30 Questions to Ask a Potential Flatmate in Lagos (Before You Move In)

Most flatmate disasters start with a 30-minute coffee meeting where everyone is on best behaviour. By the time the real personality shows up, you've already signed the lease.

This guide gives you 30 specific, hard-to-fake questions that surface the things that actually matter — finances, lifestyle, conflict patterns, and dealbreakers. Use them before committing.

Why Questions Matter More Than "Vibes"

A 30-minute meeting captures someone's social face. Daily living captures their actual self. The gap between those two is where flatmate horror stories happen.

Specific questions surface the daily self. "Are you clean?" gets a useless yes. "When was the last time you washed your dishes?" gets the truth.

On Mushrooms, the Vibe Check algorithm automates a structured version of these questions and scores compatibility. But if you're meeting a flatmate outside the platform, these 30 questions are your checklist.

Section 1: Lifestyle & Schedule (Questions 1-7)

1. What time do you usually wake up and go to bed?

Why it matters: Captures sleep schedule conflicts. An Early Bird and a Night Owl will fight over noise.

Red flag answer: "It depends" without follow-up. People who don't have a baseline schedule are unpredictable to live with.

2. Are you currently working remote, hybrid, or fully in-office?

Why it matters: Determines who is "home" during the day. Remote workers need quiet 9-5. Office workers need quiet evenings.

Red flag answer: "I'm thinking of switching jobs soon." Fine if true, but means you're matching to a temporary lifestyle.

3. How often do you have guests over? Overnight guests?

Why it matters: Frequency expectations differ wildly. Some people have someone over every weekend. Others want a guest-free home.

Red flag answer: "Hardly ever" if their Instagram suggests otherwise.

4. Do you cook at home, eat out, or order delivery?

Why it matters: Kitchen usage determines shared space dynamics. Frequent cooks vs takeout-only people have different kitchen needs.

5. How do you spend Saturday mornings?

Why it matters: A behavioural question — gets actual lifestyle, not stated preferences. Someone who says "I'm chill on weekends" but actually parties Friday and recovers loudly Saturday is different from someone who's quiet.

6. Are you currently in a serious relationship?

Why it matters: A serious partner often becomes a 4th flatmate (always over, uses utilities, in shared spaces). Set expectations now.

7. What hobbies do you do at home?

Why it matters: Surfaces volume-relevant activities — gaming with headphones (fine) vs guitar practice (loud) vs pottery (mess) vs working out (impact).

Section 2: Cleanliness & Habits (Questions 8-13)

8. On a 1-10 scale, how clean would you say you keep your space?

Why it matters: Forces self-assessment. Compare answers — gaps of 3+ predict conflict.

9. When was the last time you washed your dishes?

Why it matters: Behavioural beats stated. "Right now they're in the sink from yesterday" is honest. "I always wash immediately" might be aspirational.

10. How often do you do laundry?

Why it matters: Laundry frequency predicts room-cleanliness baseline. Daily/weekly laundry = generally tidy. Pile-driven = generally relaxed.

11. Are you OK with shared cleaning responsibilities (rotation), or would you rather hire a cleaner?

Why it matters: Money vs time preference. Forces conversation about who pays for what.

12. Do you smoke? Drink? Use anything else recreationally?

Why it matters: Hard dealbreakers for some people. Better to know now than after move-in.

13. Any pets, or are you considering getting one?

Why it matters: Pets are often a hard line. Allergies, lifestyle changes, smell — set expectations.

Section 3: Finances (Questions 14-19)

14. What's your monthly income range?

Why it matters: Awkward but necessary. Tells you if rent is a stretch or comfortable. Stretchy budgets = late payments.

Tip: Lead with your own range first. "I earn around X, just want to make sure we're at similar levels."

15. How would you handle it if you couldn't pay your share of rent one month?

Why it matters: Reveals their backup plan and accountability. "I'd ask family" / "I'd tell you immediately" / "It won't happen" are all signals.

