I used it once, but I didn't like the way the roommate didn't take care of her own needs. What happens if your Sim has a roommate and then moves out? Does the roomie stay in the apartment?

No, that apartment becomes vacant and the roommate returns to the place all townies come from.

Roommates are quite capable of taking care of their own needs. Some may need you to show them how a couple of times before they catch on, but some are quite self-sufficient from the start. Same as playables, not every Sim comes out of CAS ready to autonomously keep motives up. Sometimes you need to train them by directing it (controlpets lets you control roomies), sometimes they get it on their own.

Max's roommates would make themselves food if hungry (cook food, not just grab a snack or eat from the fridge) and they would go to bed when they needed it (made much easier by smart beds + directing them to their bed once). The only thing they weren't that good at was hygiene, they kept brushing teeth instead of showering, but that's a universal problem for all Sims, so I can't blame them. But all three of them kept their motives under control on their own, and all three had maxed out roomie-bars.

Roommates and apartments are not everyone's cup of tea, but the system works fine if you just understand how it works and work with the system.

AL roommates get automatic needs boost whenever they go out. in theory this shouldn't have been a problem if your roommate could leave.

Twice. Hated it both times. As others wrote, the roommate is pretty limited. I found using them disappointing.

I play with roommates very rarely, but if I do, I make them select-able, just like pets.
What I don't like is that a roommate never gets a promotion even if all requirements are met, and fulfilling Wants never affect them either.

So they don't pick from the townie list?

Do they then become townies afterwards? Because I had a roommate once and I still see him around town...

The game should pick from the social groups townies, which, I believe, Maxon does not have in her game.

Well, she didn't die or anything, so it probably wasn't a problem for her, but I didn't like seeing her stand around all night instead of going to bed etc. There's a similar issue with vacation guests who don't use the hotel or fill any of their vacation wants. You can take control, but the way the system works wasn't what I'd expected.

I have used it a couple of times in the beginning when I first installed AL. I wanted to explore the game and play the game in a new way and it was fun and different obviously but not something I normally like to do in my game :-D I kind of dislike it how they just come and go as they please and do all the stupid stuff when I just want to chill. I guess that's how it would be in real life, too. You probably don't have much of a say about their do's and don'ts :D

You're probably right - I imagine that's what's generating but the game will make a lot of them even with the no regen hacks if you place an ad for a roomate (and don't have any already present). In other words, it doesn't just make as many as needed but attempts to seed the pool.

The one time I tried it, I think the most accurate description of my reaction was 'horrified'. I don't want the game making me sims. I like to make my own.

I use roomies quite often and really enjoy it. I don't bother controlling them, but I do tend to rather exclusively accept the neat ones. That way you don't even need a maid, LOL. Although they only cook for themselves, the neater ones clean up all the time, which is a money and time saver for my Sims. When they trot off to work or "run errands", they always fill ALL their motive bars... soooo not much to worry about happiness -wise. They're actually easier than a pet (IMO) and I don't even have to control them. The break in rent is nice and if you're a romance Sim, there is always someone to woohoo in a pinch!

(Not to mention, they mingle with the other residents and provide either juicy drama, romance or some unexpected friendships.)

Yikes, thanks for the reminder to never try that option in Coral Bay.

I'm with Joandsarah. Either my units are too small, or my apartment is full of family. I really should make a better use of that feature.

Yes. I did it once in my clean neighborhood and I swore I'd never do it again. Then again, I needed some extra employees that aren't playable Sims for my business...

I use it. I prefer playing apartment-like houses that I build, rather than unifamilliale houses. They have their own bedroom, they are well treated..and if ever they aren't nice to my sims?..I throw them out.

I love roommates! It is really fun having people live in the same house as your sim that you can't control and don't have to keep alive.

I use playable sims for my businesses. Often those sims that didn't go to uni or failed out although the chief at my better restaurant graduated culinary school.

I tried it once when I installed Apartment Life two years ago, but I didn't like that the roommates aged.

I never ever ever use it. I dn't like playing in Apartments to begin with and think that they are one of the sloppiest parts of the game.

But oh boy, I would never allow an AI controlled Sim to live in one of my households. I don't find the senseless antics of AI controlled Sims funny. I might as well watch a couple woodlice scurrying around. It's just not my thing.

I have watched both woodlice and AI roommates, enjoyed both and have yet to kill off any room mates unlike my louse colonies (sorry)
Also apologies to any Entomophobes ie insect phobia sufferers for mentioning woodlice, slaters pillerbugs/whatever else you'd call the Oniscidea species'

Back on topic, Roommates are somewhat unheard off in Rematra and its surronding districts but do exist. One tenant sim has three roommates.

No, never, except at the very beginning, and then I refused it%)

I use them if one or two playables live in an appartment, I find them amusing (but always have controlpets on). I only kicked out one of them who constantly tried to kiss the wife of the young couple he lived with and she rejected him what made it a bit of a strange situation.

Well, tbf if I had the option to have my Sims live with overly large woodlice for pets, I would totally do that.
They would have none of the disadvantages of AI controlled roommates; they wouldn't sleep in the wrong beds, they wouldn't start fires, they wouldn't leave stuff lying around. They wouldn't even block passages, since they could just scurry along the walls/ceiling.
Plus I'm pretty sure they'd be friendly. They are basically crustacean cows and they could amuse their Sim friends by rolling up into a ball and perform tricks.

All that and they'd eat the trash as well.

I've never even tried them, but after looking through this, it's now on my list.