Before you sign the lease, here are 6 signs someone will be a good roommate

Whether you’re looking to relocate, or just getting ready to attend college in the fall, roommates are something you’ll soon be familiar with. There are a few signs someone will be a good roommate right off the bat, which will be incredibly helpful down the road.

Listen — no matter what, the two of you won’t always get along. But if you have a bad roommate, you’ll eventually hate the idea of coming home.

Also, if you’re rooming with someone you already know, you might assume that everything will work out for the best. However, your best friend might actually be kind of awful when it comes to sharing resources. So, getting some subtle hints beforehand will definitely make your life a bit easier.

Here are six signs that things will probably end up working out well for both of you.

1During the interview, she lets you know that she appreciates a heads up as to where you’re going.

If she cares where you are, then she’ll return the favor. We mean, you don’t necessarily want to track her down on Find A Friend, but the fact that she wants to give you a heads up is pretty great. Because if she left for a 3-day concert festival, and you assumed she was just at her part-time job for the afternoon, you’d probably get a little bit paranoid.

A gesture like this also shows that she respects both of your needs for some solo apartment time. In other words, she wants you to feel comfortable singing at the top of your lungs to Britney while she’s not around. She knows how helpful it can be for your mental clarity, and has done it herself many times prior.

2Even if their room is a mess, the common area is clear.

It doesn’t matter if she’s Danny Tanner-level neat or a human disaster. She keeps her own space how she wants it, but totally respects the spaces that you both share.

Since it’s tough to tell how she’ll be prior to actually moving in, you might notice this from your initial apartment walk-through. The pictures on the Craigslist ad will (surprisingly) match what you see almost exactly.

3Her last roommate stayed for over a year.

It’s good to get the story of the place before signing the lease. Whether or not you’ll be living with a friend or a stranger, her roommate history can tell you a lot about what to expect. If roommates unpacked their bags only to leave a few months later, something strange definitely happened.

A good roommate resume is a lot like a good job resume. It proves she can live harmoniously with someone else.

4She’s been at the apartment for over a year.

She signed the lease again, which means a few things. For one, she’s happy with the place — and that means she wants to take care of it. Two, she’s able to afford rent — always a plus. And three, she’s not planning on bailing mid-year, to leave you stranded and in search of a new roommate.

5She’s got a good sense of humor.

You don’t need to be best friends with your roommate, but having the same sense of humor truly goes far. If you notice that the two of you seem to have an instant connection, and find the same things to be funny, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to effectively communicate with her when you have to talk about a tough issue.

6Her space isn’t decorated with beer bottles and unframed blacklight posters.

If you’re out of college, this is a warning sign. If you’re still in college, this might be a bit more normal. When someone is living on their own outside of school, how they decorate can often clue you into what they’re like, and what kind of message they want to send to visitors.

While it’s totally fine to have a roommate who likes to party (since hey, it’s always great to be social) they’re more likely to keep strange hours, or keep the music cranked up a bit too loud, or simply partake in boozing a bit more than you feel comfortable with. (We enjoy mimosas, but every day?) You need a roommate who is considerate of your schedule, and who’s on the same page as you. So, this might be a red flag.

Also, the same taste in cute decor will definitely help you both feel so much prouder of your humble little abode.