Whether you want a roommate to make that luxury apartment suddenly affordable, or you simply love the idea of splitting the cooking and cleaning duties with someone, it's not always easy to find someone to live with.

Luckily, we've come up with some tips to help you find a great roommate -- whether you're a soon-to-be freshman at a local college or a young professional who's new to town.

Here's what we suggest doing:

1. Think about your must-haves

When you move in with someone, you've got to take the good with the bad, so think about the traits your roommate MUST have in order for you to maintain your sanity. For example, if you're a real neat-freak, and she doesn't care if there are dirty clothes tossed on the living room floor, it's never going to work. The Odd Couple may have been entertaining on TV, but it's no fun in real life!

2. Find out how individual you can be

Some apartment complexes will actually offer each person their own individual lease. That way, you're only responsible for your payment, and if your roommate falls behind on her payments, your credit and housing status won't be affected.

Or, if you want to make sure you won't be crammed into your new apartment like sardines, look for an apartment that only allows one person per bedroom. That way, your roommate won't be able to spring a "surprise" roommate on you after you move in!

3. Talk ahead of time

If your potential roommate isn't already a friend, take some time to get to know him/her before you commit to sharing an apartment. If it's not feasible to meet up in person, have a phone conversation. That way, you lessen the chance of being blindsided by someone you don't like on moving day.

4. Tap into the power of technology

In today's technology-driven world, it shouldn't come as any surprise that technology can help you find a great roommate! In fact, thanks to social media, you can find out all kinds of stuff about a potential roommate.