A post in a housing group is read by everyone in it.
Anyone in the group can copy a number from your post. Put a number there that you can end, and keep your own out of it.
A number for your roommate ad
Get a phone number for roommate ads that you can burn once someone moves in.
Put an ExpressNumber number on your roommate wanted ad instead of your own. People call it, your phone rings, and you burn the number once you have found your roommate.
$0 todayLive in about a minute
The roommate wanted ad
The ad shows a number you can burn, not your own.
Roommate wanted
Roommate wanted for a two bedroom apartment
- The second bedroom opens at the start of next month.
- Quiet building, laundry downstairs, dog friendly.
Call to set up a visit(404) 555-0147
(404) 555-0147On the ad, named Roommate search
Your own numberStays off the ad
Burn the numberBurn it once you have found your roommate.
This is how you get a number for your roommate search.
- Start your 7 days free and open Create a number.
- Name it after the search, such as Roommate search.
- Put the number on your roommate wanted ad and on the post in each housing group.
- People call it and your phone rings. Burn it in one tap once you have found your roommate.
9:41
Your numbers
Roommate search
(404) 555-0147
Forwarding
Housing group post
(312) 555-0158
Texts only
Last month’s ad
(206) 555-0192
Blocked
People put a second number on a roommate ad for three reasons.
You may talk to a dozen people before you meet one.
Give them all a number named Roommate search. Calls ring your phone and texts land in one place under that name.
The people you turn down keep the number.
Everyone who called still has it. Burn it after you choose, and nobody you passed on can reach you through it.
How a call reaches you
The applicant calls the number on the ad. Your phone gets the call.
An applicantFinds your roommate ad and calls the number on it.
Calls and texts
Roommate searchYour number for this search.
Forwards
Your real phone ringsLike any other call
Texts land in your inboxUnder the name Roommate search
The caller only ever sees the number you gave them.
Burn the number once you have a roommate.
One number for one search, from the day the ad goes up to the day the room is filled.
- 1The ad goes upWith the Roommate search number on it
- 2People callYour phone rings like any other call
- 3The room is filledYour new roommate moves in
- 4Burn the numberCalls and texts to it stop at once
This is what Zillow and Craigslist say about finding a roommate.
Read October 31, 2026, with a link to each page.
Zillow says to meet a possible roommate in a public place first.
Its page on rental scams says to start with an in person meeting in a public place, such as a café, and to be cautious of anyone who insists on handling things remotely.
Zillow: Rental Scams: How to Recognize and Avoid Rental FraudZillow suggests asking for proof of income.
It says to consider asking the applicant for pay stubs, a letter from their employer or a bank account statement, to confirm that they can pay the rent.
Zillow: Rental Scams: How to Recognize and Avoid Rental FraudZillow suggests asking for references from earlier landlords or roommates.
It says references give you a view of an applicant’s reliability and living habits.
Zillow: Rental Scams: How to Recognize and Avoid Rental FraudCraigslist says a request for a code is always a scam.
Its page on avoiding scams lists requests for a code or a verification among the things to beware of, and says these are always a scam.
Craigslist help: Avoiding Scams
Try it free for 7 days.
Then pick the plan that fits how many numbers you hand out.
Basic
7 days free$9.99/mo
- 5 numbers, one for each site, store or dealer
- 100 forwarded minutes a month
- Burn a number in one tap
- Extra numbers $1 a month each
Pro
7 days free$29.99/mo
- 100 numbers
- 1,000 forwarded minutes a month
- A number per vendor, client or listing
- Extra numbers 50¢ a month each
$0 today. Monthly plans, cancel any time.
People ask these questions about a number for roommate ads.
More in the full FAQ.
Create a number in your dashboard and name it after the search, such as Roommate search. It is live in about a minute. Put it on your ad and on each housing group post. Calls ring the phone you already carry, and the caller only ever sees the number you gave them.
Burn it in one tap, and calls and texts to it stop at once. People who called while you were choosing can no longer reach you through it.
Zillow advises a first meeting in a public place, such as a café. Until you have met, a number you can burn is the one to share.
No. Your numbers are receive-only: they take calls and texts, and they never make them. You answer calls on your own phone, and you cannot reply to a text from the inbox.
Yes. Every number has three modes: Forward rings your phone and lets texts in, Texts only stops calls and keeps the texts coming, and Block stops both. You change the mode from your dashboard.
Closest to a number for roommate ads
More ways to use a number
Every rule on this page comes from a public page you can check.
Each one is linked where it is quoted, and all of them were read October 31, 2026.
Put a number on your roommate ad that you can burn.
Hand out a number you can burn. Keep the one your family calls.
Try it free for 7 days