Roommates
Finding Your Roommates
Who you live with can be just as important as where you live. While your best friend might seem like an obvious choice, be sure that you have considered the challenges that living in close quarters will bring. Living together can sometimes strain friendships, especially if you disagree about cleanliness, parties, guests, paying bills, or expectations of each other.
Roommate Considerations
Check out the guide below for some questions to ask yourself and potential roommates as you begin your search:
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Additional Resources:
- How to Find a Roommate
- Apartment Lease Options When Renting with Roommates
- 8 Ways to Live Well with Your Best Friend
- 5 Tips to Pick a Roommate Who Won't Compromise Your Safety and Security
- How to Get Along with a Roommate
Creating a Roommate Agreement
Your rental lease terms usually don't encompass individual roommate responsibilities or expectations, such as how long dishes stay in the sink, when to communicate about having friends over, or utility payment details. Landlords generally avoid involvement in roommate conflicts, especially if no lease terms are violated. Furthermore, if you are in a joint lease and one roommate violates the lease agreement (for example, by being late on rent or violating local noise ordinances), you will likely be held equally responsible for your roommates' actions, even if they violate the terms of your lease.
This is why it's crucial to create a roommate agreement. Discussing and putting all household expectations in writing upfront will save you a world of hassle later on, allowing you to stay focused on school or avoid added stress caused by issues at home. Download and adapt the form below with your roommates, and discuss a plan for how to hold everyone to the agreement.
(Click to enlarge/download)
Additional Resources:
- How-To Guides: Drafting a Roommate Agreement
- How to Peacefully Resolve Roommate Issues
- What to Do If Your Roommate Doesn't Pay Rent
- When Do Guests Become Roommates?
- How to Set Up a Budget with Roommates
- How to Handle Living With a Messy Roommate
- Can You Remove a Roommate from Your Lease?
Using the Off-Campus Roommate Finder
The Off-Campus Roommate Finder allows you to filter by social and cleanliness habits, graduation year, gender identity, pets, and more. Start by signing in or creating an account.
Once you've signed up for a student account, you can create a roommate profile. Only those who have already completed their own profiles will be able to view yours. Now you can share a bit about yourself and start connecting with others in search of a roommate (or roommates)!
Already have a place?
In addition to creating a roommate profile, you can create a listing to share in the Housing search to reach more potential roommates. This way, your property listing will be visible to anyone searching the Housing section of the site, versus only those with active roommate profiles.
First, select Roommate Profile in the dropdown under your name in the top-right corner of the page, and then select Housing from the options on the left. Select Add a Listing and share some information about your place.
Your listing will be tagged as "Shared Housing" on the Housing Search page:
