The Roommate Agreement

Having the right roommate can be the make-or-break of your time spent away from home. Here are some tips to get the best experience possible

Your roommate can make a huge difference to the time you spend in your new place. You may become buddies, the best ones for that matter, or you may end up loathing each other to death. If nothing else, it’ll stay as a give-and-take cordial relationship. However, the starting premise and the defining point is that it is a relationship of convenience. Picking a roommate is usually not given much importance but many harrowing stories may convince you otherwise. Be sure to run through this checklist when you are entrusted with picking a roommate for yourself:

THE ROOMATE CHECKLIST

• Be very clear with what you can put up with and what you cannot. If you’re averse to smokers, make sure you specify that you cannot allow smoking in the communal area.

• If you’re the kind who expects a lot of people to come over and even stay, it’s best to let your roommate know right from the start. Your roommate may not necessarily appreciate it.

• When looking out for a roommate, search for someone who’s high on hygiene and low on intoxicants. If you’re there to study, you better make sure your environment reflects that.

• It’s in a time like this that your friends list on Facebook can come to good use. Find out if you have a mutual friend and see what information you can glean about your prospective roommate.

• Having a friendly roomie always helps. However, if the friendliness extends as far as using your toothbrush without your permission, you know it’s time to put your foot down.

• Handling a place yourself can be quite a challenge. Look for someone who’s ready to shoulder the responsibilities of the place equally. You do not want to always end up as the one sweeping the carpet of the living room.

• Unless you’re absolutely sure of staying with the roommate you’ve picked up, refrain from investing jointly in furniture.

• Finally, much like a marriage, it can work only on the principle of cooperation. List out an agreement between the two of you and stick to it.