As long as everyone respects one another and works together to maintain a comfortable, stress-free living environment, sharing an apartment can be a rewarding and formative life experience. Being a good roommate takes effort, communication, and more than a little compromise. Use these tips from Contemporary Management Concepts, LLLP, to help you maintain a peaceful and rewarding living environment, whether you’re moving in with a close friend or a complete stranger.
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Open and honest communication is key to any successful relationship, and that includes roommates. Early on, it’s essential to have an honest discussion with your roommates about house rules, expectations, and boundaries. Talk about and agree on things like shared expenses, cleaning responsibilities, and overnight guests to ensure everyone’s on the same page. Setting expectations early and keeping open lines of communication with one another will make it significantly easier to resolve problems and disagreements in a civil and respectful manner.
No one wants to feel like they’re stuck doing all the chores while the person they live with does nothing to help. This is why it’s vital to divide household responsibilities equally. Try creating a chore chart that outlines who is responsible for vacuuming, taking out the trash, washing dishes, etc. When assigning chores, try to divide them up by preference. For example, if your roommate hates taking the trash out but you don’t mind it, offer to take care of the trash and let them handle a different chore. When everyone pitches in, it’s easy to maintain a positive living environment.
When sharing an apartment, everyone needs their own space and has personal boundaries that should be respected. Specifically, you should be mindful of your roommates’ schedules, study habits, sleep patterns, and personal time. Keep noise to a minimum when your roommates are sleeping, knock before entering their room, and always ask for permission before borrowing any of their belongings. Respecting their space and belongings will help you preserve a healthy and enjoyable living situation.
Few things can lead to tension between roommates quicker than late rent payments or unpaid bills. When sharing an apartment, it is crucial to prioritize paying your share of the rent and utilities on time to avoid unnecessary stress and financial strain on your roommates. To simplify splitting things, consider downloading easy-to-use money transfer apps such as Venmo or PayPal. Setting reminders or automating certain payments ensures you never miss a due date.