12 Questions to Ask a Potential Roommate

What to ask a potential roommate

If you’re thinking of getting a roommate, there are some things you should consider before having them sign onto the lease. Before someone moves in, sit down with them and ask some questions about their lifestyle to see if it meshes well with yours. Here are some questions to ask a potential roommate.

1. What is your daily routine?

This is an important question to ask. This will give you a basic idea of how your possible future roommate makes their way through the day.

2. Are you a morning or night person?

People who are night owls and people who are early birds don’t typically mix well as roommates. If you are on opposite sleep schedules, you might feel obligated to tiptoe around your apartment. Finding someone with a similar sleep schedule to yours is always a better idea.

3. What’s your work schedule?

Ideally, you’d want you and your roommate to have similar work schedules. This is similar to the morning or night person, as you don’t want to have to be completely silent if a person has a totally separate work schedule from yours. This is also helpful if you are sharing a bathroom because you’ll want enough time to get ready in the morning.

4. Do you work from home?

If you work from home, you’ll want to know whether your potential roommate also works from home. You may have chosen to work from home as it presents fewer distractions, a roommate who also works from home may be counteractive.

5. What do you like to do at night/on the weekend?

If you enjoy having friends over, rooming with someone who prefers to be a bit of a couch potato may not be the best match. On the other hand, if you are someone who prefers a more quiet lifestyle, you might not want to room with someone who wants to be the life of the party.

6. Do you have any pets?

If you don’t like pets or are allergic to certain animals, you shouldn’t live with a roommate who has one! If you don’t mind pets (or would actually welcome having one), contact your landlord to make sure pets are allowed in the building.

7. Are you in a relationship?

Set clear expectations about how often romantic partners can stay over early on. This helps prevent an accidental third (and non-paying) roommate from moving in.

8. Have you ever had issues with rent payments?

Though a landlord will most likely look into a person’s rental history before approving the roommate, you should still look into this yourself. If your roommate can’t pay their portion of the rent, you are the one who has to pick up the slack.

9. How often do you clean?

If you are a very tidy person, you wouldn’t want to be roommates with someone who is a little more lackadaisical with cleaning.

10. What indoor temperature do you prefer?

Think about what temperature you like to see on the thermostat. In addition to personal preference, this can also be a financial issue. If your roommate likes to blast the air conditioner, you could have a higher than average utility bill.

11. Do you smoke?

This is an especially important question. For most people, living with a smoker is a deal breaker. Be clear on if they smoke, and where they would smoke if they do become your roommate. Remember, the smell of smoke sticks. So, if you are someone who gets sick from the smell of smoke, it won’t go away as soon as someone puts out a cigarette. It might be better, in this case, to go with a roommate who is not a smoker.

12. Are you still friends with your old roommate?

While it’s not a requirement to be best friends with your roommate, you certainly want someone that is nice and easy to get along with. If someone remains on good terms with their old roommate, it shows that they display these traits.