{"id":4285,"date":"2016-10-28T10:58:12","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T14:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/content-manager\/?p=4285"},"modified":"2016-10-28T10:59:46","modified_gmt":"2016-10-28T14:59:46","slug":"10-reasons-why-a-roommate-contract-is-crucial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/blog\/10-reasons-why-a-roommate-contract-is-crucial\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Reasons Why A Roommate Contract Is Crucial"},"content":{"rendered":"

The cost of rent isn\u2019t declining anytime soon, especially not in big cities such as New York City<\/a> or L.A. One can say that having a roommate has now advanced from being a pleasantry to a necessity. While having a roommate might be cost efficient, and enjoyable for some, there\u2019s no such thing as a perfect roommate.<\/a> As problems tend to arise when you need to share your space with others, here are 10 reasons why a roommate contract is essential to ensure a functional relationship with your roommates.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Thomas E. Hilton\u00a0(CC BY-SA 4.0)<\/em><\/p>\n

10 Reasons You Need a Roommate Contract<\/h2>\n

A roommate contract can cover any of the following:<\/p>\n

1. To Address \u201cQuiet Hours\u201d<\/h3>\n

One of the biggest issues when it comes to having a roommate is making sure personalities match or compromises are made. One of you might love to stay up late listening to music or partying, while the other prioritizes beauty sleep over anything else. \u00a0When sharing a living space it\u2019s important to have set rules when it comes to quiet hours<\/a> during the week and weekend. You might end up sharing an apartment with a student or someone working full time. Either way, people\u2019s needs for tranquility varies. Lock down “quiet hours”\u00a0to avoid a full on confrontation from your roommates.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Making a Cleaning and Chore Schedule<\/h3>\n

Keeping a clean apartment or home is also paramount for a successful roommate living arrangement. Problem is, not everyone always pulls their weight when it comes to cleaning and chores. Let\u2019s be honest, how often do you have to purchase toilet paper because no one else does it? To combat this, it\u2019s important you make it clear in the roommate agreement which duties and chores are left to which person. If you don\u2019t get it in writing and include it in the contract, it is likely that a lazy roommate will slack on their duties.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Rules For What is Shared and What Isn\u2019t<\/h3>\n

Just because you\u2019re living <\/span>with <\/span><\/i>someone it doesn\u2019t mean you should be sharing <\/span>everything<\/span><\/i>. While you might not want to share your food (my leftovers are <\/span>my <\/span><\/i>leftovers!) there are things you will need to share, like storage space<\/a>, living space, fridge space, etc. A roommate contract makes it easier to clarify right away what\u2019s shared and what\u2019s not. Furthermore, it will help you avoid becoming the weird roommate that freaks out whenever someone uses your side of the fridge for food.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Rules About Bringing People Home\/Overnight Guests<\/h3>\n

While it is \u201ctechnically\u201d your home, it is also the home of someone else. You might not have a problem with bringing people over and having overnight guests, but they might. It\u2019s important for both of you to be comfortable with what goes on in the house. Find a balance to avoid a \u201cnew roommate\u201d that never leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. How Rent\/Bills Are Split and Paid<\/h3>\n

Rent and bills. Two of the major reasons you end up having a roommate in the first place. Are you guys on the same page when it comes to splitting up the rent and the bills? Does one of you have a bigger room and you should therefore automatically pay more in rent? Do you share streaming services such as Netflix or HBO? Avoid paying for it all. Put it on paper who pays what and when. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more:<\/p>\n