Living with friends in college is a ton of fun, until it’s not. It’s important to keep in mind when signing a lease that roommate relationships can ruin friendships just as easily as they can strengthen them. Here’s a list of a few things to keep in mind when choosing potential roommates.
Know How to Read Your Lease
Lease agreements are full of complicated language that is meant to confuse you and deter you from reading between the lines. I recently signed a lease for next year with four other girls and in our contract it states that we’re all responsible for the total rent amount for the year ($46,000) in case one of us doesn’t pay our share of the rent. And this goes for property damages too; if one of us makes a hole in the wall and won’t take responsibility for it, I could end up being the person who pays to have it fixed.Â
This is something that can be so easily overlooked when reading a lease, but it’s critical that you and your roommate(s) are aware of these stipulations before you sign a contract together.
Trust No One
Last year I lived in a two bedroom apartment with someone I didn’t know very well. Throughout the year, I started to notice things going missing. An HDMI cable here, a mug there and even some of my vinyl records vanished without a trace. We both had guests in and out of our apartment, so there’s really no way to tell who or what was the cause of all these disappearances, but nevertheless I have my theories. Without pointing fingers, I told my roommate what I had lost, bought a small, personal safe and replaced the doorknob to my room with one that had a lock and a key.Â
I was extremely disappointed and angry at having lost all of these things, but I also didn’t have any evidence to prove what had actually happened. The only thing I could do now was protect the things I didn’t want to lose and never make the same mistake again.
Exercise Your Rights as a Tenant
Though they differ by state, every person who rents a living space from a commercial or private landlord is entitled to a clean and habitable accommodation. Mold removal, pest treatment, broken water pipes and other serious maintenance issues fall under the landlord’s responsibility to fix. The only obligation you have as a tenant is to inform your lessor of any problems you encounter so they can address the issue quickly. However, many maintenance jobs do fall upon the renters, like changing smoke detector batteries, unclogging drains, replacing HVAC filters and changing light bulbs. Every lease agreement is different, and it’s vital to be aware of your responsibilities to avoid unwanted fees.