The roommate questionnaire that saves you months of grief
Ask each candidate the same questions: move-in date, budget, lease length, work schedule, sleep schedule, remote calls, cleaning, cooking, guests, pets, smoking, and shared expenses.
Include two open questions: “What made a past roommate arrangement work?” and “How do you prefer to handle a problem at home?” Their answers often reveal more than a checklist.
Share your answers too. The questionnaire is not a test to pass; it is a way to compare expectations fairly. Keep it brief, and discuss any mismatch before approving the arrangement.
Written answers make later conversations easier because everyone starts from the same facts.