Respecting Privacy in an Apartment Situation

Part of the fun of moving into an apartment is sharing the space with friends. While there’s lots of good that can come moving in with other students, some new rules may arise that didn’t need to be in place in a dormitory environment.

A recent survey of college students living in off campus apartments resulted in a list of the most annoying invasions of privacy that occur with apartment life. Here’s the top five:

Using personal property without permission. The most often cited “offense” was the borrowing of clothing without permission. Although roommates often borrow clothes and trade favorite items for a fun night out, it’s one thing to do it with permission, and completely another to borrow without asking first. Keep tempers in check by always asking for permission before borrowing your roommate’s personal items.

The slob factor. More roommate arguments begin when messes are made and not cleaned up then just about anything else. This is an easy problem to avoid. Remember what they taught you in kindergarten: make a mess, clean it up.

Overnight guests. If you plan to have a guest stay the night, it’s common courtesy to clear it with your roommate. Nothing is worse than running into a stranger at night on the way to the bathroom. Be sure your roommates are aware of any visiting guests.

Missing food. Imagine coming home with a growling stomach and a hankering for the leftover pizza from last night and finding your apartment full of people with your roommate holding court over the stove. The empty pizza box is on the table, your macaroni and cheese is all but gone, and there’s only a crust of bread and a dollop of peanut butter left. Worst of all, you don’t get paid until Friday. Be sure to establish rules of the house for food items. The best rule: eat only what you bought yourself.

Lax security. It’s disarming to come home to an open apartment with no roommate in sight. Roommates need to agree to maintain basic security within the apartment. Keeping the door locked is critical to ensuring safety in an apartment and keeping arguments to a minimum.