Roomates: What do you wish you had known?

Question

My parents moved out of my house and they said it was ok for me to rent out the remaining two rooms. So im looking to make a survey for prospective roomates so that i have the best chance to "mesh". My questions are....

1) What should i know about my roomates BEFORE they move in?

2) What do YOU WISH you had known about your roomates before they moved in?

I am 20 yrs old. Preferably looking to rent to a college student.

Answer 1

My first roommate (not in dorm) experience was the summer after my first year in college. I had moved in with some friends from the dorm. I worked to pay my share. We split everything, including food. Because they both received monies from parents upon request, they were very frivolous with their spending. They would invite friends over who would eat the food of which I had paid half. They also didn't have any educational or working responsibilities during the summer, so they stayed up and partied a lot. This continued through to the next semester. I was working two part time jobs and going to school full time and was hardly ever home from 7am to about 10pm. These were not the same people I knew the first year. They became irresponsible and thought me to be "stuck up" and "bitchy" because I was tired and not on the same level of partying as them. It escalated to where they had put my belongings on the enclosed back porch and my bed in the living room (which would be where the partying occurred).

What I wish I would have known...
1) How they perceive money...is it something they will be responsible about?
2) How often they will be expecting company over and approximately how many? Or something to indicate how much "partying" or "entertaining" they will do.
3) What are their goals in life? Hoepfully this will indicate how serious they are about themselves and others around them.

Also, make sure you know yourself first. Establish a set of rules that you will not falter on, a set of rules you can compromise with, etc. Let them know what is expected of them. Make a list of qualities you would want to find in a roommate. Also, make sure you are comfortable about where you are in life because you wouldn't want to put them in the shoes you are trying to stay out of. If you will be having two separate roommates, make sure they get along. Whomever moves in first should also check out the second roommate. Lastly, ask your parents or a friend if they would like to be involved in the interview. Talk to friends and families about their expereinces, as well as how they percieve you and what kind of people they think would mesh with you. They may see things a little differently and it is always good to make sure the people who are important to you will also mesh.

Roommates can be your best friends or your worst enemies. Good luck !

Answer 2

Make sure they aren't going to skip town on you and leave you stuck with their share of the bills. My lil bro did that to his roommates. He wasn't on the lease, so there was nothing they could do about it.

Find out what kind of lifestyle they live to see if it will "mesh" with yours. The bookworm who's working full-time and going to school will not be out all hours of the night partying all the time, or trying to bring a bunch of weirdos into your house because they're too busy with work & school. Find someone you think you could be friends with since you may end up hanging out a lot at the house, playing video games together or who knows. If you're a neat-freak, don't bother renting to a slob or it will piss you off.

Don't rent a room to someone who will come onto you or that you will be attracted to. It's just asking for trouble and I've seen a lot of folks in weird situations because of it. I rented from a guy that was kinda flirty with me, and it weirded me out. My friend rented from some girl and they hooked up and the next thing you know she kicks him out and won't give him back his stuff.

I don't know what age-range you're in, but maybe you can have them provide references. Preferrably from other places they've rented from. Find out if they're dependable.

And just because a person has a "record" doesn't mean they're a bad person, find out their side of the story too. My friend has a record so no apartment will rent to him. The reason he has a record was for helping a friend... This girl found out she was pregnant and told her boyfriend, her boyfriend didn't want to be a daddy so he started punching her in the stomach, and my friend walked up and knocked the guy out to save the girl and her unborn baby. And that makes him a felon. He knew what he was getting into when he decked the guy, and he did it anyway because it was the right thing to do. He's not a drug addict, he's not a murderer or a rapist, but he is a felon. And he makes a mean grilled ham & cheese even though he's vegan.

Job history can give you an idea of their dependability too. Are they stable, or do they hop around a lot? Etc.

Answer 3

well these people have all left good answers so i wont repeat them. the only thing i would say is that anybody can tell a person what they want to hear. if you are asking about money, the person figures that you want them to be frugal, so they would probably say "yea sure i save up some cash". or if you say parties, "no not really, i mean sometimes but dont worry." then the person moves in and are a completely different person. all im trying to say is that you wont REALLY know until they actually move in, so I'd suggest getting people you know in first, or maybe wait a month and then find someone at school, work etc.

Answer 4

Definitely find out what their characters are; ie, if they party a lot, do drugs, will have people over all the time, etc.
I really wish I had known that my roommate (also a girl) was a little "loose" and had guys coming over at all hours of the night...drinking, drugs, yadda yadda. Not fun times, I tell you. I would suggest interviews, set some ground rules, and even make up a contract and have them sign it before they move in. Good luck!

Answer 5

wow, be extremely clear about your expectations. Make sure these people know it too before you allow them to move in. There is plenty of situations I was in where I rented to people I thought were my friends and they eneded up taking advantage of me. All agreements should be IN WRITING! i will never live with another room mate bc you dont know people until u live with them. some people like to party all the time and be out late and other people have to get up early in the morning. i think u should screen people CAREFULLY get one months security and one months rent up front in case they damage things and PEOPLE DO DAMAGES A LOT! u want some sort of resource. i think if u think its a good idea then screen people carefully. get a credit report and backround check too!! if peopel cant pay their bills on time thats a sign they might not pay you on time so they might be a potential risk. also make sure they have no prior evictions on their credit report.

Answer 6

good question. wish known that they'd leave dishes in the sink for a week. or they'd provide napkins when its their turn to buy toilet paper. or that they'd have so much junk that you'd barely have an aisle to walk through your living room. or that they'd party every weekend even when you needed a good nights sleep.
seriously if you get a long well with a person, these things slide by. but if you don't get a long as well, these things will really bug you.

Answer 7

What their friends are like. Do they have a steady job. In what condition did they leave their previous place. What baggage are they bringing with them.

I would ask a potential renter if they would like to go have a beer and to bring a friend of theirs along too. That way you could get to know them a little bit better before signing a contract with them.

Answer 8

Do a little background and personality check. Before you go looking for random roommates, ask your friends if any of their friends are looking to lease because they'd be more trustworthy.

If not, ask them about things they do on the weekend, work/sleep schedule, if they play music (subwoofers at 2am suck), are they in school, things like that.

Answer 9

Why did your mom and dad flow out of your place? Did they provide it to you? in the event that they smoke or no longer historic previous of previous places they have lived with numbers so which you will verify on them Likes and dislikes in the event that they have a activity and pays expenditures in the event that they occasion lots - people who might have human beings over in any respect cases of the day and nighttime

Answer 10

I wouldnt move in with your close friends. I lived with my best friend and we havent spoke since. It ruined our relationship.
Good Luck!