16. Are you OK with paying utilities equally, or do you prefer to split by usage?

Why it matters: Different ways to split bills create friction if not agreed upfront. Equal is simpler. Usage-based is fairer.

17. How do you feel about ordering shared groceries?

Why it matters: Some flatmates want to fully share food costs; others insist on separate. Both are fine — agreeing matters.

18. What's your stance on upgrading utilities (better internet, premium streaming, etc.) if it costs more?

Why it matters: Surfaces money values. "Whatever's cheapest" vs "I'll pay the difference for Starlink" vs "Let's split the upgrade equally."

19. Have you ever had a financial conflict with a flatmate before?

Why it matters: Past behaviour predicts future. Listen for whether they take responsibility or blame the other person.

Section 4: Conflict & Communication (Questions 20-24)

20. How do you typically handle conflict with people you live with?

Why it matters: Surfaces conflict style. "I confront directly" / "I avoid" / "I write a note" — all signal different patterns.

21. Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a previous flatmate and how it resolved.

Why it matters: Real story beats stated philosophy. Listen for: did they take any responsibility? Was the conflict resolved?

22. If I asked you to keep it down at 11pm because I had an early meeting, how would you react?

Why it matters: Tests reasonable accommodation. "Yeah no problem" is the right answer. Pushback is a flag.

23. How do you feel about house rules — e.g., no shoes inside, no music after 10pm?

Why it matters: Some people thrive on clear rules. Others find them stifling. Both can work, but you need to match.

24. What was your last flatmate situation like? Why did it end?

Why it matters: Reveals patterns. If every previous flatmate "was crazy," they're the common thread.

Section 5: Dealbreakers & Long-term (Questions 25-30)

25. Is there anything that would be an absolute dealbreaker for you in a flatmate?

Why it matters: Surfaces non-negotiables before you commit. Better to learn now.

26. How long do you plan to stay in Lagos / this apartment?

Why it matters: Mismatched timelines mean one of you is restless. A 6-month vs 2-year horizon is a meaningful gap.

27. Are you on the lease, or am I subletting from you?

Why it matters: Legal structure determines your rights. Subletters have weaker protections than co-tenants.

28. Have you been NIN-verified or had any background check done?

Why it matters: You're trusting this person with your safety, your stuff, your address. Verified identity is the floor.

29. How do you feel about a written agreement covering rent, bills, and house rules?

Why it matters: Pushback to written agreements is a major red flag. People who handle commitments seriously have no problem documenting them.

30. What questions do you have for me?

Why it matters: A flatmate who has zero questions hasn't thought about it. A flatmate who has thoughtful questions is a co-author of the relationship.

How to Conduct the Interview

Format

• First conversation: video or in-person, 45-60 minutes

• Second meeting: at the apartment

What You're Watching For

• Consistency — answers that match their behaviour
• Self-awareness — people who can describe their flaws are easier to live with
• Reciprocity — do they ask you questions back?
• Specificity — vague answers ("I'm chill") often hide
• Discomfort with topics — money, conflict, past flatmates — discomfort is a flag

What These Questions Replace

This is essentially a manual version of what Mushrooms' Vibe Check does automatically. The platform asks structured questions during onboarding, scores compatibility across 7 factors, and surfaces only matches with high probability of success.

• Both parties answer the same questions, eliminating "interview anxiety"
• Compatibility is scored objectively, not by impression
• Shege warnings surface dealbreakers from past bad experiences
• NIN verification confirms identity claims

The advantage of the manual interview: chemistry. The Vibe Check predicts compatibility; the conversation predicts connection.

Ideal flow: Use Mushrooms to filter to high-compatibility candidates. Then use these 30 questions in your in-person meetings. Algorithm + conversation. Filter + fit.

The Bottom Line

If you're going to live with someone for 12 months, 60 minutes of structured questions is the cheapest insurance you can buy. The questions don't guarantee a great flatmate — but they catch most of the bad ones before you've signed anything.

Find pre-screened, NIN-verified flatmate matches on Mushrooms. The platform asks these questions for you and shows compatibility scores upfront — so you only spend time meeting the people most likely to work.