Moving out on your own can be a financial nightmare. One way to cope with the extra bills (rent, utilities, and even transportation) is to get a roommate. But having a roommate is not always what it's cracked up to be. Friendships can be tested [and lost] over trivial things that you didn't think were a big deal.
A couple things you can do to prevent problems is to do a serious consideration of your compatibility (we will be working on a compatibility chart) and to work out an informal roommate contract. The compatibility chart will bring up issues you may not have thought about and the informal roommate contract will help to settle disputes that will undoubtedly arise during your shared housing period.
The Roommate Compatibility Chart should include sections on personalities, sleeping habits, eating habits, housekeeping attitudes, social habits, etc. The Informal Roommate Contract is not legally binding -- it's more of a guide to help you resolve little problems that come up (who is paying for what, who is in charge of taking out garbage, who is responsible for dishes on a certain day, what time visitors are allowed to stay, etc.).
In this example, Leonard meets Sheldon to discuss renting the room and Sheldon gives Leonard a compatibility questionnaire. Although this is a parody, the idea was to prevent an incompatible person from becoming a roommate. This is important to do even with people you have known for many years.
No comments:
Post a Comment