Success: How to live well with your roommates
Whether you have found your Davis apartment roommate on your own or have been matched using our Davis roommate finder, living with someone can be a serious challenge for some. The folks over at Oh My Apartment have a few tips on how to avoid roommate drama.
2. Now for the big one… Cleanliness. It’s important to know now that almost everybody either underestimates or overestimates how clean they are. The most tension I have ever had with a roommate was due to cleanliness. So talk about it. Set a chore list. Make guidelines. Make every possible aspect of cleanliness as clear as possible. Should the dishes be done right away or can they sit for a day? Should the bathroom be cleaned once a week or every other week? Who takes the trash out? While every situation is different, I will say that containing your mess to your room will make everything easier. I won’t lie, I’m a little bit messy. I have learned, however, that as long as I keep my mess to myself, it causes no issues. So, pick up your shoes, your bags, and your half-filled glasses of water and keep the common areas as tidy as possible.
3. Bills, bills, bills; the source of frustration for many a roommate. Make the decisions before the first bill is due as to how you and your roommate will handle it. The best way, I have found, is to divide up the responsibility of each bill so that one person’s name is not on every bill. Because of possible credit issues, you don’t want to be held accountable for every bill if your roommate is having money issues one month. So, split it up. For example, my name is on the electricity bill and my roommate’s name is on the cable and internet bill. This keeps us both accountable. Clearly write the due date of each bill on somewhere accessible, such as a whiteboard or on the fridge, as well as the date in which the money needs to be collected. This keeps everything clear and out in the open.