Roommate Tips

Roommate Agreement Process

Living on a college campus is often the first time that students experience sharing a living space with another person. Investing some time and establishing open communication with your roommate(s) will go a long way in helping you to develop a good roommate relationship.

The Roommate Agreement is a tool to assist you and your roommate(s) (a) in beginning the conversation about living together and your personal preferences, and/or (b) in assisting you in resolving a conflict or disagreement.  How will we use our room space? Are there specific times for studying and sleeping? What are our expectations for guests?  These are some of the questions that you and your roommate(s) will discuss for your room.

You may download a copy of the Roommate Agreement (featured document on this page), or ask your RA or RD for a hard copy. 

Five Easy Steps for Completing the Roommate Agreement

  1. Arrange a time with your roommate(s) within the first week of the semester to talk about how you will live together and share your room/apartment space.  Or, you may choose to wait a few weeks and fill out the agreement once you have had a chance to get to know each other more and your habits.
  2. Utilize the topic areas and sample questions in the Agreement as a prompt for your discussion.  Discuss each topic and make agreements for each. If responses to questions are different, discuss the difference and try to reach an agreement.
  3. If you need help – ask your Resident Assistant (RA), Apartment Assistant (AA), or Residence Director (RD).
  4.  Write your agreements on the Roommate Agreement form.  If there are topics that are not listed in the contract that you feel are important, write them down and discuss them.
  5. Print and sign a copy of the form for future reference.

Tips:

  • We encourage you to take the time to discuss your roommate agreement.
  • Be sure to read the “Roommate Bill of Rights”.
  • Openly share your personal preferences, and be sure to listen to your roommate’s preferences.
  • The Roommate Agreement is also helpful for students who have been friends previously!
  • Your RA is available to help you if you need someone to facilitate the discussion. Midway through the year, your RA my also ask to see how things are going, as you may need to revisit the decisions you made.
  • If problems/disagreements arise, raise them with your roommate(s) in a discussion. Remember to be respectful – it is normal to get frustrated with each other. Revisit your Roommate Agreement if needed. And if you need help, utilize your RA or Residence Director (RD).

If you have any questions, or need further help, feel free to contact your RA or RD, or contact our office at (607) 274-3141.