When a room opens up in your shared apartment, the replies to your ad come quickly. Ten, twenty or more people may want to meet you, and within a 20-minute conversation you have to judge whether you can live with someone for the next year or longer. Asking the right questions to a potential roommate is the most reliable way to make that call on more than a first impression.
A good roommate match depends on a few factors that rarely come up on their own: money, cleanliness, daily rhythm, guests and expectations about shared life. Most conflicts in shared homes start with exactly these topics. The 15 questions below cover them in a natural order. Keep the tone conversational rather than turning the meeting into a job interview; people answer more honestly when they feel at ease.
Why they want to share a home
1. Why are you looking for a shared apartment? Some people mainly want affordable housing, others are new in town and looking for company. Neither answer is wrong, but it tells you whether their expectations match the household you have. A person looking for a social home may feel lonely in a household where everyone keeps to themselves, and vice versa.
2. Have you lived with roommates before? Previous experience is not a requirement, but it helps. Ask what worked well and what did not. Someone who can describe a past conflict calmly and explain how it was solved usually brings realistic expectations.
3. What are your plans for the next year or two? Some applicants need a room for one semester or an internship, others want to stay for years. If you are tired of searching for a new roommate every few months, this question matters more than it seems.
Money and household logistics
4. How do you prefer to handle rent, utilities and shared costs? Late or missing payments are one of the most common reasons shared households fall apart. Ask how they would like to split utilities and internet, whether they are comfortable with a shared fund for cleaning supplies and basics, and whether their income covers their share of the rent reliably. You do not need to see pay stubs in a first conversation, but vague answers are a signal.
5. What would you bring into the apartment? Furniture, kitchen equipment and appliances such as a coffee maker, kettle or toaster can make shared life easier, or lead to three blenders and no can opener. Talking about this before the move avoids duplicate purchases and makes clear who owns what.
6. How should chores and shared spaces be organized? Clarify the basics early: who cleans what and how often, how the living room and kitchen are used, and whether there is a cleaning schedule. Clear agreements from the start prevent misunderstandings later.
Cleanliness and daily routines
7. What does "clean" mean to you? Cleanliness is the classic source of tension. Ask how they handle dishes, how often they think the bathroom should be cleaned and what bothers them in shared spaces. The goal is not to find the tidiest person, but someone whose standard is close to yours.
8. Are you an early bird or a night owl? Different rhythms are manageable if everyone is considerate, but a person who comes home at 2 a.m. and a person who gets up at 6 a.m. will notice each other. Ask about shift work as well.
9. Do you work or study from home? Remote work has changed shared living. If someone takes video calls in the kitchen every morning, that affects everyone else. Ask where and how often they work from home.
Roommate interviews without endless messaging
Our viewing app lets you manage time slots, confirmations, cancellations and reminders in one place.
Social life and guests
10. Are you more of a quiet person, or do you like to host parties? Different expectations about noise and parties lead to conflict quickly. If you enjoy hosting and the applicant prefers calm evenings, or the other way round, it is better to know now.
11. How often do you have guests over, and do partners stay overnight? Occasional visitors are part of shared life. A partner who effectively moves in is a different situation. Agree on what feels fair to everyone.
12. How do you picture life together in the apartment? Some people want to cook and eat together regularly, others prefer independence and a purely practical arrangement. Neither model is better, but they should not be mixed in the same household without both sides knowing.
13. What are your hobbies and interests? Shared interests are not required, but they can make a household more pleasant. This question also opens up the conversation and often tells you more about someone than direct questions do.
Habits that affect everyone
14. Do you smoke, drink or follow a particular diet? Smokers and non-smokers rarely share a home without friction, even if smoking only happens on the balcony. The same applies to regular heavy drinking. Diets matter mostly in the kitchen: if the household is vegetarian or vegan, someone who fries meat every evening will be noticed. Allergies are worth asking about as well, especially if pets or certain foods are involved.
15. Do you have pets, or are you comfortable living with them? If you already have a cat or dog, the new roommate needs to be fine with it, including possible allergies. If the applicant wants to bring an animal, check first whether your lease allows pets and whether everyone in the household agrees.
Organizing the meetings efficiently
With a popular room, the hardest part is often not the conversation itself but coordinating it. Scheduling 15 or 20 meetings by message, keeping track of who confirmed and who canceled, and making sure every current roommate can attend takes a lot of time.
A booking link makes this much easier. With PropKong, you define the time slots in which you want to meet applicants, either individually or in small groups, and send one link to everyone who replied to your ad. Applicants pick a free slot themselves, receive a confirmation and a reminder the day before, and can cancel online if their plans change. Your first listing is free; after that, each additional listing costs €4.90, or €19.90 per month with Pro.
Good luck finding your new roommate!