
Finding a Roommate? Take This Roommate Compatibility Quiz

We’ve all been there: It’s 11 PM, and your roommate decided to start playing video games at full volume, even though you have work tomorrow. Or you just cleaned the kitchen, and now there’s a sink full of dishes they don’t have time to wash. Maybe you had a few too many friends over and your roommate now wants to institute a guest policy for your living space that feels passive aggressive.
It seems like everyone who has had a roommate also has a roommate horror story. No one wants to be the bad roommate or live with one. But what if there are less “bad roommates” and “good roommates” than there are mismatches?
We developed our roommate compatibility quiz to help you determine what your “roommate” personality type is. Plus, we let you know which roommate personality you’d click with — and which you’d clash with. It’s free and only takes 5 minutes.
Whether you’re an incoming freshman nervous about sharing a dorm room with your first college roommate or you’ve been living on your own for years and are in search of the perfect roommate for your new apartment, this roommate quiz should help you sort out which of your pet peeves are deal breakers and which you don’t mind compromising on.
Thinking of moving in with someone? Send the quiz to your potential roommate, too, and compare your answers.
The 6 Main Roommate Types
The Keyholder
You like to be the one in charge of doing the planning. You scheduled the apartment tours, you had the broker’s number on your phone, and you tell the landlord if there’s an issue that needs to be solved. A roommate agreement with quiet hours and a guest policy is most likely a necessity for you, and you have a direct communication style that leads you to talk out issues before they go too far. A compatible roommate for you would be one that matches your communication style and your lifestyle. You like things your way — and there’s nothing wrong with that! You would pair best with a Mediator or Homebody. You may clash with another Keyholder, a Free Spirit, or a House Guest.
The Mediator
You are one of the easiest types of roommates to get along with. You don’t have many opinions on how your roommates live as long as everyone is respectful. That being said, you probably aren’t going to be the one to create a chore chart. You’re more likely to be a mediator than a confrontation starter. You value roommates who match your necessities like budget and smoking policies, but you’re pretty adaptable to most other factors. You’d pair well with any of our other roommate types.
The Socialite
You love to have a good time — whether it’s at home with your crew of friends or out on the town. You’re looking to be best friends with your roomie and to bring them into your group. A Tuesday night for you might look like a dinner at home with your roommate, while a Friday might mean you’re having a party at home. Above all else, your perfect roommate wants the same things, so you’ll want to live with someone who matches your lifestyle and communication style. You would pair best with another Socialite, a Free Spirit, or a Mediator roommate — but probably not a Keyholder or a Homebody.
The Homebody
Home is where your heart is. Your comfort zone is in your room, and you don’t care as much about going out. Dinner at home once or twice a week with your roommate or a night in watching your favorite TV show together is probably as much socialization as you’re looking to get and you value your alone time. You value certain lifestyle factors, like noise and guest policies, but are pretty adaptable as long as you have a quiet and clean room to call your own. You would live well with any of our other roommate types, besides a Socialite.
The House Guest
Your apartment is pretty much just the place you sleep — and your roommates joke that you’re more like a quiet house guest than a cohabitator. You are tidy — mostly because you are rarely around to make a mess — and don’t weigh in much on apartment conflicts. You look at your basic needs and necessities when picking a roommate, and you have a hands-off communication style. You’d pair well with most of our other roommate types, other than a Socialite or a Keyholder interested in sharing chores and responsibilities.
The Free Spirit
You prefer to play life by ear, see where the wind takes you, and make decisions on the fly. Your living situation is no exception. One day, you’ll be inspired to deep clean the entire kitchen while listening to your favorite playlist — but on another, you’re throwing all of your clean laundry onto a pile on your desk chair. Even if you aren’t a messy person, you aren’t interested in making — or following — a chore chart, either. You value a hands-off approach to conflicts and you are averse to having a lot of rules or a roommate agreement. You’d pair best with a Mediator, Socialite, or House Guest — but would butt heads with a Keyholder.
Liked our roommate questionnaire? Send it to a friend and see what their roommate personality type is!
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