No matter your age, living with roommates is always a growing experience. Roommates help you learn how you function best, what really grinds your gears, and how to communicate with other people. Some roommates are random, some are best friends, and some are just another person to split the cost of living with. If you’ve never had a roommate before or are looking for tips to keep the peace? Read on to hear some of our advice for living with roommates!
- You don’t have to be best friends with your roommate (we’ll repeat that for the people in the back – You don’t have to be besties). Sure, it would be easier if everyone liked each other, but sometimes roommates are just roommates, nothing more…nothing less. If you’re cordial and can stand each other’s presence, you’re #winning at this roommate thing.
- If you don’t get along with your roommate, there are coping mechanisms to get past the shade and to work toward harmonious living. Our favorite advice? Work on openly communicating with one another about conflict in a positive and constructive way. For example, instead of saying, “I don’t like that you never take out the trash” try saying “I would be really thankful if we could work on taking the trash out when it gets full.”
- Consider a chore chart. If you aren’t totally happy with how you have been splitting duties around your apartment home, sometimes having a defined set of responsibilities helps sort through problems before they become too hostile.
- Set boundaries and expectations early. If you aren’t planning on sharing food or toilet paper, make sure to say that loud and proud. If you don’t, you may start noticing your shampoo bottle feels lighter than usual, or that you are the only one that ever sweeps the kitchen.
If aren’t living alone, we hope this advice helps you have a positive roommate experience! Our team understands that roommate troubles happen, so if you need someone to vent to or more insight on handling roommate conflict, let us know.