To get started, sign up for a free account, create your apartment and add housemates.  If required, use its rent-splitting calculator to fairly estimate how much each of the housemates should pay for the rent (based on the size of the bedroom, windows, closet and other amenities). Once you are done, each housemate can log in to manage shared bill-tracking, view reports and add comments.

Rent splitting calculator

Features:

• Split rent fairly between roommates
• Keep track of shared living expenses.
• Easy debt tracking.
• Automatic reminders.
• Furniture calculator: calculate the fair value of used furniture.
• Mobile version available.
• Free, sign up to get started.

Check out SplitTheRent @ www.splittherent.com via (Lifehacker)

Calculate the Rent is a free to use web service that lets you find out how much each flatmate should pay for the rent. Various factors are taken into consideration during the evaluation. You start by entering the total rent amount and then the specifications of each room. Next you specify the size of common areas such as the kitchen and living room.

The rent for common rooms is split equally and the rest is determined according to the size and type of each flatmate’s room. The final figures are presented in a clear manner that leaves no confusion. You can go back to previous steps at any stage to rectify errors.

Features:

• A user-friendly and fair rent calculator.
• Helps find out how much each flatmate should pay towards the apartment rent.
• Takes room size and type into consideration.
• Takes common room areas into consideration.

Check out “Calculate the Rent” @ splitwise.com/calculators (By Umar from TechCityInc)

In My Backyard is an online tool offered by the NREL ““ National Renewable Energy Laboratory. You start using In My Backyard by entering your address. The site locates the address on a map and asks you to select either solar or wind power. Next you draw on the map the region where you will install solar panels or the point where your wind generator will be placed.

According to your selected energy and your region’s amount of sunshine intensity or wind intensity the site will provide an impressive estimate of various quantities. These quantities provide information on the power output and initial cost of your system and how long it will take for you to recover the system’s cost. This information can greatly help in determining whether or not your renewable energy plans will be economical.

Features:

• A user friendly web tool.
• Lets you estimate power output of renewable energy.
• Supports solar and wind power.
• Helps determine if your renewable energy plans will be worth it.
• Similar tools: RoofRay, Google PowerMeter, AppliancesEnergyUse, HomeEnergySaver, FuelCharts and MicrosoftHohm.
• Also read related articles:
  10+ Websites To Keep You Updated On Green News
  10 Search Engines To Help The Environment
  5 Sites And Tips on How to Go Green and Save Money

Check out In My Backyard @ www.mercator.nrel.gov/imby (by MOin from ThumbPress)

The service also allows you to create a HTML brochure which can be quickly put on classified sites like Craigslist. So, no more creating separate advert listings and going through the same process over and over again.

Features

• Create a site to advertise your rental property.
• Embed photos, videos, maps, calendar.
• Create HTML brochures with photos and content.
• Similar sites:  Zilok, UnitConnect, PadMapper, RentBits and ASimpleMeasure.
• Also read related articles:
  20+ Real Estate Search and Information Tools
  Find Free and Cheap Real Estate on the Web

Check out My Rental @ www.myrental.info (By Abhijeet from GT Mobiles)

Enter MapThatPad, a cool app based on Craigslist that you use to collaborate on apartment listings while contacting and scheduling appointments with brokers in one click.

To get start with MapThatPad, drag the website button to your bookmark bar. Once done, just browse Craigslist for apartments as you normally would then click the button when you see a listing that you like. After saving your favorite listing, you can then create a map with your listings plotted right in. Share the map with your friends so that they can save their own listings too ““ very helpful if you are looking for apartments together.

MapThatPad also allows you to comment on each apartment list and share by e-mail. One killer feature allows you to contact the broker/landowner of the apartment and schedule a meeting with them right into your Google calendar.

Features:

• Collaborate and strategize your apartment hunting with your friends.
• Comment on each apartment.
• Contact brokers and schedule meetings easily.
• All listings plotted in the map.
• Share via E-mail or map link.
• Similar Tools: PadMapper, HotPads, or read Top 5 US Apartment Search Engines.

Check out MapThatPad @ www.mapthatpad.com

UnitConnect is a wonderful web service that lets real estate managers and property managers organize an online account of their paperwork. Basically the web service helps you manage your property without any paperwork.

