Values-based roommate matching: why it works
Values show up in small choices: whether rent is paid promptly, whether a guest gets consent, whether a mess is left for someone else, and how a hard conversation begins. Talk about those choices rather than asking people to name abstract values.
A household may value quiet, hospitality, thrift, cleanliness, privacy, or community. None is universally best. The key is whether the people living there understand the value the same way and can honor competing needs.
Values-based matching does not mean finding clones. It means choosing people who use compatible rules when no one is watching.