ForRent makes finding a new apartment easy, but finding a roommate to share that rental with you is much harder. As you interview potential roommates, ask these 24 questions to help you find the perfect match!
DAY TO DAY
What’s your daily routine?
This answer should give you an idea if your day to day experience living with this person will work with your own schedule.
What do you do on the weekends?
This question can lead you into a good conversation about their interests, and where you may have things in common.
How do you relax at home in your free time?
You can use this question to talk about things like whether or not you will split Netflix costs, where you will set up the video game console, or if they play a musical instrument.
How often do you travel?
If your prospective roommate is a traveler, he or she may be gone from the apartment for long periods of time.
WORK
What do you do for a living?
Be sure to ask how long their commute is, how long they have been working at their place of employment, and if they see a change in their work circumstances in the future.
How long is your average workday?
If your roommate and you do not work the same hours (or sleep the same hours), you may need to work out some accommodations.
Do you ever work from home?
Working from home may call for a strong wifi connection, a quiet work space, or any number of other special circumstances that you will need to be aware of ahead of time.
PREVIOUS HOME
Why are you looking for a new place?
Are they moving to a new city? Did they get evicted from their old apartment? This is an important question!
Are you still friends with your old roommates?
While you don’t have to be besties with your roommates, it is good to know if they left their former renters on good terms. And if they didn’t, find out why.
APARTMENT LIVING
How often do you clean?
When you share a living space with someone, you have to share the responsibility of taking care of that space. Roommates should be on the same page about how those responsibilities will be split.
How often do you cook?
This is a good way to ease into kitchen guidelines. So many arguments between roommates start over stolen food or dirty dishes. Set clear ground rules from the get-go.
What furniture will you bring with you?
You will be combining your furniture with theirs, so now is the time to figure out if you will have duplicate kitchen tables, or if neither of you have a couch.
Do you have any pets?
Even if your rental allows pets, you may have to take a pet deposit or security deposit into account. Figure out what you are both comfortable with regarding pets, and who will take care of any pet-related expenses.
Do you smoke?
If you hate the smell of stale cigarette smoke, you want to know ahead of time if your potential roommate is a smoker. This may be a good time to ease into the subject of alcohol and/or drug use.
Are you allergic to anything?
If you or your roommate has allergies, that is important information to have from the start!
GUESTS
What’s your romantic situation?
This may seem like a personal question, but if your roommate gets engaged and moves out after a month you will be the one stuck having to find a new roommate. You don’t need to ask for all the details, but get a general idea of whether they are dating.
What are your feelings on overnight guests? Do you expect a lot of out-of-town visitors?
Unless your rental has another spare bedroom, allowing overnight guests can make your apartment pretty crowded. It’s a good idea to set ground rules about how often, how many, and for how long guests can stay overnight.
Do you like to entertain?
If you love throwing dinner parties and your new roommate has terrible social anxiety, you might not be a good match. Try to get a sense of that before deciding on a roommate.
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NUTS AND BOLTS
Can you put down a deposit?
Now that you have gotten through the compatibility part of the questionnaire, it’s time to ask these tough questions.
How long do you plan to stay?
Will they sign onto a 1 year lease, or are they only looking for a place to stay for a few months?
Do you have a way to pay for unexpected expenses?
Things happen, and you and roommate could suddenly be on the hook for a big expense. It’s good to know if your roommate will be able to help you shoulder that burden.
Do you have any safety concerns?
You and your roommate should be on the same page regarding things like locking doors, who keeps a spare key, etc.
Do you have references?
There’s no reason why you shouldn’t ask for a prospective roommate to provide you with references. And follow up on them!
FINALLY
What do YOU want in a roommate?
Remember that you are going to be their roommate too! Do you fit their picture of what an ideal roommate looks like?