Roommate Interviews - 20 Lifestyle Questions For Finding The Perfect Roommate



Posted: Monday, October 05, 2009

by Enid Steiner
Flatwithme.com.au

Are you still looking for the perfect roommate that doesn't make you want to tear your hair out? Well, there's no need to look any further, the answer how you can find the right roommate for your household is here waiting for you. Your key to success is remembering that the process begins as soon as you and your roommates walk into the interview room.

The secret to finding the right roommate is asking questions at each interview that let your household learn about each candidate's living habits and what they would be like to live with as a roommate. This allows you choose a person that has similar living habits and lifestyle to existing roommates and would be a natural fit for your household. Your interview questionnaire should include questions about current lifestyle, living patterns and habits, handling of differences and disputes as well as each candidate's expectations. During each interview you may need to ask some tough and direct questions that may make everyone feel uncomfortable but will help your household choose a roommate whose habits existing household members don't feel are annoying, frustrating or irritating. A good way to decide which questions to ask is to look at which issues were causing problems in your household in the past.

So, which questions should your household be asking to find a roommate with a similar lifestyle and living habits? Here are 20 questions that can help you and your roommates find out what it would be like to live with your potential new roommate.

1. How would you describe your lifestyle?
2. How do you feel about housework and chores?
3. Would you contribute to a food kitty or do you prefer to buy your own groceries?
4. Does your job involve shift work?
5. Are you a morning person or do you prefer to stay up late?
6. How do you feel about living in a household that has parties or entertains on a regular basis?
7. Do you stay home a lot or do you prefer to go out?
8. Do you like to invite friends over or do you prefer to meet them elsewhere?
9. Do you smoke?
10. How do you feel about living in a household where people smoke?
11. How you feel about alcohol? Does it bother you how much other people drink?
12. Do you think you are tidy and organized or do you leave everything to the last minute? Do your friends and family agree?
13. Describe your most annoying habit? Do your friends and family agree?
14. What would your current roommates say would be your most annoying habit? Would your friends and family agree? Do you agree with this assessment?
15. Would you change any of your habits or living patterns to fit in with your roommates? Why or why not?
16. Do you think your lifestyle or the way you like to live would fit in with our household?
17. What would you do if a roommate's habit was annoying you?
18. Have you ever had a dispute with roommates over your living habits or lifestyle? What was the issue and the outcome?
19. Have you ever been asked to move out due to your living habits? If yes, which habits offended other people and why?
20. Have you ever asked a person to move out due their living habits and/or lifestyle? Explain the situation.

Asking these types of questions are a great way for your household to learn more about each candidate and help decide if they are the perfect roommate. Just remember, by asking the tough questions your household can find the right roommate that has similar living habits and lifestyle than existing household members and doesn't give you that feeling of wanting to tear your hair out.

Good luck and happy roommate hunting!
 

Enid Steiner is a Director of http://www.flatwithme.com.au, an Australian online roommate service. Flatwithme.com.au lets people find their perfect roommate and provides helpful share accommodation resources including calculators, questionnaires and articles.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Nenita Wells
 2 years 145 days ago.
299 fans.
Hi Enid. These are great questions to ask for a prospective roommate. Well-written and informative.
I appreciate very much your joining my fan club. I am delighted.
Best regards,
~Nenita~
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