One of the most important decisions you can make when you move into a new place is who your roommates will be, if you choose to have any at all. Who you live with can determine your entire mood for the year, whether it be a living nightmare or an awesome year-round sleepover. I’m lucky enough to live with four fantastic roommates, but great roommates are hard to find. Here’s some advice on how to choose the best roommate(s) for you. Remember: even if they’re your best friends, they might not be the right roommates for you.
Questions to Discuss with a Prospective Roomate
Cleanliness
How clean is everyone? What do you define as “clean”? How will you split cleaning duties?
Noise
How loud does everyone play their music?
Guests
How many guests does someone bring over? How frequently? How will you handle overnight guests? What about boyfriends?
Sleeping Habits
Is someone in the house a night owl or early riser? Is someone a light sleeper?
Pet Peeves
Be sure to discuss any pet peeves…
Groceries
How will you split groceries? How will you label them?
Appliances and furniture
Who brings what appliances/furniture and who gets to keep these things when you move out?
Hydro/Internet/Phone Service Payments
Who finds out what company to use (except for Hydro, obviously)? Who is in charge of paying for services? How will you split these?
Trash/Recycling
Who will take out the trash/recycling? When?
Personalities
Be sure everyone gets along well and has similar mentalities. Be completely transparent with your roommates to avoid any future problems (discuss what everyone is like on a bad day, for example).
Roommate Agreements
A roommate agreement is a collectively agreed upon binding contract between you and your roommates. This may seem very formal and almost silly at first, but these are essential in case any problems arise when someone moves out, or relations are strained. This is a written agreement that addresses issues such as payments, maintenance and belongings. Every roommate should sign and date the agreement and keep his or her own copy. You can include things such as: the amount of rent every person pays, which appliances are whose, cleaning responsibilities, trash/recycling duties, furniture ownership, etc.
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