How to Rent an Apartment With a Roommate

If the economy has ruined your chances of living solo, you might want to consider picking up a roommate. To live in an apartment with another person you need to use good judgment in finding the right person, you must respect the space of others, and you also need to be able to make and follow sensible rules.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. It often probably a better idea to move in with someone you barely know as you will have no expectations of them. You need to find someone who you feel is mature, respectful, and you have a few things in common with. You also need to have some things in common with them so that you can become close friends eventually. Another option is to choose someone you know intimately, and respect such as a sibling or close friends. Deciding to share an apartment with casual friend can become a disaster when you REALLY get to know them.

2. If you don’t already have an apartment, it is a good idea to shop for the apartment together. Try to find an apartment designed for roommate living so that your private quarters will comparable. You don’t want to start your new roommate relationship with one person feeling slighted because they got stuck with the tiny room with the hallway bathroom while the other got the master suite with the bedroom in it. There are many roommate apartments that have two bedrooms of similar size, each with an attached bedroom.

3. Fill out a joint apartment application and make sure both people sign the lease. If one or the other of you is strictly on the lease it can cause problems should conflict arise. The tenant holding the lease can try to oust the other tenant expectantly, or one person can end up with damage charges that the other person made. If you decide to change room mates, then you can go to the landlord and work out a sublet or new rental agreement.

4. Set boundaries: This may sound petty, but you need to draw boundaries when it comes to what will be shared and what will be kept separate. Make rules regarding wearing the other person's clothing. Set up different days for use of an in-apartment laundry room, make strict decisions about food sharing, and entering private space such as bedrooms.

5. Be respectful and clean. Most roommates split up because one person leaves the other one to do all of the housework or doesn’t respect their personal space. If you don't like to wash dishes, then use paper plates. If you are messy with clothes, keep the mess in your own bedroom. Remember, you are sharing the apartment.

Tips & Warnings

• Interview prospective roommates and don't choose based on an impulsive or emotional impulse.
• Maintain separate finances and personal lives. You are roommates, not a married couple.