PRACTICAL GUIDE TO Living with Roomies
Contents First Time Out of Home? Why Should I Use Roomies.com? Before Moving in View and Inspect Property Ask the Right Questions Research the Area Put the Agreement in Writing Getting Settled In Transferring Money Budgeting Connect Utilities Paying Bills Money Saving Tips Sharing Bathroom Space Sharing Food Laundry Chores Legal Help About Roomies.com 1 2 3 9 19 20
First Time Out of Home? Moving into a new house is a major step on your road to independence! If it s your first time living away from family, it can also be a lot of responsibility. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, paying bills, and balancing your work/school and personal life can present many challenges. What follows is a practical guide to living and thriving with your new roomies! 1
Why Should I Use Roomies.com? Roomies.com is a safe resource for share accommodation. It allows people to list their spare rooms, find accommodation, or team up with others to start a new lease together. Roomies.com has genuine listings with a team of moderators who continuously ensure that listings are up-to-date, authentic, and still available. We also never share your details with other members or companies and any contact you receive from us will only relate to your search. 2
Before Moving In View and Inspect Property Moving into share accommodation isn t just about finding a home, it s also about finding great people to live with. Therefore it is important to not just view the property before entering an agreement, but also to meet the people you ll be living with. Finding a safe and comfortable place to live is the first step towards a positive share accommodation experience, so it s always worth investing some time in finding the perfect place. https://www.roomies.com/info/info-why-aviewing-is-important 3
Ask the Right Questions Interviewing your new roomie can sometimes feel like you re on a first date. You want to know what type of person this is and how compatible you re going to be, but also like a first date sometimes we get so caught up in the moment that we forget some of the big questions we should be asking and answering. 4
Here are 10 essential questions to ask your potential new roomie during the interviewing process: 1. What s an average day look like for you? 2. What do you think of overnight guests? 3. In what order would you put these activities: work, play, clean, rest? 4. Are you looking for a roomie or a friend? 5. Are you messy or clean? 6. What chore do you least like doing around the house? 7. How do you spend your weekends/ days off? 8. How many nights a week do you go out? 9. Do you cook at home? 10. Any allergies? Special dietary needs? For an expansion on these questions check out https://www.roomies.com/info/10-roomieinterview-questions 5
Beyond asking questions to determine roommate compatibility, it is also crucial to ask some legal questions pertaining to your new living situation: 1. Who is the leaseholder on the property? 2. Is there a landlord or property management company to work with? 3. What is the length of the lease including start and end dates? 4. Who holds the security deposit that you pay? 5. What bills are included and/or what are the monthly costs for bills? 6. Is the room furnished? 7. To whom do you pay your portion of the rent? 8. Are there late payment penalties on the rent? 9. Do you need to fill out a condition report before moving in? 10. Who do you contact for repairs or issues? 11. What is the policy and procedure for terminating your lease early? 6
Research the Area Before you settle on a location it is wise to scope out a few neighborhoods that interest you in order to see how they could fit into your budget and lifestyle. Once you have landed on a particular area, making yourself familiar with your new neighborhood will make your transition easier. If you don t have a car it can be helpful to determine if key locations are within walking distance or on a major transit route. A few important places to find out the locations of area: transit stops grocery stores ATMs gas stations doctors offices 7
Put the Agreement in Writing Once you ve decided on where you re going to live, the technical details begin. Make sure all of the details of your agreement, including security deposit procedures, bills, and rent, are discussed and put into writing before you move into your new home. Most potential problems can be avoided by putting the agreement in writing. Be sure that you understand all of the terms that you are agreeing to before signing anything, and if you have any complex questions you should seek legal advice. https://www.roomies.com/info/roommateagreement 8
Getting Settled In Transferring Money Before you pay any money for share accommodation, there are a few things to remember: Never use an untraceable money transfer system like Western Union Ensure you always receive a receipt (written or electronic) for every payment Never pay a person or account located overseas Only transfer money to people you have met 9
Budgeting Rent and bills are a big responsibility. Take the time to write out a budget and stick to it. (https://www.roomies.com/info/budgeting) Experts warn against spending more than 30% of your income on rent. Keep this in mind during your property search in order to maintain a reasonable budget. Don t forget the extra bills that you often have to pay on top of rent like internet/cable, gas, electricity, and water. If you budget properly you should still have leftover funds for entertainment. Here are some of the items you should consider including in your first budget: Rent Utilities Meals Transportation Medical Entertainment Clothing & Toiletries Subscriptions & Memberships Gifts Pet Care 10
Connect Utilities If you re moving into a new apartment you ll have to have your utilities connected. These often include electricity, water, gas, and cable/ internet. Shop around with different providers to find the best prices and deals in your area. Keep in mind during your budgeting that you may incur a connection fee for new services. 11
