Easy flatmates should make you feel comfortable sharing your home and living space with them. You can quickly select easy flatmates with some planning and by following a few simple steps.
Select easy flatmates as a group
If there are other flat mates, it is better to involve them in your decision to select a new flatmate. A home will be a happy home only when room mates are comfortable living together and nobody has to creep around. Discuss with your fellow roommates and give them equal responsibility in the selection process. If you are looking for a flatmate yourself, take the advice of your family and friends (who have experience of living with roommates). They will be able to help in your search for an easy flatmate.
Identify the qualities you seek in easy flatmates
Determine what type of person matches your profile of an easy flatmate. Make a list of preferred qualities you are seeking in your room buddie, some of the criteria can be age, sex, social habits, hobbies and interests and type of personality. This will help you compare individuals and select the right flat mate with whom you can live harmoniously.
For preliminary enquiries, choose a few questions that you want to ask before meeting them face to face – so as to not waste your time or theirs. Before the flatmate interview, prepare a list of questions and ask the same questions to all potential flat mates to select individuals that closely match your profile of easy flatmates. Ask questions that are relevant for you. For instance:
- Are they employed and for how long?
- What is their normal sleep time?
- Will their boyfriend / girlfriend stay overnight?
- Enquire about their health?
- Can they provide references of their previous flat mate or landlords?
- Are they willing to sign a roommate agreement?
Their conduct during the interview will provide you insight into the character of the person. Certain things to observe in easy flatmates are:
- Are they on time?
- Whether their personality matches with yours?
- Is their appearance neat?
- Are they polite?
Verify references
Check the references of previous flat mates or landlords of potential easy flatmates.
The main reason for making enquiries is to get accurate and actual information about what it will be like to live with your selected flatmate and to avoid any hidden surprises that may appear later on.
Some questions you can ask are:
- How long he stayed with the flatmate?
- The reason why he no long lives with the flatmate?
- Will he share accommodate with the flatmate again? Why?
- What are the most awful habits of the flatmate?
- Did he enjoy living with the flatmate?
- Did they create any trouble during the time he lived with them or any flatmate?
- Did the flatmate pay the rent and expenses on time?
Prepare a written flat mate agreement
The final step of selecting easy flatmates is to make an agreement and get it signed and dated by the person preferably in front of a witness. A flat mate agreement is a legal notification about the liabilities and responsibilities of your roommates.
Some of the important details your agreement should cover are:
- The rent amount they are responsible to pay, mode of payment (direct deposit, cheque or cash) and to whom (landlord or flat mate) and on what date.
- How utilities and other bills will be divided between you and who will pay for them.
- Which room they get and, if any changes to the room arrangement, then for how long;
- Issues related to pets;
- Provision for damages caused by their pets or by them.
- Minimum bill and rent payable if the person leaves before the lease period.
Sleep on it before finally selecting easy flatmates
Take some time to review or think it over before finally selecting easy flatmates. Your selection may not look that good a few hours later. Sleep overnight and if you are confident about your decision in the morning, contact them and offer them the share accommodation.
Armed with these guidelines; you will be able to select easy flatmates for yourself.
