Eight Questions to Ask a Potential Roommate
Apartment sharing is quite popular among St. Georges University students here in Grenada who are seeking to cut the cost and living expenses that one might spend on renting an apartment individually. One challenge, of course, is choosing a suitable and compatible roommate that will best suit your lifestyle.
Here are 8 helpful questions to ask a prospective roomie:
1. What are your pet peeves?
An important thing to ask a potential roommate is to list the behaviors they find annoying. The last thing you would want to do is share an apartment with someone who would be annoyed by things you’re fond of doing…complete disaster.
It is imperative that you get a feel for your potential roommate’s personality and figure out if you’re likely to mesh well. You must share a house with this person, after all!
2. Do you like pets?
If you have a pet in the apartment, it is important to discuss it with your potential roommate because they may be allergic, or even downright dislike pets. Deciding whether you will be open to welcoming a potential pet owner as a roommate into a pet-friendly apartment is another thing to think about.
3. How long do you tend to spend in the bathroom in the morning (especially if there’s only one bathroom available)?
If your timetables are similar and you both have to catch the 8 am bus then this could be a problem. Try moving any unnecessary tasks out of the bathroom, like applying make-up or drying your hair, in order to free up more shower time.
4. How do you think bills should be divided?
For most SGU off-campus apartments here in Grenada not all utilities would be included. You would need to consider bills like your electricity usage and the appliances that would spike it. If your potential roommate is one that leaves the AC running all day long while at school or sleeps with the lights on, they might need to pay a bigger chunk of the bill.
5. Are you planning to have friends around regularly? Will they be staying over?
Some people are very sociable, while others want to head home from the University to some peace and quiet. Find out if your potential roommate plans on having friends around for drinks or parties and see if that fits in with your usual routine.
As long as it’s in accordance with your lease agreement, there’s nothing wrong with having a friend stay overnight, but if they’re invading your personal space, distracting you from your studies, and/or have practically moved in then things can get a little tense. Be upfront with potential roommates and let them know what you’d be comfortable with.
6. Do you have any personal furnishings that you’d be moving in with?
Moving into an unfurnished apartment with a potential roommate who owns a couch, stove, or any form of furnishing would be welcomed. However, if your place is fully furnished, a roommate who wants to bring a large amount of furniture could be more of a hindrance than a help.
7. How do you think food and shopping should be organized? What about cooking?
Cooking with your new housemates can be a great way to build friendships, as well as potentially being more cost-effective than cooking individually. Having similar-sized appetites and tastes in food is an important thing to consider.
8. How are we going to divide our chores?
It’s no fun for anyone if you hate messes and your roommate is happy to leave dishes in the sink for a few days. If you choose a perfectionist for a flatmate and you are fairly laid back about the odd coffee cup in the sink, you may find that you’re the one being nagged.
As such, it’s important that you find someone who feels the same about keeping the apartment as tidy as you would. One person’s clean may be another person’s filthy. Be honest with yourself about how tidy you are and choose a roommate who is similar.
Be sure to ask potential roomies these 8 simple questions and conversation starters as they are a great way to avoid any future awkward circumstances or potential confrontation and can ensure the tranquil atmosphere that we all desire.
