Renter’s Advice and Resources

Having a bad roommate brings a number of challenges and can be even harder when the two of you aren’t communicating as well as you could be. Maybe you’ve started to notice that she hasn’t been pulling her weight or that she does things that are rude and disrespectful. The obvious next step is to […]

So, you’re looking for roommates? Whether you are looking to sublet part of your apartment, or simply find roommates to split the rent with, it is important to find the right people. The following are must-ask questions when looking for roommates: 1.  How Should the Security Deposit be Handled? You must decide if you are […]

A bad roommate can make living in even the most beautiful apartment horribly unpleasant. When your roommate exhibits bad hygiene, you have to balance avoiding hurting his feelings with getting the point across. Is Poor Hygiene a Consistent Problem? Everyone gets bad breath occasionally. Workouts can make even the sweetest-smelling flower smell a little less […]

Finding a great roommate can be a crucial part in your quality of life. A bad roommate can make living downright miserable. A roommate that you can’t trust can add unwanted stress to your life. Finding a trustworthy, fun roommate is much easier than in the old days where you had to put an ad in the newspaper or hang a flyer on a bulletin board with your phone number on 15 tabs of paper. There are many websites that can assist you in finding exactly what you are looking for.

It’s every renter’s nightmare. You walk into your apartment and get a whiff of a strange smell. It’s hard to identify, but it’s bad. You follow your nose, and unexpectedly, it does not lead you to the kitchen garbage. Instead, your nose takes you straight to your new roommate’s room. Uh oh. You’ve got a problem. Cleaning out a smelly refrigerator or recycling bin is an unpleasant but manageable task. Talking to your roommate about how bad he smells is another thing altogether. We spoke to renters about how they handled their smelly roommates–read on for their stories and the lessons they learned.

At first glance, living with a friend can seem like a safe choice. You care about one another, enjoy each other’s company and share similar tastes. What could go wrong? Plenty. Many friendships don’t survive the transition to roommate-hood. The very factors that drew you together may push you apart when you share a roof. Marisa remembers what made her want to live with her friend Rebecca during their senior year in college. “Rebecca had the kind of energy that drew people to her; everyone wanted to be around her, including me. I figured that our senior year apartment would be a really fun place to be.” The apartment was fun–maybe a little too much fun. “We had crazy parties that Becca organized. She always had the energy to plan the party, but never to clean up. She didn’t seem to mind if the apartment was always a terrible mess. Or maybe she didn’t know it because I was always cleaning it.” By the end of their senior year, Marisa came to feel that she was being taken advantage of. “It really spoiled the friendship. I talk to her once in a while on IM, but it’s really not the same.”

Dirty dishes, late-night noise, unwanted guests: These roommate conflicts pale in comparison to disputes over paying rent. When you first move in to a new apartment, or if new roommates join you in your current place, you’ll have to work out the best way to split the rent among all the tenants. Resolving this issue amicably and openly sets the stage for good roommate relations in the future. Unfortunately, there is no blueprint for how rent should be split. The lease given to you by your landlord will usually indicate the total amount of rent due each month but will not provide guidance on how to split the rent. Here are some typical ways tenants divide rent and some other factors to consider.

Living with another person is never easy, but with rents increasing in many cities, it may be a necessity. Whether your roommate is an old friend or a stranger you met off of Craigslist, it can be hard to avoid conflict. Anticipating problems before they erupt can help keep your home life harmonious. Here are some of the top roommate disputes and how to handle them.

As a youngster, you never understood why you had to do chores—couldn’t dishes and things just take care of themselves? Some people never grow out of this stage, and have difficulty cleaning up after themselves. Others never learn to respect boundaries or really listen to what people are telling them. If you’re in the unfortunate situation of having a roommate who’s dirty, incommunicative, lazy, or who just doesn’t get it, here are some strategies for resolving major issues. First, let’s lay down the ground rules for dealing with difficult roommates.