If things have gone south with your roomie, telling them you’re moving out can be tricky. Here are a few tips on how to break the news to your roommate without burning any bridges.
Be Considerate
Remember that a roommate is not just a friend (or maybe a strained acquaintance these days) but also someone you share a legal agreement with. It can be hard to know how to get out of a lease with a roommate.
Be considerate by having a cordial and professional conversation with your landlord to get rules for how you can leave the lease without saddling your roommate with unpaid rent, broken lease agreements, or visits to small claims court.
From there, communicate with clear boundaries as you navigate the final days of living together. Are you transferring the wifi? Will your roommate cancel the electricity service? Make sure your roommate knows the last day of active service and when they need to get new accounts to ensure no gaps in the utilities.
Likewise, if you’re not sure you’re ready to move out just yet, plan for how to keep the peace instead of how to break up with your roommate.
Be Clear
If you’re leaving, express yourself gently but clearly. Are there bad habits among you two? Pests in the apartment? Issues with neighbors that affect you more than your roommate? Say so in clear but thoughtful words.
Facing things head-on might seem impossible and coarse, but done gently, it’s the surest way to move towards real relationship resolutions — with you in a new address.
Have a Plan
Even if it’s not 100% written in stone before you have the roommate conversation, have a plan. Know where you’re going, when, and how you’re getting there. If you need to move out during a roommate’s work shift to ensure an easy transition, make sure you have the help of friends with alternate schedules. If you’re rocking a two-door car, plan to rent or borrow a truck for your moving day and make your reservations early.
Do Your Part
In moving, make sure you’re only taking what’s yours, paying for anything you two purchased together, offering any sale items to your roommate before you post the listings online, and cleaning up behind yourself before you turn over the keys. Try to leave the space as thoughtfully clean for your roomie as you would for your landlord.
Are you moving out at the end of the lease but to different, independent apartments? Make sure you pull your weight then, too! You might be done with the roommate relationship and wanting to run to the refuge of your new abode, but your landlord won’t have the same inclinations: anything that doesn’t get done will result in a bill that you and your ex-roomie will have to split.
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
When you’re ending things with a bad roommate, it’s easy to feel like the walls are closing in on you. But, keep your attention on what the new place will hold. Plan your new space, and your current residence will feel like a temporary affair.
With so much on your mind, CORT can take one thing off of your plate: furniture for your next place! With a furniture subscription with CORT, you get so much more than furniture for your new space. In addition to three or more rooms of furniture for less than $250 per month, you receive peace of mind knowing that CORT take care of everything, start to finish.
After you curate your furniture rental package, our team delivers and sets up your space — one less headache for you! Then, when you no longer need the furniture anymore, we’ll pack it up and move it out for you — no strings attached! Rent the furniture you need for as long as you need it! Find a CORT showroom near you and get a fresh new start today.
