What questions should I ask of a prospective roommate?

I am searching for a new roommate and interested parties are starting to come in. What questions or checking would you ask of a stranger who may be sharing your home?

You should ask about their work habits. Do they normally work the graveyard shift? Do they have to be in bed by 7PM? Things like that could upset you own routine.

Are they okay with the thermostat set to (whatever your thermostat is set to) - Is this too cold? Too hot?

Do they cook? Do they cook nasty things like fish (nothing against it, you understand) that will leave a lingering smell?

Do they usually listen to the radio at high volumes? Do they watch a lot of TV? Do they have out of town relatives that they will be calling on a regular basis? (Block your phone and make them buy a phone card.)

Are they fairly neat? Do they pick up after themselves? Do they understand the concept of what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is yours?

DO they have pets of any kind? An SO? Any outstanding warrants?Restraining orders or strange habits?

Do you have your own Interocitor, or will you be borrowing mine?

  1. Please give me the name and contact information of your previous landlord.

  2. Are you employed? Where? For how long?

  3. Do you smoke?

  4. Are you a messy or clean person?

  5. Do you have a car? Would you require parking?

  6. Do you do drugs?

  7. What furniture will you be moving in?

  8. Would be able to pay rent on ___ ?(whatever the due date each month)

  9. Are you a partier? Would you bring the party back here?

  10. Are you capable of behaving like an adult? Picking up after yourself, paying bills, taking messages, doing grocery shopping etc. (Sadly, I’ve had a couple surprises in this category.)

add a codicil to the “Do you have pets?” question – is said pet housebroken? friendly? aggressively protective? certified free of fleas?

i’ll never forget the young German shepherd a housemate once had. every time she got excited (which was basically anytime someone came home), she’d wet herself. >> insert big ICK here <<

regarding cooking/eating – are you offering to share your cooking utensils/plates/silverware? (nothing worse than having a nice pan ruined because someone let it boil dry on the burner.) if not, make that known upfront. ditto with staples (flour, shortening, milk, eggs, etc.)

might also want to ask about hobbies. could well help uncover helpful facts – like they’ll need a place to store skis, kayaks, their drum set (between practice sessions).

Have you ever killed someone?

When was the last time anyone ever sang this to you:
You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are gray

?

For more ideas, check out the excellent movie Shallow Grave.

Daniel

Ask them about past roommates and the problems they had with them.

Not a question but important advice: always, always, always collect a deposit up-front for any bills that will be in your name. It’s very easy to get burned, especially with bills that won’t arrive until after the roommate has moved out.

I also think that lifestyle habits are the most important: it’s good to know if they need absolute quiet for their afternoon naps, if they have relatives in far-off time zones that they will talk to during your midnight naps, if they like to have friends over a lot, if they will preach about your eternal damnation when you indulge in your favourite pasttimes, etc … make sure you’re compatible in that way.

I’m not a big fan of asking for references because roommate problems, with the exception of money, are almost always issues of compatibility, which will vary from person to person. And, if your potential new roomie is a psycho of some sort, there are no questions you can ask to determine this.

Mostly, pay attention to the vibes you get from them. Trust your instincts.

What medications are you taking currently?

Wish I’d asked that one of a few roommates, not to mention one ex-boyfriend…

“So, you’re gonna actually PAY some bills and not just screw me over by moving out while I’m at work, right?”

If I had asked that question, I would’ve avoided a whole mess of trouble.

Have you ever been on Amercia’s Most Wanted? Do you watch the show, if so, why?

get a law book at your library on what to ask them. They have roommate law books. I use the Tenant Handbook, but thats for California. Nolo.com (books)

I would also suggest asking if the potential roommate has a romantic partner, and how the roommate would feel about YOUR having (or not having) a romantic partner.
I have had two roomates who had a big problem with overnight guests, though we had separate bedrooms. But I have had other roommates who never minded if my boyfriend occasionally spent the night.

Sequential thread titles:

What questions should I ask of a prospective roommate?
Your views on toplessness.

Depends how picky you are about your roommates.

I am very picky, and I have a rather rigid idea of what constitutes “common courtesy”, especially considering that I’m in my 20s.

These are issues that have come up with my roommates, my sisters’ roommates, my friends’ roommates, etc.:

–How often do you have people over? Do you think it’s polite to tell/ask your roomie before asking others over? Do you have an SO? Do you think having SOs stay the night is appropriate? What about other overnight guests? Do you have to tell/ask your roomie first? Will guests be getting in my way during necessary “getting ready for work” activities? Are you going to be performing sex acts with your SO where I can see or hear them?

–What do you think is an acceptable level of cleanliness for an apartment? How often do you clean kitchen/bathroom/etc? How often do you vacuum/dust? What is your tolerance for “clutter”?

–How do you feel about sharing belongings? What belongings can be shared?

–Do you want to purchase groceries together? Cook together? Is it OK to eat your roommate’s food without permission? If so, is anything off limits?

–How uptight are you about utility bills? Are you a person who leaves all the lights and appliances on, or a freak about switching everything off if you walk away even for a second? What do you consider a “high” utility bill?

–What kind of temperature do you like your home to be for comfort? Do you like AC in the summer? If so, how much? How hot does it have to be before it gets turned on? Does it run continuously, or do you shut it off when you’re not home? What about heat in the winter?

–Who has to take out the garbage?

–Do you have any pets? Cats/dogs/other? Do you expect them to live with us?

–Do you keep the doors locked when you’re home? What about if you’re not?

–How much time are roomies supposed to spend being “pals”? Do you just want to split rent, do you want some kind of sidekick, or somewhere in between?

–Is it expected that you’ll let your roomie know where you are, generally, most of the time? Or is it every man for himself?

Like I said, all of these have been very contentious issues with the roommates I’ve known. You’ll be surprised how much you and other people take for granted about the roommate relationship and how roomies will run their household.

Good luck!

Make sure you ask about when the other person sleeps! And whether he/she sleeps all night, or takes catnaps during the day, or is an insomniac. Find out if your work schedules will be compatible.

(grumble grumble freakin college roomie who got to bed at 4 am when I had 8 am classes to wake up for)

Are you some lazy stoner that plays X-box 24/7?

If you became Evil Overlord of the Universe, what would your first action be?

It’s a great icebreaker, and the reaction you get will tell you a lot. Some people will act shocked at the very question. Other people have a prompt answer, and you can tell they’ve thought about it before. Some people have obviously spent way too much time thinking about it. Extra points awarded for creativity.

It’s a great first date question, too.

Seriously, all of the questions suggested by above posters seem like good ones to ask.

Why would anyone have a problem with their roommate having a SO stay overnight if they have separate bedrooms?

Sapphe: Noise. No, not THAT noise. The noise they make to cover up the other noise.