For the perfect flatmate

Bengaluru has turned into a potpourri of cultures, with people pouring into the City from everywhere, but accommodation remains a problem. To find a compatible flatmate, one must go through a rigorous routine of running around the City, making numerous phone calls, chatting up the candidates and stalking each one on social networking groups.

There are groups and pages on social networking that have helped lessen the burden, but even they demand a lot of time. That’s when an app like ‘Flatchat’, which allows you find appropriate flatmates in the area that you want, comes in handy.

Started a month ago by Gaurav Munjal, the app makes it easier for users to find flats and flatmates with whom they are compatible. “When people are looking for a flat, the first thing they do is take down the other person’s number, store it in their phone and message or WhatsApp them for more details. After looking at apps like Tender, I realised that the first step in such interactions should be chatting. Only after the two people are comfortable with each other will they give out their numbers,” says Gaurav.

He adds, “Whether you are using the internet or a broker, there is time lag and it can take at least six to 10 hours to get everything fixed. On ‘Flatchat’, you just fill out a profile and it matches you according to your profile. It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes and we have recorded that people spend an average of 15 minutes per day on our app.”

Gaurav explains the accommodation site, “It is a real-time app where prospective flatmates can talk to others who are looking for roommates. As soon as people have filled out their profile, the app will help narrow down the search to the specified location.” He adds that they post the links of people’s Facebook profiles on their ‘Flatchat’ profile, in order to weed out the unnecessary complications.

Along with the app, there are the ‘Flatchat assistants’, who will further assist a person in any way possible. “Initially, a person may not find what they are looking for, so a ‘Flatchat assistant’ will help them out. There are many sites or realtors who might have the suitable information and these assistants will collect it and provide it to the user.” 

The app has some limitations though. “There is an option for women to share with women and men to share with men; we don’t do live-ins. Privacy is important,” he sums up.