You keep a record of properties, vendors, bills, and reports in your online account. Through a few simple clicks you are able to get any desired information about your property as well as quickly calculate the payments you need to collect or make. Because of the site’s security measures, your information is kept private and is accessible only by you. The free account on UnitConnect lets you manage up to 5 units whereas more units can be managed by opting for the site’s paid services.

Features:

• A user friendly website.
• Ideal online for real estate managers and property managers.
• Lets you keep updated records of your property, bills, and reports.
• Provides a secure interface.
• Similar tools: PadMapper, RentBits and ASimpleMeasure.
• Also read related articles:
  20+ Real Estate Search and Information Tools
  Find Free and Cheap Real Estate on the Web.

Check out UnitConnect @ www.unitconnect.com (by MOin from ThumbPress)

Placepad is a web service that allows you to draw your house plans for free. After answering a series of questions like how many floors there will be, how many rooms on each floor, etc. ““ you will get a canvas where you can place rooms, garages, kitchens, etc.

You can drag the rooms onto the canvas and they will snap into place. Room resizing tools and wall shapers help you get the exact design you want. For each room you can upload a picture that captures the intended final look of that particular room. After finishing a floor you can move on to drawings for other floors. Finally you can save your design and revisit it later using your web browser.

To see PlacePad in action watch demo videos below:

NOTE: Placepad does not function on Google Chrome.

Features:

• A user friendly website.
• Lets you draw your house plans.
• Provides a number of simple and useful tools to create professional looking drawings.
• For each room you can upload pictures of how you want the room to finally look.
• Is a great help in communicating your idea to contractors and builders.
• Similar sites: Roomle, PlanningWiz, Jordan’s Furniture Room Planner, ColorJive and Mydeco ““ Room Planner.
• Related article: 3 Floor Design Services to Decorate and Plan your House.

Check out Placepad @ www.placepad.com

VanDwellers is a free and simple to use website that provides tips and guides on how to live in your vehicle. The site is created by somebody who himself has been homeless many times and is currently living in a large campervan.

VanDwellers covers a number of car living issues such as how long food can be kept in a car without it going bad, how beneficial a dual battery system is to car living, and how to maintain your car without spending a lot of money.

Features:

• Offers tips and guides on how to live in your car.
• Describes the safety precautions car livers need to take.
• List the site owner’s own car living experiences.
• Categories car living in cars, vans, and campervans, station wagons, and caravans.

Check out VanDwellers @ www.vandwellers.org

Easyrooming is a free to use web service for people living in groups. The site’s creators recognize the difficulties in shared living; Easyroomin covers all aspects of shared living to make the experience smoother.

You start by creating an account on the site. From then on you can perform a multitude of tasks: you can create and manage bills to payees, create and manage chores, and list your personal belongings. Other people living with you can view your account details. This shared view enables you to discuss residence-related topics on the site, list roommate and residence contacts, upload a scanned copy of your lease for your roommates, and receive weekly residence activity updates.

Features:

• Organizes all aspects of shared living.
• Lets a user add members to his account.
• User can create, assign, and manage bill payments and chores.
• The site can also act as a micro social network for the people living together.
• Available access to a corpus of shared-living related articles.
• Related tools: URoomSurf,  BillsAreIn, De-Bee, Scred, Billmonk and Billshare.

Check out Easyroomin @ www.easyroomin.com (by MOin from ThumbPress)

To find a roommate with this tool, select a school on the list and sign up for an account. Then answer a quick questionnaire which the website will use to find you a match. You can view the match score for each potential roommate and see their profile. Once you find a new roomate, submit a mutual roommate request to your school so you can be assigned to the same room. You can also read tips about living with your roommate, talk about life in college dorms, and find the most recent connections.

URoomSurf is very useful especially for incoming freshmen who do not want to get stuck with a roommate they may not like. With this tool, your transition from high school to college life will be much easier now that you can hit it off with your new roommate.

Features:

• Find a roommate based on your compatibility score.
• Connect with students on your campus.
• See match scores for potential roommates.
• View blog posts for tips on college life.
• View successful connections.
• Post in the live chatroom.

Check out URoomSurf @ www.uroomsurf.com