Renter’s Advice and Resources

Sharing an apartment with a co-worker can be either a positive or a negative experience. If a co-worker approaches you with the idea of living together, make sure you think the decision through. Before you decide to move in, debate the pros and cons of cohabitation with a co-worker, which include: Pro 1. A Responsible […]

When you’re looking to cut back on your rental costs, married roommates might provide you with the opportunity to save quite a bit on your monthly costs. However, you should carefully consider the pros and cons of cohabitation with a married couple before you post that ad or consider your married friends’ offer. Pro 1. […]

Roommate situations are, more often than not, the result of need and not choice. So, while the act of deciding to live with a roommate is an inherently simple one, the act of finding and choosing the right roommate is far more complex. Sharing your living space with someone, even a close friend, can be […]

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.

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.

You’ve finally found the perfect apartment—the right amount of light, the right number of bedrooms, the right kind of shower head, and the kitchen you’ve always dreamed of. Now you just need a perfect roommate to complete the apartment experience. Unfortunately, all of your friends have housing already, and you’re either single or not ready to move in with your significant other. What’s to be done? You might have to resort to advertising for a roommate, either online or in print. But with all the roommate horror stories out there, how can you avoid selecting a psycho or a sadist as your roommate? This article contains tips and tricks for finding the perfect roommate, and for not getting in trouble while doing so.