In one of our previous blogs, we talked aboutrecommended roommate interview questions and this sparked a discussion about the importance of roommate agreements and some of things that must be included in roommate agreements. So, we compiled a list of these items from our group members and have them below for your reading pleasure.
Guests
We all have friends and families and occasionally we like to invite them over to our homes so we can spend time with them. If you have roommates, it’s important to talk about how you will handle guests. These might include things such as; can they show up unannounced, how early can they show up, how late can they stay, can they spend the night, are they allowed to eat groceries, use amenities, can they spend the night etc. These things may not seem like major issues at first, but we’ve heard some horror stories about significant others or family members that overstayed their welcome and how this contributed to a toxic living environment. The worst one we’ve heard of was someone letting their friend stay in their roommates’ bed while they were away without getting permission. So be sure to talk about this in advance and not after the fact.
Cleaning
The term, “clean”, is a relative term, but the point here is whether you love it or hate, you still need to clean the property. If you and your roommates are planning on hiring professionals to clean on a regular basis, then just figure out how often and how the costs will be split and skip to the next section. However, if you plan on cleaning the property with your own hands, then it’s important to establish what needs to be cleaned, how often it needs to be cleaned and who will be responsible for cleaning what. For some people, a verbal agreement or a handshake may be enough, but if you would prefer to have something in writing and to be able to keep track of what’s been cleaned, when it was cleaned and who cleaned it, then it’s important to talk about this early on and agree to what it will look like.
Rent Payments and Penalties
There’s an old saying about money being the root of all problems, and if that’s true, not paying rent on time is the perfect catalyst for a lot of problems. Make sure you outline when rent is due, when it will be paid, how it will be paid and what happens if rent is late or not paid on time.
What’s Communal and What Isn’t
Just because something is in a common or shared space it doesn’t mean it’s communal and available to everyone. As obvious as that may seem, it may not be obvious to everyone. You may not need a checklist of what’s communal and what isn’t, but it may not be such a bad idea to drop a hint or talk about, so your roommates know what you do and don’t like sharing.
Smoking, Drinking and Cannabis Consumption
Some properties don’t allow smoking in doors, but some do. If your apartment allows smoking in doors, it’s probably a good idea to decide with your roommate(s) whether you are ok with smoking in doors or even on the balcony, if you have one. This applies to drinking and cannabis consumption too. Some people may not drink or consume cannabis products, and even if they do, they may be opposed to storing or consuming it around their home. It’s better to talk about this with your roommate(s) than to assume it’s not a problem and then find out that it is after the fact.
References (landlords and former roommates)
This doesn’t need to be in the roommate agreement, but it came up as food for thought from one of our members. Having a reference or recommendation is a good way to know what to expect from your roommate.
