A recent survey of college students found that more than 65 percent of students do not maintain close relationships with former roommates after leases end. With survey respondents citing reasons such as messiness, disagreements over shared expenses and uninvited pets, roommate altercations often lead to ended friendships and added stress in college.
CORT surveyed more than 1,800 students to discover the most common pain points for college roommates and how to address them. Based on this research, here are 6 tips for getting along with roommates this school year.
1. Communicate
Your roommate may have a lot of talents, but reading your mind is not one of them. Talk about what you want to share, what level of cleanliness you prefer (and how to achieve this) and your favorite pizza topping (in case they’re willing to share).
2. Clean
Maybe you and your roommate decide you don’t mind an apartment that is closer to a pig pen than a penthouse, but messiness in shared spaces is still a boiling point for roommates nationwide. At the very least, keep your belongings tidy in shared spaces and take out the trash regularly, unless you want your next roommate to be a cockroach.
3. Be Considerate
Whenever you are making a decision that impacts your roommate, consider the situation reversed. Would you want them to host a Mariachi band the night before your big exam? That’s what we thought. Prioritize your roommate’s needs like you prioritize your own and your relationship will flourish.
4. Coordinate Socializing
Your college roommate can be more than the person you pass on the way to class. Grow your relationship with them outside the four walls of your apartment or house by inviting them on social outings and including them when you have guests. Minor disputes can be quickly resolved when your roommate is also your friend.
5. Compromise
For every potential squabble, there is a potential compromise. Offer to take your late night socializing to another location during the week, as long as guests are allowed over during the weekend. In every situation, look for the opportunity to meet halfway and you will almost always find a common ground.
6. Consider Rental
Roommates often fight over shared items and shared costs. From rental furniture to flat-screen televisions, refrigerators, microwaves, cookware and other accessories, CORT provides options for a single bill to share costs. Remove the awkward question of who gets the shared couch after graduation by renting furniture.
CORT provides thousands of students and parents with rental solutions tailored to their unique needs. Rental furniture and other items are delivered and removed on-demand, ensuring students have high-quality furnishings with the least hassle and no hidden costs involved, making it easy to share costs with roommates.
Rental also alleviates debates about ownership of furnishings. Through CORT’s “add a roommate” package, students can furnish more bedrooms and add their living room, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms in one bill that makes it easy to divide costs with roommates for the entire apartment.
While lugging old furniture from home is an option that appears to be free of costs, consider the moving truck and out-of-pocket costs that can add up quickly, easily costing $1,000 to $2,000. Add to that the time spent by parents taking days off work to move furniture, nights spent in a hotel and “sweat equity” on tiring moving days – all reasons students and parents should consider renting furniture and accessories.
