Roommate Wanted – Pros and Cons of Sharing an Apartment Rental With a Roommate

Sharing a Rental with a Roommate

Sharing your apartment with a roommate can be one of two things – dream come true or a living nightmare. There are quite a lot of advantages of having a roommate but of course there are also disadvantages. And these disadvantages are so vague that you might end up having a very uncomfortable living atmosphere. Do not fret though, because there are just some ways to protect yourself when you are sharing your apartment with a roommate. And all this starts by choosing your potential roommate well and including him or her on your rental agreement.

The Pros and Cons

The primary pro of having a roommate would be financial. Of course, when you have a roommate sharing your apartment, your monthly rent would be automatically cut in half. And this is especially advantageous for people who want to live in a huge apartment but cannot afford to pay for it alone.

Another huge advantage of having a roommate is sharing the responsibilities with the roommate. But this situation will only become advantageous when both parties are willing to share the responsibilities regularly. If this will not be the case, then brace yourself for some huge disadvantages.

Among the most obvious disadvantages of sharing an apartment would be the lack of privacy. Of course, if you live alone, you wouldn’t have to worry about their “alone” time when at home. But if there is a roommate, you most probable have a hard time being alone in your place. You can rarely have the opportunity to have the apartment all to yourself.

The distribution of responsibilities is another big disadvantage of renting an apartment with a roommate. Both of you would have to discuss the household responsibilities and there may be times that it won’t be even. At times, you would agree that one will carry a certain task, but there may be instances that he won’t be able to do it. This may create big-time conflict and will definitely make the living atmosphere uncomfortable for both.

Choose a “Compatible” Roommate

If you are choosing your roommate, make sure you choose one that is compatible with you. We have mentioned the disadvantages that may arise and when one doesn’t act upon his share of responsibilities. But this is a small, simple incompatibility. Most renters encounter problems in entertaining visitors. If one of the roommates has visitors, the other one may sometimes not be comfortable with it, thus creating tension.

Being in one roof, even their sleeping times may be a cause of tension to both parties. For instance, one sleeps early and wakes up at 4:00am and the other one is a night owl and sleeps during the day. This may create huge tension to both and they can really get into each other’s nerves. This simple thing may also affect both of their social life and jobs as well.

Including the Roommate on the Rental Agreement

The roommate should be strictly included in the rental agreement, and the leasing agent must be able to screen the roommate thoroughly. Having the roommate also sign in the rental agreement will bring protection to all of them – the renter, roommate, and leasing agent as well. Having the roommate sign in the agreement will prevent him to just leave when he wants to. He will be bound to the same rules as the renter. The rental agreement will also be able to ensure that both parties have their own rights to the property. Also, when it comes to payment, both parties will be bound to the responsibility of paying the rent at a timely manner. It also holds both parties legally responsible for not being able to pay on a timely manner.