What makes the perfect roommate?

by Morgan McCarthy

We know that finding the perfect roommate isn’t easy – but what actually makes the perfect roommate? We surveyed 6,000+ roommates and roommate-seekers to find out exactly what matters to people when looking for someone to live with, and what doesn’t...

Here’s what we found out from our survey:

  • A huge 99% of respondents want roommates who are respectful, responsible, honest and clean/neat
  • While most also listed ‘friendly’ as a key trait, a quiet roommate was equally important
  • 74% of roommates said they definitely didn't want to live with a smoker, although 34% said they’d prefer it if their roommate smoked
  • Gender was a key factor – but having a love for animals was more important
  • 1 in 3 said they want roommates to share their interests, like exercising, a love for plants, and baking
  • 1 in 3 people also said a willingness to share a Netflix subscription is important (we agree!)
  • 25% would ideally share with a wine drinker
  • 40% of respondents in their 20s said they want a roommate who likes to party, but 82% of respondents over 50 said this was a deal breaker
  • 65% of females say gender is a factor in their search, but only 42% of males take this into consideration
  • In Los Angeles 41% want to live with someone who has a similar taste in music, but this doesn’t matter to 70% of New Yorkers

THE TOP 25 THINGS PEOPLE LOOK FOR IN A ROOMMATE:

  1. Respectful
  2. Responsible
  3. Honest
  4. Clean/neat
  5. Friendly
  6. Quiet
  7. Non-Smoker
  8. Age
  9. Similar interests/hobbies
  10. Love for animals
  11. Gender
  12. Has furniture
  13. Likes to cook
  14. Similar dietary habits
  15. Similar interests in music
  16. Likes to hosts parties
  17. Single
  18. Smoker
  19. Likes to exercise
  20. Likes to party
  21. Love for plants
  22. Shares a similar sense of style
  23. Likes to bake
  24. Willingness to share a Netflix subscription
  25. Wine drinker