Your happiness in your living environment is directly related to your relationship with your roommate. Personal problems with roommates can cause unneeded distress in your life. Remember that friends are not always the best roommates. Friends may take advantage of the situation by borrowing your CD's or clothes without asking or they may not clean up their mess if they think you will clean it for them. If the roommate relationship becomes strained, you may lose a friend as well as a roommate.

Here are some tips for ensuring that you and your roommate(s) have a quality living experience together:

Discuss study habits and the expected study environment. Will you have some sort of "quiet hours".

Discuss utilities. What type of phone plan do you want or will you all have separate cell phones? Will you have cable and if so, what cable package?

Discuss visiting hours/procedures, if there will be any. Discuss party procedures, if there will be any.

Discuss the lease term. Most leases are 12-month contracts, but many students tend to leave for the summer.

Make sure all roommates are clear on expectations. Will the roommate leaving be responsible for paying the rent? Will they try to find a replacement roommate (and if so, is this acceptable to the roommates remaining)?

Make a cleaning agreement or contract, including sweeping, dusting, cleaning up messes, doing dishes, cleaning the bathroom, etc.

Agree on a food policy. Do you share the cost of food or do you shop individually and have a "hands off" policy?

Establish drinking and smoking rules.

Be careful that you and your roommates have the same idea of your relationship – are you looking for a best friend, someone to do things with on weekends, or just a roommate?

Always communicate concerns as soon as they happen.

If you are concerned about your roommate's ability to pay rent regularly, ask to see a credit report. Offer a copy of your own in return. A copy of your credit report can be obtained through the following agencies:
    
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285, www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-397-3742, www.experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289, www.transunion.com

Ask to see a criminal record. Offer a copy of your own in return. This way you may be for certain that the potential roommate does not have a criminal record

On rare occasions, a roommate may run into financial difficulties and be forced to move out without paying rent. This may leave the financial burden on the remaining roommate(s). If possible, sign separate leases (although most leases are joint, meaning you are all equally responsible for your share and/or the entire rent amount). With separate leases, each roommate is responsible for his/her own portion of the rent. If that is not possible, as is usually the case, have your roommates' parents co-sign the lease as well (most companies require this anyway). This will place the burden of rent on the parents if the student tenants are not able to cover the rent.

We strongly suggest that you do not pay your rent in cash. We suggest the same when it comes to paying for your share of the utilities: do not pay in cash. Even if your roommates are close friends of yours, we highly suggest that you pay your rent with a check or money order. Depending on your property owner's regulations, you may either be able to send a check/money order for your individual share of the rent directly to their office, or send one check/money order for all the roommates' share of the rent. Whatever the case may be, think twice before handing over cash to your roommate(s). If there is a question or dispute later, it is much more difficult to prove that you gave your roommate cash versus a check/money order.