Living with a roommate can be tough when things don’t go right. That is why it’s important to ask the right roommate questions when you interview someone for becoming roommates.
Below, I’m going to run you through all the questions that I have asked myself and potential roommates over the years.
Feeling Nervous About Interviewing Someone You Don’t Know?
To avoid feeling nervous about all of these questions, it helps to think about this process as more of a conversation with a new potential roommate, instead of a job Interview. Also, you don’t have to ask every question either; just the ones most important to you.
No matter how impersonal though, it’s advisable to ask the questions relating to employment or finance, after all, if they can’t pay their share of the rent you’ll need to spend your time on someone who can!
Quick tip: Before you ask a potential roommate a question, answer it yourself beforehand. That will make it much, much easier to look for the answers you want to hear so you can better match up with a new housemate.
Roommate Screening Questions For People You Meet Online (mostly finance related)
When you meet people online with a roommate website or roommate finder app, it’s always a good idea to ask the following questions and feel them out. If the answer you get back seems shady, unclear, or wishy washy, you might be better off moving on. On the flip side, if you have a great online conversation, it’s an early sign of good things to come.
- What time can you meet up for an appointment? (if someone flakes, don’t give them a second chance, just move on.)
- What would a previous landlord say about you if I asked or called them?
- Any recent financial difficulties paying the rent at your current place?
- Can you provide reliable references? (get references from friends, family, old landlords, and current landlord.)
- How do you make money for paying the rent? (job, side hustle, freelance work.)
- Can you pass a background check? (if they can’t, this should raise a BIG RED flag!)
College Student Roommate Questions
The college lifestyle is much, much different than a working professional one. Class schedules and views on partying are probably the biggest things to look out for. Consider the following questions for living with a college roommate.
- Will you have fellow classmates over for study time?
- Are you a big partier? How often would large groups of friends come over?
- Do you think underage drinking is OK?
- How often would your significant other spend the night?
- How is your class schedule? Is it more morning or afternoon classes?
General Lifestyle (and fun) Roommate Questions
The below questions will fit most roommate situations. Whether for college, working, or sharing a place with a friend. These questions will apply to every roommate living situation.
- What’s your typical schedule? (stacked more in the morning, afternoon, or night.)
- Do you enjoy your job or career?
- What indoor temp do you like the best?
- Do you have pets?
- Do you smoke or are you offended by smoking?
- Any food restrictions or allergies?
- What’s your dating life like?
- Is this going to be your first roommate?
- Do you work from home?
- Do you have friends come over often?
- Daily schedule of being out vs. being home?
- How much do you cook vs. going out?
- What are your deal breakers?
- Do you travel often?
- What about having out of town guests?
- Do you have any bad habits I should know about?
- What are your biggest stresses in life?
- How do you prioritize cleanliness, play, work, or rest?
- What time do you generally go to work and get home?
- How often do you clean?
Questions About The Living Space and Home
Know ahead of time what type of living arrangements you want. Knowing how many people you want to live with is a must. Also do you really want to live with kids, a couple, or share a bathroom with someone? Think about that carefully!
- How big of a living space do you need to be comfy? (How many bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.)
- What kind of budget do you have and what is the maximum you can afford for your share of the rent? (Don’t forget to include utilities.)
- How close to work do you need to be? (To avoid a long commute.)
- What type of living arrangement do you want? Can you live with a couple, a member of the opposite sex, someone older or younger, someone with kids who will visit frequently.
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind, you don’t have to ask every question and you don’t want to be too picky. The truth is, you’ll never find the perfect roommate. Just make sure they have financial stability and you get along just enough so you don’t go insane.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.