So you’ve got a spare room in your house share and arranged via EasyRoommate for some hopefuls to come over and look at it. Nice one!
But of course… you will be looking at them just as much as they will be looking at the flat! This is your one shot to place your potential new house mate under the microscope, weed out any crazies or incompatibles, and ensure that your next flat mate is a better match than hangovers and Netflix.
It’s a weird experience for everyone, but don’t let your natural politeness get in the way of choosing the right flat mate. There are some questions you really need the answer to, no matter how uncomfortable they are for everyone involved. And we thought we’d write them all down for you so you leave no stone unturned.
1. Do you have a boy/girlfriend?
It seems so personal to jump in with this classic, but if you don’t, you have no one to blame but yourself when a rando is turning up to your house two nights a week.
a. Yes? How often will they be over?
Get it all out in the open, dudes.
b. No? How often do you bring your sexual partners over for sexual partner stuff?
All. Out. In. The. Open.
2. Do you have cool kitchen utensils I can use?
Let’s not pretend that a spiralizer isn’t going to reflect positively on a tenant’s CV!
3. You’re cooking, you turn the radio on. What channel would you pick?
As we know from Peep Show (number 14), radio stations mirror the myriad forms of the human psyche with freakish accuracy. Knowing whether your new flatmate is an opinionated LBC fan or cool lover of Radio 6’s Giles Peterson might tell you everything you need to know.
4. If <the current state of the flat at the time of the viewing> is 5/10 on the clean-scale, then what number would you like to keep the flat at?
We all hate messy people, but we also hate clean freaks. Using a scale is a good way to ensure you and your new flatmate are on the same page.
5. What’s your bedtime?
A conversation you might not have had since you were a 14 year-old in a playground, knowing when you new flatmate is gonna shut up and go to bed is essential knowledge for a happy life, even if it does feel a bit weird to hear the words come out of your mouth.
6. Why are you leaving your last place?
Maybe you have a suspicion it’s because of a bad break up, financial difficulties or a bereavement. It’s gonna be tempting not to ask because that’s all some personal, personal stuff. But knowing what went wrong in their last place will help you know what kind of person your new tenant is likely to be.
