How to Avoid Roommate Troubles

When you mix different personalities in a small space, you’re bound to get a little friction. That’s why most people select friends they have known for a while to be their roommates in an off campus apartment.

However, being friends with someone and living together are two different things. The things you love most about your friend – the spontaneity and the craziness – could just drive you nuts when you’re trying to study for a big final.

Before you move in together, here are a few things to discuss:
1. How often should we clean? If one roommate likes a tidy space and the other could live in filth and never notice, you could have a problem. Agree to pick up your personal things every night before bed or decide that Sunday afternoons are “clean up the apartment” days. Whatever you decide, make sure everyone is aware of the “rules,” and then stick to it.
2. How will we handle meals? You don’t want one person feeling responsible for cooking the meals for everyone if the others have no intention of being home to eat them.
3. Who will handle the rent? Someone has to deal with the landlord. Decide ahead of time how this will be done. Will one check be written? Will each roommate write a check for their portion of the rent?
4. Quiet time. You are college students, so study time and rest are both important. Make sure you agree at least in theory on how your apartment will function. Decide if there are certain hours or days when visitors are not allowed. If, for example, all roommates agree that friends can come over any time, that’s great. If one roommate feels that visitors should be limited to weekends or certain hours, respect that person’s desires.
Life is full of compromises, and living off campus with roommates is often the first experience many people have with compromising. Discussing issues up front is the best way to approach new situations whenever possible.