5 red flags to watch for when looking for a roommate

Most bad roommate situations could have been avoided. Not because you were unlucky, but because the warnings were there all along, and you ignored them. Here are the five red flags we see again and again.

1. Answers that never match the question

You ask: "How noisy is it typically in the evenings?" They reply: "We're just very chill here."

Vague, general answers to concrete questions are classic deflection. Either they don't know (a problem) or they don't want to answer honestly (a bigger problem). Ask again, more concretely. If the answer still slides, you've got your answer.

2. The current roommate is never around, and never mentioned

If you meet only one of the people who live in the flat, and your contact never mentions the other one, ask why. "She's traveling" is fine once. "She's never home" is deflection. You're moving in with everyone in the flat, not just the one who replies to the listing.

3. Mess that gets explained away

A bit of mess is human. But if the kitchen looks like the dishes have been sitting since yesterday and the explanation is "we just had guests", notice it. Then ask how often they "just had guests." The everyday standard is what counts, not the exception.

4. Money questions get pushed aside

"We'll figure it out." "We just split everything." "We've got a joint account, it's easy."

Money is the most common source of conflict in shared housing. If you can't get a clear answer on how you split rent, water, heat, internet, and shared groceries, you're walking into a conflict. Want to split evenly? Fine. Get it in writing.

5. They've cycled through several roommates in a short time

"The last one was just a bit weird." "She worked too much." "He couldn't keep up with the rent."

If the flat has had three roommates in two years, it's either the people who live there or the place itself that's the problem. Ask directly: what went wrong? Listen more to the tone than to the words. Anger at every previous roommate is a warning sign.

What you can do instead

The best insurance against a bad roommate is a good process:

• Ask concretely. "How many evenings a week do you have guests?" beats "are you social?"
• Meet in person. Skype and chat hide a lot.
• Talk to the current roommate. Alone, if possible.
• Trust your gut. If something feels off, it usually is.

ROO:ME is built precisely to make this process easier: verified profiles, lifestyle matching, and in-app chat so you can filter out red flags before you ever meet the person.

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Sources

• Danish Rent Act (notice and contracts) – Retsinformation
• LLO – Danish Tenants' Union (free advice)