Getting a Roommate
4 Things You Should Know Before Getting a Roommate
Getting a roommate can help reduce the cost of an apartment, but it is also a major decision. Will you have a friend move in with you or will you place an ad for a stranger? Here are 4 things you should know before getting a roommate.
Personality and Schedule
Consider the type of person who would annoy you. This is someone you don’t want to live with. Does it bother you to have clothes lying on the floor? What if your roommate is a slob? Or a neat freak? Ask these questions when you are interviewing people.
Think about possible schedule issues. They may be an early morning person or a night owl. What if they work a different shift than you do? What if they like to have friends over at night when you want to relax? You want to think about these things before you look for a roommate so you can discuss them with possible candidates.
Finances
While your landlord will have to do a background check on anyone you want to live with you that does not mean they will know everything about them. What if they are late on their payments or fail to make one at all? Will you be able to cover utility and rent payments if they fail? If it comes to the point of being evicted, you both may lose the apartment even if you have been paying your portion.
It can be helpful to divide other bills such as utilities and place half of them in one person’s name and half with the other person. That way, if one roommate fails to make their payments, it will not ruin the other person’s credit.
Conflicts
If there are issues with your roommate, you will have to deal with them yourself. Your landlord will not get involved unless it violates the lease or causes a disturbance for others. When you take on a roommate, your landlord will most likely require a new lease to be signed with both names as tenants. This gives you equal rights and equal responsibilities even if you had already been living there.
If one of you moves out, that person will still have a voice in whether someone else can move in as a replacement. A subleaser would have to be approved by both tenants whether they live in the apartment or not. It will also be almost impossible for you to force an unwanted roommate to move out as long as they are paying the rent.
Damages
When the time comes to vacate the apartment, the costs of any damages sustained will be divided equally. It does not matter who was the cause of the damage; most landlords do not differentiate.
Having a roommate can make life easier and more enjoyable in apartment living, but you must be cautious and consider all aspects before deciding to live with someone. You need to sit down with the other person and discuss expectations before you let them move in. Living with the wrong person can make it unbearable to come home every day and figuring out the rules after they move in is not advisable. I hope you enjoyed reading our tips on the 4 things you should know before getting a roommate.
Roomster: Roomster social connect is the easiest and safest way to find a roommate. Getting a roomate is a great way to save money and make new friends.
