What are the best questions to ask when interviewing a potential roommate? Here are 15 key questions to ask a potential roommate to ensure a compatible living situation.
Shared living has many benefits, including cheaper housing costs, safety, and companionship. Due to generational trends, more adults live with roommates, especially in urban areas, to save money while establishing careers. Most popular among college students and young professionals, living with a roommate who is not a spouse or romantic partner may be on the rise, but finding someone compatible can be difficult.
When looking for a roommate to share a living space with, it is essential to find someone who is respectful of boundaries, financially responsible, has good communication skills, and has interests and goals similar to yours. To avoid a toxic roommate situation, it is always a good idea to meet with a potential roommate beforehand and ask them questions to see if you would be a good fit.
Asking questions about their lifestyle, daily habits, and personality is a great way to avoid conflicts. It will help you feel more comfortable around each other before committing to living together. Whether you first learn about a potential roommate through a mutual friend or on social media, invite them out for lunch or coffee in the Raleigh area and ask them these top questions to gauge whether or not you could be good roommates or even better friends.
Asking about a potential roommate's daily routine and sleep schedule is very important since it can help you determine whether or not you have compatible lifestyles and daily habits. Learning about their work hours, when they get home, and what time they wake up and go to sleep each day is essential for quiet time needs.
For instance, if you are an early riser, but the other person is a night owl, it is essential to learn about routines and establish clear boundaries to prevent noise disturbances in the morning or late at night. Knowing each other's schedules in advance is also a great way to learn about potential sync-ups and determine if you have conflicting schedules that could lead to problems.
Finding a compatible roommate is already challenging enough, but the process can be tougher when pets are involved. If you are moving with pets, please inform the other person immediately. Whether you have a dog, cat, or other furry friend, a potential roommate must agree to live with an animal and preferably like them.
If a potential roommate is also a pet owner, the initial meetup is a great time to introduce both pets and determine whether they can get along. This is also a great time to discuss whether or not they plan on getting more pets in the future, if they need help taking care of the animal regularly, and any other specific pet rules and expectations.
It is estimated that 36.2 million Americans work remotely. Before choosing to live with a roommate, ask whether or not they work from home. This is key to understanding how much time a day you might be sharing a living space.
If they work hybrid, learn their weekly schedule and determine exactly what days they will be working remotely so that you will know to be quiet and respect their boundaries when they are getting work done from the same space as you. This is especially true if you both work from home and must figure out noise levels, internet usage, and workspace areas throughout the house.
Since it is expected to have pet peeves or particular things that annoy you when living with a roommate, it is always best to ask beforehand so that you know what not to do if you move in together. Communication is key in a roommate relationship, so directly ask what irritates them when living with someone.
While you can not always change your potential roommate's habits, it is essential to talk about them and find common ground. You want to find out early if anything you do will bother your roommate and vice versa.
No one wants to live with someone who does not help with chores around the house, particularly in shared spaces. While it is unlikely that anyone will admit to being unclean or a slob, always ask a prospective roommate about their cleaning habits and whether or not they will be the type to help keep things tidy.
Be direct but polite and gauge their expectations regarding cleanliness and whether they will expect someone else to clean up after them. This is always a good time to ask what cleaning responsibilities they would prefer and if they would be open to creating a chore chart once you move in together.
One of the most important questions to ask a potential roommate is how they feel about guests, especially if you invite friends or significant other multiple times throughout the week. Having a guest policy is a sure way to avoid conflict regarding how often you are willing to put up with someone else who is not paying rent and hanging out in your space.
The guest policy should state how many people can be over at one time and when and how often guests can visit. This is particularly important on work and school nights when your roommate will likely not want to be disturbed or distracted. While there is no hard limit or guideline that roommates must follow regarding a guest policy, discussing it helps set clear expectations and ensures personal space when needed.
No one is obliged to share anything with a roommate, but it is always a good idea to know beforehand, specifically for shared spaces. Often, roommates want to share kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies, basic furniture and decorations in the living room, and occasional food items.
Communicate before moving in and talk about what items you are willing to share and what should be kept personal. Most of the time, roommates will not mind sharing if permission is asked first. If you mutually decide to keep most things separate, consider labeling items so that you know what not to use.
Asking about allergies is crucial, especially if you are moving in with a pet, please don't hesitate to ask about them. More than 50 million people have allergies, so knowing what a potential roommate is allergic to could even mean life or death if they have severe allergies to food or pets. If you both clarify what you are allergic to, it will lead to a more comfortable living space for everyone.
Communicate openly with a potential roommate about whether or not they are financially responsible and will pay rent and utilities on time. This is especially true if you rent a room in your home. Failure to pay rent and utilities will ultimately affect you, so it is best to state your expectations upfront.
If you plan on cooking a lot at home, it might be nice to know how often the kitchen will be occupied. Since the kitchen is a shared space, ask a potential roommate about their cooking frequency and how usually they find themselves making food so that there are no fights over using it simultaneously. Roommates who become good friends might even want to cook together or for each other instead of dining out at a local restaurant.
Everyone has a unique personality, and finding out if someone is an introvert or an extrovert could give you insight into what they will need as a roommate. Whether they would prefer quiet time in their own personal space or lots of social interaction, asking them directly if they view themselves as introverts or extroverts can further help them understand each other.
Learning about each other's party habits is a good thing to discuss, especially if you do not feel comfortable around alcohol or drugs. Having an open and honest conversation with a potential roommate regarding what they could bring into the home is reasonable to ensure a safe and comfortable living space for both parties. While this may be an awkward line of questioning, it is better to get it out of the way than to find out later.
Before moving in with someone, one of the best things you can do is be aware of how they typically handle conflict. Being in a very happy roommate situation is possible, but sometimes small arguments can happen. Knowing the actions that someone will take when faced with conflict can help you determine how to best interact with them and how you should approach disagreements.
Even though you are not required to be best friends with a roommate, it is always a good idea to get to know them better by asking about their interests and hobbies. Learning about what they do for fun and how they spend their free time is a casual way to understand what interests them the most. Plus, shared hobbies can lead to a bond, which is beneficial if you plan to spend time together at home.
The temperature that someone likes to keep at home can be a dealbreaker for many, so approach the conversation with an open mind and a willingness to compromise. Everyone has different indoor temperature preferences, so be prepared to agree on a comfortable middle ground. Most people keep the thermostat between 68 and 76 degrees Fahrenheit, but this number can change depending on the season and time of year.
Do roommates have to be best friends?
No, you do not have to be best friends with your roommate. As long as you get along well and treat each other respectfully, your roommate does not have to be a close friend unless you want them to be.
How often should roommates have guests over?
While there is no set amount of times a roommate can have guests over, it is always a good idea to talk to your roommate about a guest policy to ensure that boundaries and shared spaces are respected.
How to tell if someone would be a good roommate?
The best way to tell if someone will be a good roommate is to meet with them ahead of time and get to know one another. Ask direct questions about their living habits and overall lifestyle to determine compatibility. You might become great roommates if you have similar interests, hobbies, cleanliness habits, schedules, and expectations.
To determine the best questions to ask a potential roommate, information and data were sourced from ADT, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, and the United States Career Institute.
The best way to determine whether someone will be a compatible roommate is to have a casual, nonjudgmental conversation. Spend time introducing yourself and getting to know one another. Once you have asked the above questions, you can determine whether you can move forward as roommates or if you need to keep looking.
If you would like to buy in Raleigh with a roommate, you can contact the experts at Raleigh Realty. All of our Real Estate Experts are knowledgeable and ready to help you through the home-buying process.
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