Potential Roommate Questionnaire

Once you've found some potential roommates, use this helpful roommate questionnaire to weed out those roommates and/or apartments that won't fit with your lifestyle. It's better to get these questions answered ahead of time to avoid a potentially disastrous roommate experience. This won't guarantee you won't get the 'roommate from hell', but it should help lessen those chances. We'll make this available in a more printable format shortly.

Questions to ask, or find answers to, before agreeing to be a roommate:

• Sleeping habits: Early riser? Night owl? Light sleeper?
• Music habits: Likes to crank their music? If so, what type?
• Friends: Friends or family over all the time? Frequent parties? Have boyfriends/girlfriends stay over? If so, any 'rules'?
• Cleanliness: Wash their dishes immediately? Is there a dishwasher? How often is the bathroom cleaned? Is there a schedule for this or just whenever required?
• Cooking: What types of dishes does he/she make (think smells and such)? Vegetarian? Vegan? Any pots/pans that can't be used for meat?
• Dishes: Bring own dishes? Share what is currently there? If bring, what is needed?
• Food: Share food (one combined grocery buy) or do keep separate?
• Drinking & Drugs: What does he/she partake in? What are they willing to have take place?
• Television: Need a TV? Bring one? Open to bring a 'better' one?
• Laundry: Is laundry available? If so, any special terms or cost to use it?
• Employment status: Is the person a student? Employed full time? Employed part time? -- i.e. When they be around? Do they have the ability to pay their share of the rent?
• Phone and Internet: Is phone and internet shared? If so, how much? Any special terms?
• Furniture: Does the apartment need any furniture? What can you bring?
• Pets: Do they have any pets? What kind of pets? Can you bring more? Does the building or landlord allow pets?
• Security: Is there security for the building? Does your individual room door have a lock? Is it ok to install one?
• Parking: Any parking available? At what cost?
• Heat/Hydro: Is heat/hydro included in the rent? If not, how much approximately? How warm does he/she like it?
• Air Conditioning: Is there any A/C in the apartment? If so, how cold does he/she like it?
• Amenities: Any other building amenities (concierge? gym? pool? rooftop deck? barbeques, etc.)? If so, any usage terms?
• Neighbourhood: How safe is the neighbourhood (including at night)? Transit accessible? If so, how often (and how late/early) does the subway/streetcar/bus run? Grocery store near by? Coffee shop near by?
• Agreements: Is there a roommate agreement to sign? Is there a building agreement to sign? You'll want to see them beforehand to look over. Is there a damage deposit?