Are You Looking for a Roommate? Here Are Some Questions You Should Ask
RentWhiz Team
Getting to know a roommate or interviewing a roommate to figure out whether or not they are a good fit is never really an easy process. In this week's blog, we share some ideas on questions you can ask and why you should ask them. This is just a short guide, so we recommend you make the necessary adjustments based on your needs and circumstances.
What are your hobbies?
This question is a good icebreaker. If you know someone’s hobbies you may find you have mutual interests or even have mutual acquaintances. Since most of our members are students, asking them, what they are taking in school or things they like to do around school may be a good starting point too.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
This is very important to discuss because sometimes having conflicting schedules and lifestyles can lead to disruption and discomfort. If your roommate goes to bed early on most nights, and you come strolling in during the wee hours of the morning, you may make noise that disrupts their sleep. Some people go as far as wearing earplugs and sleeping masks to remedy the problem, but this is something you should discuss.
Hygiene and cleanliness are subjective and relative. A good way to figure out where you lie on the cleanliness spectrum is by asking how often you clean your apartment, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom etc. If you feel the need to clean daily or weekly but your roommate prefers to clean monthly or on an “as needed basis”, then this is probably a mismatch and may lead to some disagreements.
How often do you have guests over?
The reality of the situation is you and your roommate have shared space. You should talk about this because some people do not like having too many people in their living space or sometimes they don’t like having guests stay over night. You can always find a compromise when it comes to this, but we recommend you have this discussion.
What do you consider communal and personal?
A huge reason why some people choose to have a roommate is to save money and minimize their expenses. One of the ways to do this is to split spending on items around the house, like food, cleaning materials etc. When in doubt, it is better to ask. Nothing can be more infuriating to coming home ready to eat or make a meal and roommates have already helped themselves to it without your permission.
Do you have any allergies I need to know about?
Knowing if your roommate has any allergies could make your living situation more harmonious or could even save their life. If you or your roommate have life threatening allergies, and you are comfortable discussing this, then maybe you should. This will prevent you from bringing any allergy triggers into your living space and possibly inform you on the best course of action should your roommate have an allergic reaction.
What is absolutely out of line or what are your pet peeves?
This is common due to many cultural considerations that may exist. In some cultures, it is unacceptable to wear shoes indoors. In some cultures, pets and animals aren’t allowed in doors. This may be a hard question to ask or a hard conversation to have because sometimes people may assume what’s obvious to them, is obvious to you. Therefore, it is probably not a bad idea to try to talk about this. One suggestion is to ask them what their worst experience with a roommate was, and this might give you an idea on where your roommate draws the line.
Smoking, Alcohol and Cannabis Consumption
Some properties don’t allow smoking in doors but some do. If your apartment allows smoking in doors, it’s probably a good idea to decide with your roommate(s) whether you are ok with smoking in doors or even on the balcony, if you have one. This applies to drinking and cannabis consumption too. Some people may not drink or consume cannabis products, and even if they do, they may be opposed to storing or consuming it around their home. It’s better to talk about this with your roommate(s) than to assume it’s not a problem and then find out that it is after the fact.