free. Plans are in the pipeline to also hold sessions more centrally and on the North Shore.

• Stands for good sense of humour

No time to waste

What: Speed-renting
How: Post an online ad then mingle in Juice Bar, Parnell Rd
Why: You can size up potential flatmates without bringing them into your home
When: Wednesday, 6.30pm to 8pm