Author Topic: How do you screen roommates?  (Read 2420 times)

marielle

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How do you screen roommates?
« on: June 14, 2017, 08:31:31 AM »
Thought this would be a pretty interesting discussion.

What kinds of questions do you ask? Are they different if you are the one moving in or someone else is moving into your home/apartment? What are deal breakers? And so on...
Feel free to add reasons or past experiences that led you to decide never to live with roommates.

Personally if I already have a place and looking for someone to move in, I look for someone who works full time and would never be home. This has worked well the past year, both roommates have never been home and it's basically like living alone but for half price.

Currently looking to move into someone else's house but not sure of what to stay away from. One house looks great but may be weird because he has kids on the weekend (8 or 9), and I don't like kids or have any intentions of having kids. But I prefer living with someone who is a stickler (due to the kids) and someone with a nice place, stable job versus uncertainty about potential drugs/weird situations/etc. Another place is in a good location close to work but older, very old fashioned, and she doesn't have a dishwasher, internet, or a washer/dryer. She is willing to get internet and a washer/dryer (I hope!). I wish I worked in a city with a lot of options, but here it's either a renting a nice place and commuting, or buying a small house close by for like $60k that probably won't appreciate.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2017, 08:37:49 AM by marielle »

mozar

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Re: How do you screen roommates?
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2017, 10:25:21 AM »
I wouldn't rely on someone else to get internet for you. If they don't have it, I would assume they're not going to. I would pass on that one.

Rimu05

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Re: How do you screen roommates?
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2017, 10:26:17 AM »
I meet with them, see the house and make sure to ask them about themselves. I do not go for anyone with kids or pets. I also do not go for houses where the owner mentions they don't have something but they will add if the tenant wishes.

PS. You can also sign up for roomiematch which will screen people for you.

marielle

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Re: How do you screen roommates?
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2017, 11:07:56 AM »
I wouldn't rely on someone else to get internet for you. If they don't have it, I would assume they're not going to. I would pass on that one.

I wish it were that easy for me to just pass, but my options or limited or nonexistent in this area. It's only $400 so even if I have to pay for internet by myself I don't really mind. I would have to commute 30+ minutes from the bigger nearby city to get something better/newer. I thought I had a house lined up to rent by myself within about 8 miles of work (well in advance too), but it seems like that has fallen through since I've heard nothing form the landlord and never received any information. Heard about it through a coworker who constantly assures me the landlord will call but I've given up.

PoutineLover

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Re: How do you screen roommates?
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2017, 11:21:52 AM »
I look for someone who will clean up after themselves, respect our shared spaces, and pay the rent on time. If I was moving in with someone else, I'd look at how clean the place is, ask what their attitude is towards me having friends or overnight guests over, and try to determine through conversation if they seem well-adjusted. I don't want to live with someone overly neurotic, needy, unstable or other undesirable traits. It's sometimes hard to know from a short meeting, but usually I can tell if I'm getting a good vibe from someone and if I can see us sharing a space peacefully. Obviously having a job or source of income and no serious drug problem is important too. I got stuck with a shitty roommate once because my friend moved out with really short notice and 2 months left on the lease, and only one person wanted the place, but luckily it was just for a short time. He was a messy, racist, bad tempered person so I had to do extra cleaning but otherwise basically ignored him.
In your case, your best bet could be the lady with no internet if you can get it installed, but make sure that's in writing. I personally wouldn't want to deal with kids around, but if you do choose that place I think you should meet them before committing. Maybe it's not so bad if you're out on weekends, but kids can be noisy and messy and annoying and you can't discipline someone else's kids so you might have to just put up with it.

galliver

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Re: How do you screen roommates?
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2017, 11:48:10 AM »
My goals were different from yours; I wanted to live with other people with some sense of community. And I didn't mind pets. Found two lovely ladies and a dog in a little old house, head students like me. We were never bffs, but were a great match as roommates. Shared pantry staples (eggs, sugar, flour), never needed a formal system for paper & cleaning products (just took turns), traded off some chores and favors (dishes vs trash, watching her dog vs homemade pie), planted a veg garden together, had cookouts.

I think the biggest conflicts among roomies tend to be cleaning, noise, sharing, and visitors, so those are important to talk about/screen for. A slob and a neat freak will have a very hard time cohabiting. If you have a long distance SO, living with someone opposed to overnight guests would work badly. Etc.

[ ETA: Realized after posting ability to pay rent is very important, too. Definitely looking for steady employment and a healthy attitude toward money, ie prioritizing rent.]

Screened my current roommate by dating him 3 years. Sometimes wish he'd clean more, but overall it's pretty great ;)
« Last Edit: June 14, 2017, 11:51:20 AM by galliver »