The Roommate Arrangement

Being young, single and broke in New York almost always requires splitting costs. Sharing a space with roommates can have many beneficial results: living in a neighborhood or apartment that would otherwise be out of your reach, cutting costs and allowing you to maximize your savings, and potentially building life long friendships. But like any relationship, roommate situations take attention and dedication if they’re going to work out in the best possible scenario. Below are four tips to help the make your roommate situation both positive and fulfilling.

1. Compare Lifestyle and Habits

More than a few living situations have been trashed due to an inability to cope with a roommate’s lifestyle. It’s important to know yourself and be honest with a potential roommate about habits, schedules and activities. Do you smoke? Do you stay in most of the time or go out a lot? Do either of you like to entertain friends or guests often? These issues, if not attended to, can cause serious discord between roommates.

2. Be Clear about Financial Obligations

Make sure both parties understand clearly what they’ll be paying out in rent and utilities. Some people choose to split all expenses down the middle, while some choose to allocate rent by square footage if one of the rooms is significantly larger than the other or has extra amenities such as a walk-in closet or bathroom. These financial details should be discussed in detail before signing a lease or a living agreement. Other fees to discuss are cable, internet, phone service, and possibly insurance. Some people prefer to forgo these additions, while other may not be willing to do without those amenities. Set up a game plan for what services you’ll get and who will pay for what.

3. Lay out Ground Rules

Setting ground rules and expectations is an absolute must before sharing a space with someone. Each one of us was raised differently and has varying expectations about what is expected of ourselves and other people living under the same roof. Maybe you like to clean house each Sunday like clockwork, but your roommate rarely washes dish. By putting these things on the table – and preferably in writing – you are both contributing to and agreeing to these rules.

4. Communication

It happens in every relationship or friendship, the inevitable argument or miscommunication. Ignoring complications and letting tensions build up can lead to a pretty hairy situation and can cause serious stress on both parties involved – you do have to see this person every day. Make sure communication stays open between you and your roommate and be willing to talk out problems – even if they make you uncomfortable. It’s important to be able to lay your issues out on the table so that both people can assess the problem and work together to fix it.

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