Necessary Questions to Ask Potential Roommates
Posted in Moving Tips & Tricks on October 17, 2022
Moving across the country is one of the most stressful events you will have in your lifetime, and this stress will be even greater if you have to share a room with complete stranger afterward. However, if you have questions to ask potential roommates prepared on time, this experience doesn’t need to be that scary or challenging.
Relocating to another state alone is scary enough without you having to worry about whether you will end up in an apartment with some sketchy person. But like with any task, if you are prepared and know what you want, you will be able to pick the perfect roommate.
What Do You Do for a Living Is One of the First Questions to Ask Potential Roommates
Having a reliable source of income is a positive sign of dependability and the capacity to make on-time rent payments, regardless of whether your potential roommate works as a banking executive or a barista. You can learn a little bit about their daily itinerary from this query. If you are relocating for the first time, you will probably have a tight relocation budget, and the last thing you will need is to have a roommate that doesn’t pay their obligations on time.
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Do You Work From Home Should Also Be a Question
If you are relocating to a smaller home and you also work remotely, having a roommate at the apartment can be quite challenging. You might not enjoy the idea of having someone else use your house as their business (especially if the apartment is your long-term habitat). The knowledge that your roommate has had so much time to invade your personal space and possessions may also irritate you (if so, just admit it and find someone else).
On the other hand, if you get a job in a new city where you will be working from the office, it can come in handy if you have someone in the apartment all the time. Yes, your utilities will go up, but you will have someone available to take deliveries and wait for the cable installer.
You Should Also Ask About Normal Workday Schedules
When renting an apartment with a roommate, one of the things you need to consider is will your schedule be compatible with theirs. You can better coordinate your timetable if you are aware of your roommate’s work schedule specifics. So, questions like does your prospective roommate usually return home for lunch in the afternoon or do they anticipate working late into the night on occasion to complete projects are crucial. This doesn’t necessarily mean you will reject a candidate, but it can give you some idea about whether you will be able to adjust.
If you both work from home, things can get crowded
How Will You Pay For Your Part of the Rent?
One of the most important questions to ask potential roommates when moving cross country is how they will pay their part of the rent. Relocating to a new state means you will have to research local laws about tenants. You don’t want to end up with a squatter. This is why you need to take all the precious measures before letting someone in. There is nothing stopping you from questioning someone about their employment to determine their source of money. After all, landlords are free to set tough income restrictions, and you are free to follow them. Get as much information as you can about whether the person seems unemployed or is juggling many jobs. Even better, request a letter of employment.Take a look at this video for more tips on what to ask roommates.
What Do You Look For in a Roommate?
Probably the easiest thing about moving across the country is to hire cross-country movers for cross-country moving services – the hard part comes once you relocate. Keeping in touch with friends will be hard but not impossible. However, there is no harm in making new friends. So why not start with your roommate? In fact, some of the best long-lasting friendships have been made this way. Just look at the Friends. When picking a roommate, pick one that shares common interests with you or at least someone whit whom you feel comfortable. This is important, especially if you are relocating to a big city, having someone to hang out with will by far reduce your depression after relocation.
Ask About Day-To-Day Habits
Moving in with a new roommate can be daunting, but asking the right questions can help set expectations and ensure that everyone is on the same page. By asking about your new roommate’s daily habits, you can get a better sense of whether or not you two will be compatible. Do yourself a favor and ask these questions before signing that lease.
What Are Your Cleaning Habits?
Not everyone’s idea of what is “clean” is the same. Some people like to have their bathrooms extra clean, while others can’t stand to have dirty socks (which is, actually, the most common cause of tension between roommates). Depending on your particular cleaning practices, the specific questions you decide to pose should go beyond generalizations. Ask about the person’s typical cleaning procedures. Do they put the dishes in the sink and make the bed every morning? Which tasks do they enjoy and which do they detest? Tell them about your habits as well, and ask them if the schedule for cleaning would be a good idea. Or maybe divide the tasks where you would do things you prefer and roommate the things he prefers.
What Do You Do on Weekends?
By asking this question, you can find out if you’ll have to give up some of your valuable free time for something you don’t particularly want to do, like having to leave the apartment every Sunday morning while your roommate hosts brunch.
This inquiry also reveals whether the person is more of a homebody or a party animal. If it’s the former, be cautious since they might be trying to use you as a built-in social network, or they might just be trying to annoy you by being around all the time. If your roommate likes to party without end, make sure you set up some boundaries about apartment behavior. For example, having people over is fine, but if this is more than ten people, then it is not. Also, make sure he respects your belongings, so you don’t end up with all the fragile items you nearly unpack broken.
Who knows, you may also find shared hobbies that help you determine whether you two are a suitable match.
Do You Smoke or Vape?
Some people find it impossible to live with a smoker, whether they smoke marijuana, cigarettes, or even cigars. If your building prohibits smoking inside, this is a crucial issue to ask. If your potential roommate claims he smokes occasionally, ask how often that is. Depending on where you decide to relocate, the law can be different. Some states and cities forbid smoking in apartments, even near the apartments. So if this is the case, make sure you let your roommate know that. Additionally, it could be wise to include a provision in your lease that clearly states they are not permitted to smoke within the flat. On the other hand, if you are relocating from an apartment to a house, rules can be different – just make sure you ask your landlord about this.
How Often Do You Have Friends or Family Over?
This is an excellent question where you can determine whether you’ll receive a constant stream of visitors during the week. Depending on your point of view on this subject, you can ask more questions. It’s one thing to attend monthly book club meetings or the occasional dinner party, but it’s important to let people know in advance about twice-weekly poker games or regular sleepovers with a significant other. And if you are relocating for love, your significant other will want to sleep over as well, so it would be a good thing to talk about this with your potential roommate. Maybe the roommate will not be comfortable with this.
Ask Potential Roommates Do They Have Any Pets
If you are relocating with a dog, you should inform your potential roommate about this. Maybe that person is allergic or doesn’t like dogs. But on the other hand, if you have issues with pets, you should ask your roommate whether he is planning to relocate with pets. Also, you should ask what kind of pet that is. Relocating with a cat is one thing, but if someone is holding a snake or some other exotic animal, you should be aware of it.
Another thing to think about is your building pet policy. Even buildings that are clearly pet-friendly may impose some limitations, such as those on the breed, size, or an overall number of dogs. Pets may not be allowed by subtenants in condos that allow them. Make sure your roommate is ready to pay the fee and comply.
Always ask about the kind of pets people have - a skunk may not be the good choice in a small space
Start the Interviews With Potential Roommates Before You Book Your Long-Distance Movers
Long-distance moving is a great project, and it will demand a lot of your time and preparation. You will have to organize a move, find a place to live, and on top of that, find a roommate. If you have the money to pay rent for the first couple of months, then great – you will have a lot of time to find a perfect roommate. But in most cases, this is not a reality, and folks need a roommate to share the bills with them from the first day they relocate.
So the best course of action is to hire movers to do all the organizing for you and to interview potential roommates in your spare time. And movers cost a lot less than rent and bills for a couple of months even if you hire movers for full packing service. So do your calculations and have a roommate and an apartment before you relocate.
All of These Questions Will Help You Pick the Best Roommate and Make the Move Easy
If you’re looking for a roommate, it’s important to ask the right questions. Not only will this help you find someone compatible to live with, but it can also make a move easier. By considering your lifestyle and needs, as well as what you want in a roommate, you can narrow down your options and find the perfect person to share your home with. So if you implement some of the advice we gave you, there should not be any hiccups in your relocation. Just make sure you start on time interviewing the people because they will also have to check with your landlord and sign a lease as well.
