We’re finding more and more people are looking for rooms for rent or living together to split costs. When you’re in college, it’s common to live with multiple people and share space. When you enter the adult world and start working, you can sometimes forget what it’s like to live and cohabitate with others.

Suddenly you are in a place where you’re sharing dishes, furniture, apartment, and sometimes even food. Perhaps you’re living with a friend from college or you decided to go out on a limb and find a roommate on iROOMit, Zumper, PadSplit or Craigslist. Whether you’ve known your roommate for a long time, or you’re just meeting for the first time, the challenges of living with another person are the same. How do you make the space feel like yours if all items belong to the other person?

Improve Your Environment & Live in Harmony

Create Ground Rules

Have a conversation at the beginning so you’re both clear on what is being shared vs what is off limits. Perhaps you’re okay sharing your furniture or dishes, but your expensive shampoo or Beats headphones are off limits. Set the ground rules upfront so you’re both on the same page.

Shared Expenses

We live in an age of their being an app for everything! So if one person is paying rent, set up measures so the other roommate is paying you back on time. Or if you’re splitting bills or go to a restaurant and get one check, be mindful of what you’re each spending and don’t leave it up to one person to cover it all.

Scheduling

Is your roommate a night owl and do they like to stay up late in the living room with the TV on? Or do they get up early to head to the gym and like to run the blender at 6 am? Are you working late and leaving early to catch a flight? Do you want to have friends over for game night? Be open and communicate your schedules with one another. Perhaps you buy a calendar to place on the fridge so you know what’s going on with the other person (and aren’t surprised when you walk in and there are people over when you get home from a long day).

Happy Notes

If you notice that toilet paper is running low, don’t stick a post-it on it to remind the other person to buy more. Send them a message or call them instead. If you are going to leave notes, let them be encouraging and happy.

System for Chores

Whether you live alone or with someone else, the same is true. Trash will need to be taken out, the dishwasher will need to be unloaded, common areas will need to be cleaned. Create a system that works for you and your roommate. If you run the dishwasher, the other person unloads it; rotate weeks on who is cleaning; take the garbage out when it’s full rather than waiting for the other person to get to it. No matter how you go about it, make sure you’re both on the same page and communicate if you are unable to keep your commitment.

Add Person to Your Plans

If you're having a few friends over for dinner, let your roommate know if they’re invited or if you’d like to have the space to yourself. Let your roommate make a choice whether or not they want to attend.

Be Respectful

Don’t just assume you can walk in on your roommate in their room or in the bathroom. Unless you have an open relationship, respect their space, and knock before entering.

Share Food or Not

With roommates, it’s typically easier for each person to buy their own food rather than one person buying it all and sharing. Unless you eat the same diet or are doing a cleanse together, it’s probably better to stick to buying your own food with the exception of bulk items like flour, spices, oils, etc. And if you do share, be mindful of how much you’re using and whose turn it is to replace the item.

Communicate

If there is something that needs to be replaced or something is missing, or you notice a pattern with the other person that is causing conflict, communicate it rather than letting it build up. When you hold onto annoyances, anger, or resentment, you’re likely going to explode at some point. It’s better to be open and honest and communicate how you’re feeling or what you’re noticing rather than let it build up.

Hang Out

Just because you’re roommates, doesn’t mean you can’t also be friends. Especially if you’re moving in with a stranger or someone you don’t know very well. Create a dinner night or go on a date to get to know each other better.

If you’re choosing to have a roommate so you can have more time to travel and live for experience, remember that. At the end of the day, life is too short to live in conflict.