Off Campus Housing
Tips For Sharing a Home
Room In a Private Home
Rooming in a private home can be a good alternative for someone seeking temporary or short-term accommodations. Again, the degree of compatibility between roomer and family will largely determine the success of the venture. We have developed a sample Room in a Private Home Agreement (PDF) for your reference. Here are some questions to consider before you move in.
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Is there a private entrance to the room?
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Are the bedrooms and bathrooms private or shared? Who is responsible for cleaning those areas?
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What are the rules regarding kitchen privileges? Laundry privileges?
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What are the arrangements concerning the use of the telephone?
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What, if any, are the rules regarding guests, smoking, pets?
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If you are expected to work for all or part of your room and/or board, exactly what work is expected and how many hours are you to work?
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Are utilities included?
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Roommate Selection
The person or persons with whom you choose to live may have a significant impact on your University experience. Take time to compare personalities and living habits. This, of course, requires thoughtful discussion and careful evaluation of one another's expectations. Topics you might want to discuss with a prospective roommate are:
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How much can you afford to pay for an apartment? Note: Each roommate can be held individually responsible for the entire rent, so make sure of everyone's reliability. And don't forget to figure in the cost of utilities.
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How are deposits (security, cleaning, etc.) to be paid, and what happens if one roommate moves out before the other?
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What are your habits and attitudes toward smoking, drug and alcohol use, and pets?
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What are your attitudes about dating and overnight guests?
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What are your personal habits and expectations about housekeeping and grocery shopping?
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Do you like to cook? How much are you willing to spend on meals? Do you intend to eat together or separately; share food expenses or shop separately?
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What are your study habits?
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How much time are you likely to spend at your residence and at what hours?
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What are your sleeping habits?
If you don't know anyone with whom you want to share housing, check the "Roommate Wanted" list in the Housing Office. You may also list yourself as a "Roommate Available" so people who have housing but need roommates can get in touch with you.
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Living With Your New Roommate(s)
Your roommate can be your best friend or someone you found specifically to share your apartment. Regardless of the circumstances, once you have found a compatible roommate, it's a good idea to talk about your living arrangements before you move in. Living with someone else is full of challenges, but can be very rewarding as well! Talking about issues before they arise and setting guidelines now will limit disagreements in the future. The following is a list of common conflicts between roommates:
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Be careful about sharing expenses for things like refrigerators or furniture. What will happen with those items when one or more of the roommates move out? You can even out expenses by having different individuals pay for each large item or by renting.
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Decide how monthly bills (utilities, rent, etc.) will be divided and who is responsible for making sure the bill is paid. Keep track of who paid deposits for different utilities.
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Discuss sharing personal items such as clothes, computers, and school supplies.
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Discuss the division of household duties. Cleaning schedules (dividing the chores daily or weekly) are the most effective way to do this. Differences in preferences for cleanliness are one of the biggest conflict areas for roommates.
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Talk about groceries and food. Often roommates will agree that each is responsible for his/her own grocery shopping, and food is generally not shared. Others shop together, divide the grocery bill evenly and share equally. Still others contribute a set amount to go towards staples (sugar, flour, eggs, milk).
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Finally, sign a Roommate Agreement (PDF). It clarifies responsibilities and sets some ground rules for your new home.
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