How to Find a Good Roommate
I hate to say it, but the summer is already half over. With August fast approaching, students across North America will be starting to think about returning to college. Many will already have housing secured, whether in the dorms, or in an apartment that they’ve sublet while they were gone for the summer. Not everyone has a place ready and waiting for their return to campus in the fall, though.
Those who don’t yet have a place to stay will need to start looking soon. If you’re lucky, finding an apartment shouldn’t be difficult. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, after scouring the classifieds, the Internet, and the campus housing board, the only places you can find are too expensive. What’s a college kid to do?
Living With Friends
The most obvious solution is to try and find a roommate to split the rent with. If you’ve already been at school for a year or two, or are attending a college in your hometown, you’ll probably have a few friends who are also looking for roommates. This is an ideal solution. Friends usually make great roommates. After all, you get along when you’re hanging out at the coffee shop or the bar, right?
Even though friends will usually make great roommates, you should still carefully consider if your friends are the type of people you’d want to live with. Everyone has that one crazy friend who is great to party with, but who can be very annoying after a few hours. This is the type of friend that you don’t want to live with.
Sometimes even living with your best friend can be a disaster. I can tell you, from personal experience, that just because you’re best friends, doesn’t mean that you will get along well as roommates.
When my best friend and I moved in together, we thought everything would be great. 6 months into our 1-year lease, we were no longer speaking to one another. It was another 6 months after I moved out before we finally reconciled and rebuilt our friendship.
I say this, not to turn you off of the idea of living with friends, but to make it clear that friends don’t always make good roommates. You should carefully consider what it will be like to live with your friends, and what it might do to you friendship, before signing a lease.
Living With Strangers
If you’re new to campus, and don’t know anyone in the area, you’ll have to turn to strangers to find a roommate. This might seem like a scary prospect, but it doesn’t have to be.
Many colleges have services to help you find a roommate. Check with your campus housing board to see if they offer this type of service. If not, check online services like Roommates.com, or Craigslist.
If you can, you might also want to visit your campus and see if there are any posters from other people looking for roommates. I know a few people who have found great roommates by calling the number on a poster they saw on campus.
Moving in with strangers is always a little bit uncomfortable, so you should make an effort to meet your potential roommate(s) and see if you get along with one another.
A good roommate is more than just someone that you can get along with. If it was that simple, no one would ever have problems moving in with friends or significant others. Once you’ve decided that you get along with a potential roommate, you should discuss issues like chores and house guests.
If you find that you have very different opinions on these matters, it would be wise to look for a new roommate. Unless you’re truly desperate, you don’t want to share a home with someone who will never help out with the cleaning, or otherwise drive you crazy.
You may also want to use a roommate screening service such as Better Be Safe.com. This type of service can provide you with information about your potential roommate’s past rental, credit, and criminal history.
Drafting a Roommate Agreement
Once you’ve found a roommate you feel comfortable living with, you should draw up a roommate agreement. A roommate agreement is a contract between you and your roommate(s), and is especially useful when living with strangers. It allows you to clarify financial responsibilities for rent, utilities, and the security deposit.
A roommate agreement can also be used to set house rules and responsibilities. Getting the rules and responsibilities that you and your roommate(s) will abide by in writing can provide an extra sense of comfort and security, especially when living with a person that you don’t know very well.
Final Thoughts
Whether you decide to live with a friend, or with a complete stranger, make sure that you carefully consider your decision before you sign a lease with that person. Being stuck for 6 months or more with a person that you don’t get along with will make for a very unpleasant living situation.
By asking a few questions about the other person’s lifestyle, making sure you get along with one another, and signing a roommate agreement, you can save yourself a lot of stress down the road.