Roommates

How to Handle Roommate Drama

Whether you’re in the UC Davis dorms or your first Davis apartment, life with a new roommate can be tricky. No matter how well you get along, conflicts can happen. Here are our top three tips for preventing and weathering roommate conflict:

1. Iron out the details beforehand: A mutual living agreement form is a quick way to talk about hot issues before they arise. Knowing how everyone feels before a conflict is the best tool for preventing unnecessary problems. Tandem’s Individual Lease Program communities offer a worksheet and use it to get the conversation started.
2. Handle conflict with class: Nothing makes a tiny roommate conflict explode like not handling it well. Keep conversations about hot issues in-person, not via text, and don’t be passive-aggressive. It doesn’t help anyone.
3. Know your resources: When conflict needs more than just the two of you, know that there are others you can turn to for help. Your Tandem apartment manager is a good first step.

Follow these tools and you’re on your way to living with roommates in harmony.