{"id":8904,"date":"2018-06-28T09:45:07","date_gmt":"2018-06-28T13:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/content-manager\/?p=8904"},"modified":"2018-06-28T09:46:01","modified_gmt":"2018-06-28T13:46:01","slug":"a-new-apartment-with-new-roommates-what-to-expect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/blog\/a-new-apartment-with-new-roommates-what-to-expect\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Apartment With New Roommates, What to Expect?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re planning to move into a new apartment with new roommates, you likely have several questions and concerns. Sharing an apartment<\/a> with a roommate is a huge deal as it forces you to step out of your comfort zone and live with someone else beyond your family members. It\u2019s a huge step towards independence, and you’ll learn more life skills by learning to resolve issues<\/a> amicably. When you live in areas like New York City<\/a>, you’ll likely have roommates at least once due to the pricey<\/a> real estate.<\/p>\n

Understand Your Potential Roommate<\/h2>\n

The primary step of moving into a new apartment with roommates is to understand them, their hobbies, interests, personalities, and habits. This helps you to gauge if you would be able to live with them in the future. Living with a roommate with completely different values and habits can be a huge nightmare. Cue unwashed dishes at the sink or loud music emanating from your roommate\u2019s room while you\u2019re trying to do your things. Believe us, you wouldn\u2019t enjoy the company of such a roommate.<\/em> That\u2019s why you should definitely try to learn as much as possible about the person you\u2019re considering as a roommate.<\/p>\n

Questions For You and Your New Roommates<\/h2>\n

It’s important for you and your new roommates to consider the following questions as you begin living together.<\/p>\n

What Are Your Cleanliness Preferences?<\/h3>\n

Majority of renters are concerned about the cleanliness<\/a> of the apartment and the cleaning habits of their roommates. Keeping the entire apartment clean takes two hands to clap. It requires collaborative effort and consistent commitment to keep the common areas of the apartment clean and tidy at all times. Keep in mind that different people have different levels of tolerance towards cleanliness and tidiness in their homes. Avoid having a conflict with your roommate by first setting the ground rules with regards to keeping the house clean. If it helps, you could even develop a rotational duty roster on cleaning the common spaces with your roommate. An alternative is to engage professional home cleaning services and split the costs between yourselves.<\/p>\n

How Do You Feel About Guests?<\/h3>\n

There may be some occasions when we would be inviting our friends over to the apartment to hang out, but it\u2019s definitely not on a frequent basis or every night. You wouldn\u2019t want your apartment to be suddenly home to different strangers or have an additional \u201croommate\u201d whom you\u2019ve never met before, and then having to witness your utility bills increasing because of an extra person using the electrical appliances and gas. You also wouldn\u2019t want to hear loud noises in the middle of the night while you\u2019re trying to get some rest. To avoid an awkward confrontation with your roommate when such a situation occurs, you might want to consider setting a rule to limit the number of guests that each of you can bring into the apartment, or make it clear that no guests should be allowed to stay over, especially after a certain timing at night.<\/p>\n

Do You Smoke?<\/h3>\n

Having a roommate who smokes can be annoying to some, which is why you should find out if your roommate is someone who smokes (cigarettes or pot)<\/em> and whether you\u2019re completely fine with tolerating second-hand smoke. Many New York residential buildings have adopted 100% no-smoking rules. You may find a list of smoke-free buildings here<\/a>. In addition, make sure to check your lease if smoking in the premises of the building is allowed. If your roommate claims that he smokes very occasional, you might want to further clarify how occasional he smokes and ask him if it\u2019s possible to smoke in the open areas outside the building (not at the balcony or windows).<\/p>\n

Learn more:<\/p>\n