Living in New York could indeed be one of the most expensive decisions that you could make in your lifetime. Do you know what contributes much to the expense? Your apartment. That’s why a lot of New York residents choose to get a roommate to split the expensive rental fees and be able to save more for other expenses.
But how do you find the perfect roommate? How can you know if you won’t have any problem living with a particular person later on in your stay?
To help you decide, we have compiled some of the most important things that you should consider when looking for a roommate:
- Slobby, OC or what?
Admittedly, it is hard to find the exact match of your cleanliness level. If you are very meticulous about the order of your space, then you should look for a roommate who has the same expectations such as yours. But how do you do it? I suggest that you just ask a prospective roommate about his schedule for cleaning. From here, you can get an idea about his cleaning habits.
- Party Goer or Homebuddy?
If you are in New York to study or if your profession involves a lot more concentration and quietness once you get home, then you have to be sure that your roommate is not the type who invites his friends over for partying in the weekends. Maybe you can ask him what she does at the end of the week. From here you can make an assumption of his schedule for Saturdays and Sundays.
- Smoker? Clean Lifestyle?
Smoking can be a real issue when it comes to finding the best roommate for your apartment. Can you imagine living with a smoker when you are very sensitive to nicotine? Or can you risk your health to speed up the process of looking for a roommate? In the same manner, if you smoke and it is one way of coping through stress, can you imagine a life of being restricted when and where to smoke?
- Drinker?
If you are concerned about the capacity of a person to control his behavior when drunk, then you have to be blunt in asking whether or not your prospective roommate drinks frequently or not. Although a person wouldn’t always admit of his weakness to alcohol, you can respectfully approach him by asking whether he prefers to be drinking at home and how often does he regularly drink. If you happen to be an occasional drinker, you may also directly ask him whether he can live with a person who drinks beer or wine during times of fatigue or stress.
- Connection With Your Own Network
Living with a roommate who has the same circle of friends or professional colleagues such as yours can either make or break you. If you are a private person who wants to protect her own image from other people, then it would be safest to prevent sharing rooms with a person who has the same network as yours. Unpredictable situations happen to our lives, and we cannot always be sure that we will still be at the peak of our positivity.
- History of Tenancy
How many homes or apartments have she gone through before? Do you have any means of contacting her previous landlords and roommates? As they say, we cannot judge a book by its cover. The same thing goes with our prospective roommates. She may look decent and respectful on the outside, but you can never be sure if she hides any hideous personality inside. Always, you have to protect your own interest and safeguard your mental peace by making sure that you don’t live with a person who has a problematic attitude.
- Pet Owner?
Although we want to protect animals as far as we can, we need to face the fact that there are people who are allergic to fur or who are fearful of other creatures. You need to know if your roommate has a pet that she has to bring along. Or if you are a pet owner, be courteous in asking immediately if pets can stay in your apartment. Declare your intention to bring along your pet immediately even before you sign contracts and make agreements.
- Cooking Schedule and Kinds of Food
When sharing an apartment with someone, you are also most likely sharing a kitchen with him. You need to prevent any problem when it comes to meal preparation most especially when you have a tiny apartment and limited kitchen space. Ask him about her usually schedule for cooking food. Set specific times for own cooking. If you happen to have the same taste buds and culinary preferences, you can also agree on sharing cooking expenses and responsibilities.
- Work Hours & Nature of Work
How long does your prospective roommate stay in his workplace? Or does he work from home? These things should be disclosed to you because this can undoubtedly impact the way that you conduct your daily lives. Although there may be two rooms in an apartment, your common space would surely have to be shared by the two of you. Be sure to know when he needs the bathroom in the morning so that you can properly schedule your own time for use. Preparing for work can be one of the most trying times in a day. Even the slightest delay can cause a raging fire of emotions between roommates.
- Capacity to Pay
Not that you are judgmental about a person, but you need to be very clear when it comes to your expectations. Can your roommate pay for the rent? But how do you ask this detail without being offensive? From the start of talks, be respectfully straightforward. Ask about his nature of work and tenure in the job. It would be a risk to make a deal with a roommate who has no regular job.
- Length of Stay
How long is your roommate planning to stay in the apartment? You surely do not want to be left hanging after a few months with the full responsibility of paying for the entire rental fee. Be sure to ask this detail and make his response explicit in your contract.
- Personal Nuances
We all have our nuances, our sources of joy, and our different causes of annoyance. You need to make sure that your roommate’s hobbies, personal preferences, or any nuances would not be contrary to yours. As much as possible, find a roommate that you can quickly get along with. It may not be on the personal side of things but even on just the trifle aspects of life. Finding a roommate can also be as involved as finding your property to rent. Or maybe, finding your roommate is a lot more complicated than getting your dream apartment, right?