Ranking The Roommates On 'Friends'

Roommates are a fact of life for 20-somethings looking to save money on rent, but it's not just the financial help that makes sharing an apartment with someone so awesome. The best roommates aren't just the people who let you into your apartment when you lock yourself out: they can also be some of your best friends. That's how it worked on Friends: nearly all of the six Friends have lived together at some point in time, and while it wasn't always easy, I like to think that they would all do it again. After all, what's better than sharing some couch space with your BFF?

That's not to say that every single living situation was stellar: some of the six friends made better roommates than others, and some of the people they lived with who weren't a part of their inner circle made for terrible ones. Most people don't appreciate a total slob or crazy neat freak for a roommate, but I think we can all agree that no one wants a roommate who accuses you of stealing his girlfriend and murdering his goldfish. So how do all of the Friends roommates stack up? Here's how every person who shared a space ranks, from worst to best.

Not Ranked: Denise

Phoebe had a roommate named Denise, whom she totally told all of her friends about, even if they never actually met her. Does Denise really exist? Maybe. Is she really Santa Claus? If so, just put her to the very top of this list, because you just know living with Santa would have amazing perks.

8. Eddie

Eddie was the precursor to a terrible Craigslist roommate. He moves in with Chandler after Joey temporarily gets his own space and gets creepy really fast. Falsely accusing someone of stealing your yogurt is one thing, but when you start throwing out accusations of fish-murdering (when the fish in question didn't even exist) you know you have a problem.

7. Ross

Ross may be a great friend, but he's not exactly a stellar roommate — which is probably why he lives alone for most of the show. He temporarily moves in with Joey and Chandler while looking for a new place, but drives them up the wall with his dehumidifier and need for perpetual quiet time. A one-bedroom is the life for Ross.

6. Joey

Joey is a great roommate — if you don't mind your roommate leaving spaghetti on the floor and having sex on your kitchen table. Joey isn't awesome with boundaries and isn't exactly tidy, but he's also an excellent pal who is always down to split a pizza... which you'll have to pay for, of course.

5. Monica

Monica is the mother hen of the group, and is a great hostess who will bake you fresh cookies and leave a mint on your pillow like you're at a fancy hotel. Unfortunately, she also demands cleanliness at all costs, so if you're the kind of person who is prone to staining sofa cushions, I'd suggest living with Joey instead.

4. Janine

I never liked Janine, but that was probably because she didn't like Monica and Chandler. Even so, she isn't a bad roommate: she was a lot cleaner than her roommate Joey and kept to herself pretty much until they started dating. Janine's only flaw as a roommate is that she took it upon herself to spruce up the place with decorations that didn't exactly suit Joey's tastes.

3. Phoebe

Phoebe's an awesome roommate! She's fun, neither a neat freak or a slob, and has an apartment significantly nicer than her odd jobs would suggest. Unfortunately, she also has a tendency to ditch roommates without telling them she's moving out or when her apartment gets converted into a one-bedroom.

2. Rachel

Rachel has lived with most of the six friends, and with the exception of Monica's occasional cleanliness quips, no one has ever complained about Rach. In fact, both Joey and Ross fought to live with her! Clearly this girl is doing something right.

1. Chandler

If Chandler ever needs a roommate again, sign me up. He's tidy, not prone to sexiling, and will cover your rent whenever your acting jobs aren't panning out. Even the ultra-neat Monica has a hard time complaining about living with Chandler: he's the best roommate anyone could ever ask for.

That settles it, folks. Chan-chan is the man.

Images: Warner Bros. Television (9); thelistlove