Paying Bills It s very important to always pay your bills on time in order to maintain a good credit score which will help you later in life when you re trying to finance a house or a car. One quick way to remember to pay bills is to put a calendar alert on your phone or computer a few days before they are due, that way you won t fall behind. Living with roomies means that your share of the bills is usually lower than if you were living alone. As a team you ll need to determine who s name will be on the bills and what method they prefer the other roomies to pay their portion, whether it be through bank transfers, cash, check, or an app like venmo. Working this out in advance will help avoid a stressful last minute internet bill conversation. https://www.roomies.com/info/bill_paying_strategies 12
Money Saving Tips There are a lot of easy ways to save bits of money here and there which build over time. If you take the steps to save even small amounts each week, you ll find that it can really add up. Here are a few ideas on how to save money: Cook at home. Take out food and restaurant expenses far exceed the cost of making your own meals. Check out the sharing food section to get an idea of how to eat at home more often. Turn off lights, appliances, and electronics when they re not in use. This can help lower 13
your power bill. Additionally, if you have air conditioning running during the summer you can turn it off when you re not at home or when you re sleeping to save big. Credit cards can be convenient but if you are mismanaging your spending the interest fees can rack up to catastrophic levels. Try limiting yourself to only one credit card reserved for emergency use and instead use a debit card or cash as your primary option. Evaluate your transportation options. If you normally drive everywhere you may find some gas savings by taking the bus or other public transportation. Not only will this help you save money but it s also good for the environment. https://www.roomies.com/info/money_saving_tips 14
Sharing Bathroom Space If you move into a house or apartment with a shared bathroom, it can create a bit of tension if two people need the shower at the same time. Discuss a bathroom schedule with your roomies in advance. If someone needs to be at work or school early in the morning make sure that they have access to the bathroom during this time frame. Respecting the schedules of your roomies makes for a tranquil living space. 15
Sharing Food Cooking in your home can be a fun, healthy, and cost effective alternative to take out food. If you learn even as few as 5 simple dishes that you can prepare before moving into your first apartment you will have a nice foundation from which to build. Discuss with your roomies whether you ll be preparing group meals, or taking care of dinners on your own. If you opt to share responsibilities you should organize grocery shopping and cooking schedules so no one person gets stuck with the whole bill or all of the work. If you choose to do things separately be aware of the amount of space your food takes up in cabinets and the refrigerator. It can also be helpful to know how roommates feel about sharing basics like flour, sugar, and condiments. Talk this through after you move in to avoid the awkward situation of finding your roommate eating the pasta you were saving for lunch. https://www.roomies.com/info/sharing_food 16
Laundry If your new home comes with laundry in unit, consider yourself lucky! If you re one of the many people who instead has laundry facilities in your building or has to trek to a local laundromat it s good to be prepared. Keep quarters on hand by popping by your bank and getting a few rolls at a time so that you aren t constantly searching couch cushions for the dryer. Remember to separate whites from colors and wash delicates in special laundry bags or on their own. Be courteous to the next person waiting by setting a timer to come back if you aren t going to stay in the laundry room while your cycle runs. Although it s no one s favorite task, try not to wait too long between washings as your pile will grow both heavy and expensive! 17
Chores It s easy to fall into lazy patterns once you ve moved out of your family home. Dishes can start to pile up in the sink and the garbage cans can start to overflow. Luckily there are some easy steps to avoid a messy home: Create a chore chart - this ensure that everyone is contributing to the cleanliness of the home and simultaneously creating a beautiful, relaxing living space. Talk about the chores you like and hate. Take into consideration that some chores are dreaded to you but could be fine for your roommate and vice versa. If you take care of the tasks your roomie prefers to avoid everyone ends up happier and the home is cleaner! Pick a day of the week to clean, like Sunday afternoons, and stick to it. Keep shared spaces like living rooms and kitchens tidy. 18
Legal Help Different laws apply to tenants depending on their state of residence. If you require official legal advice for your lease or sublease the safest course of action is to contact a legal professional. An expert can give you answers on tenancy, security deposits, early vacancy and lease termination before you make any official decisions. 19
About Roomies.com Roomies.com is a community to find roommates and rooms across America. Roomies.com allows you to browse profiles of both members looking for rooms and those offering rooms so you know all the basics right from the start of the conversation. Onsite secure messaging means you can chat with potential roommates securely and only share your email and phone number when you are comfortable. Our team is committed to reinventing share accommodation by highlighting the positive financial and social benefits it provides. 20