Living with a roommate can test even the strongest of bonds if you aren’t prepared for what it entails. But if you can make it work, your time at The Pointe Brodie Creek will be an enjoyable and successful one. To help you navigate the ins and outs, we have a list of “must-haves” that you and your roommate should discuss. Whether you just moved in together or you have been living together for a long time, these tips can help improve your roommate relationship and make your Little Rock apartment home a happy place to be.

#1: Clear Rules

It’s important to establish rules early in your roommate relationship so you are always on the same page about what is okay and what is not okay. The clearer the rules, the clearer the boundaries. If you avoid taking the time to create these rules, you will not have any excuse to get angry later if your roommate crosses a line that’s only clear in your head.

Takeaway Tip: Set a meeting to ask each other some important questions and create apartment rules. How do you feel about visitors and overnight guests? Which items can be shared? What is off-limits? Write down these rules and make copies so you both can reference them whenever you need to.

#2: Equal Duties

You and your roommate should have an established understanding of who is responsible for what and when. This agreement should outline how the bills will be split, how the apartment will be cleaned, etc. Sometimes these conversations can be awkward, but you will both feel more secure in your relationship and more comfortable in your apartment if your duties are clear and equal.

Takeaway Tip: Not everything has to be split 50/50. Just find a way to make sure both of you feel like equal partners regarding what is happening in your apartment. If one of you can pay more rent, maybe the other has more cleaning duties. If one of you loves to do all the cooking, maybe the other pays for more groceries. Feel free to outline your duties on a checklist or even make a cleaning schedule together and post it on the fridge. There are also a lot of apps available today that can help you split expenses, keep track of chores, and share to-do lists.

#3: Mutual Respect

Our final tip for living with a roommate is to always treat each other with respect. No matter how frustrated you get or how misunderstood you feel, you will never get anywhere with your roommate unless the basis of every interaction is mutual respect.

When disagreements or conflicts come up, show some respect by being honest and patient. Even if your roommate is not acting respectfully initially or getting lost in emotion of the moment, responding to them with a respectful attitude instead of a resentful or defensive one will set the tone for a peaceful resolution. You don’t “lose” by being more thoughtful or “win” by being more aggressive.

Takeaway Tip: Roommates often form resentment when they feel overwhelmed or unappreciated. So, don’t jump all over your roommate every time something happens that frustrates you. Take some time to process it and how it makes you feel. Then, voice the issue, respectfully, at the right time in person (not via text, email, or social media). If they get defensive, just direct the conversation towards a compromise.

Are there any cohabitating “must-haves” that we missed? Share your roommate living tips in the comments!