15 Questions to Ask a Potential Roommate Before Moving In

Questions 1–3: schedules, noise and working from home.

1. What does a normal weekday look like for you?

Ask when they leave, come home and usually sleep. Explain your routine too. A late shift is useful information; it is not automatically a compatibility problem.

2. What kind of noise bothers you, and when?

Compare calls, music, cooking and alarms. “Quiet after 11” is more actionable than “don’t be loud.” Ask whether headphones and closed doors would solve the likely differences.

3. Will either of us regularly work or study at home?

Discuss meeting hours, desk space and where a long call would happen. Two simultaneous presentations from one dining table can become a podcast nobody subscribed to.

Questions 4–6: cleaning, responsibilities and shared stuff.

4. When do you normally wash dishes and clean shared spaces?

Ask for a recent example. Some people clean as they cook; others batch tasks later. Decide what is acceptable for the kitchen and bathroom you will share.

5. How should we divide chores?

Would a rotation, fixed tasks or another arrangement work? Include less visible jobs such as buying supplies and arranging repairs. Remembering everything is work too.

6. What can we borrow or share?

Talk about cookware, food, chargers and toiletries separately. “Help yourself” to salt is not a lifetime subscription to someone’s shampoo.

Questions 7–9: visitors, personal space and shared rooms.

7. How often do you expect guests or overnight visitors?

Discuss frequency, notice, shared-space use and any property rules. Ask how you would handle a visit that goes longer than planned.

8. How social do you want home to feel?

Some people want regular shared dinners. Others want a friendly hello and time alone. Neither preference is a rejection. Avoid promising constant company if you recharge in silence.

9. What does personal space mean to you?

Ask about knocking, entering bedrooms and using common areas. If you will share a bedroom, discuss lights, changing, calls and quiet time explicitly.

Questions 10–12: expenses and changes. Boring is excellent here.

10. Which costs will we share, and how will we record them?

List the categories you expect: rent, utilities, internet, supplies and any shared services. Separate what the accommodation includes from what you will arrange yourselves.

11. What payment schedule works for both of us?

Agree on reminders and how you will confirm contributions. Avoid assuming that “monthly” means the same date to everyone.

12. What happens if someone’s plans change?

Talk about how you would communicate a delayed contribution, a move or the need for a replacement roommate. Check the actual accommodation terms instead of relying on memory or friendly assumptions.

Questions 13–15: feedback, boundaries and expectations.

13. How would you prefer me to raise a problem?

Would you rather talk privately, send a short message or have a planned check-in? A passive-aggressive note on the fridge is technically communication, but let’s aim higher.

14. Which living preferences are genuinely non-negotiable?

Be clear about the routines and environments you cannot comfortably live with. Listen without trying to negotiate away someone’s basic comfort.

15. What went well—and what was difficult—in your last shared home?

You are looking for practical lessons and expectations, not gossip. If it is their first time sharing, ask what they expect to find easiest and hardest.

Write down what you agree, then revisit it after settling in. For a starting point, try Roomrr’s compatibility test and use the results to choose follow-up questions. A quiz helps structure the conversation; it cannot have it for you.