23 Of The Best Damn Tips For Living With Roommates

    For the love of god, change the Brita filter.

    Augusta Falletta
    by Augusta Falletta

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Jenny Chang / Via BuzzFeed

    We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their best advice on living with roommates. Here are their pearls of wisdom!

    1. Communication is huge. You're adults, not mind readers — if something needs to be said, just say it.

    @don_l_a / Via instagram.com

    Absolutley nothing will be accomplished if you withhold things from each other or are passive-aggressive about it. —Kayla Hendrickson, Facebook

    2. You aren't obligated to hang out together all the time.

    @eilishaa / Via instagram.com

    When I lived with my friend, we had to learn how to "be alone" together. That usually means doing your own activities in silence in the same room. Also give each other space. —Ella Hurd, Facebook

    3. Discuss what food, if any, you want to share.

    @iibreaknecks / Via instagram.com

    It doesn’t seem like a big deal until they steal your last damn Pop-Tart. —sydsquid190

    4. Learn to take the high road, especially if you move in with your best friend.

    @viejomulo8208 / Via instagram.com

    Set aside your pride. If something annoys you, take a breath and ask yourself if it's worth getting into a huge fight that will ruin your friendship. Petty little arguments add up and resentment builds and if this is someone you truly care about, learn to let go of the little things that aren't worth it. —Megan Kelterborn, Facebook

    5. Good friends do not always make good roommates. Good roommates do not always make good friends.

    @richheimer420 / Via instagram.com

    I've lived with friends I ended up hating. I've lived with strangers and had a wonderful experience with them, but never hung out outside of the house. —William Palm, Facebook

    6. Exchange emergency information with each other.

    summerschyff / Via instagram.com

    If you're unconscious at the hospital, whom should your roommates call? How do they reach your family? Do you have any serious allergies? A medical issue like a history of seizures they should be aware of? A stalker ex whom they shouldn't give any information to if he shows up at your door? —Jade McDowell, Facebook

    7. Communicate about HOW you each do things.

    @jayvegas / Via instagram.com

    A chores chart is a fine idea, but what if someone's idea of "clean the bathroom" is wiping down the sink while someone else mops, cleans the toilet, launders the bathmat and towels, and scrubs the shower? Can everyone agree that "your turn to wash the dishes" includes putting them away once they're dry, or is that a separate chore on someone else's list? These seem like tiny details if you've got a chores schedule worked out, until suddenly everyone is going around in a rage because there's a moldy pot that's been marinating in the sink for three weeks because no one thinks it's *their* pot to clean. —Angelica Pendleton, Facebook

    8. Respect everyone else's finances.

    The WB

    I've known too many people who were convinced that they didn't have to pay their share of a utilities bill on time because the roommate whose name was on the bill had a better-paying job. They aren't working that job to help pay for your life, so pay your part, and do it on time. Set a calendar alarm on your phone if you have to. Put a calendar in a communal place and write the amount everyone needs to pay on the due date each month. —Angelica Pendleton, Facebook

    9. Communication is big, but compromising is also key.

    @jackettaa / Via instagram.com

    You can't be stubborn or unwilling to bend. It won't work — nothing will get solved. You have to find ways to make everybody happy and that means compromising on some small things to make the other person happy. —Matty Cormier, Facebook

    10. Send a text if you are having guests over.

    Twitter: Jordandurio / Via Twitter: @jordandurio

    It doesn’t matter if it’s your best friend or your boyfriend or your neighbor. You don’t need to offer an explanation or ask permission, just let your roommates know so they can put pants or a bra on or whatever makes them comfortable. —kristinl493bc1017

    11. Do not be afraid to sit together and do absolutely nothing.

    @daisydimsum / Via instagram.com

    People think roommate bonding time has to be an adventure and crazy fun time, but sometimes the best way to get to know somebody well is to just sit in the same room and read BuzzFeed articles for six hours. —Sadie Gracelynn Trigg, Facebook

    12. Create a Roommate Agreement.

    @nicolerork / Via instagram.com

    I was an RA in college and one thing we always suggested to people sharing dorms/apartments was to create a Roommates Agreement. This included things like how often a significant other could spend the night, how often areas would be cleaned and how chores would be divvied up, when it was okay to invite large groups of people over, etc. It's better to agree on things early on than to just assume you're all on the same page. —Colleen Robinson, Facebook

    13. Be aware of your own habits on a daily basis.

    @jennyxng / Via instagram.com

    Taking a positive lead in your shared home will hopefully rub off on your roommates and make living together easier. Like, instead of leaving the dirty dishes all week and quietly hating your roommate, wash them nightly and ask your roomie, "You want to wash or dry?” Doing chores together can help relieve negative tension and make the chore less daunting. —Maggie McDonald, Facebook

    14. Have a "Do Not" talk with your roommate.

    @puns_upon_a_time / Via instagram.com

    Trust me, a lot can be accomplished by simply sitting down and talking about what you will not accept or don't want in your apartment. Small arguments can be avoided a lot more quickly if you do this when you first move in insead of waiting until something happens to tick you both off. —Princess Claudia, Facebook

    15. Ask questions like, "If I walk in and you're crying, what do I do?"

    @amyt_261 / Via instagram.com

    TALK IT OUT. Start out the living arrangements with a talk about what's okay and what's not. —Samantha Ellis, Facebook

    16. Remember that little habits of yours might not seem like a big deal, but it *could* be something that is seriously irritating to your roommates over time.

    @slowblinks / Via instagram.com

    For example, I used to leave the showerhead on top of the taps instead of hanging it up in where it's supposed to go, because that's how I usually did it at home. It wasn't something I consciously thought about — I just kind of did it. I had no idea that all four of my housemates found it really, really annoying until they told me. —Andrea Lo, Facebook

    17. It’s easier to accept that people are going to live how they want to than try to change how they live.

    @shedevilprincss / Via instagram.com

    I’ve always been an easygoing person, but I think I learned how to literally not care about my roommates' weird habits. It’s their home too. —eacatanza

    18. Wear headphones. For everyone’s sake, wear headphones.

    @jeddowny / Via instagram.com

    Even if your roommate has the same taste in music/TV/movies as you, that doesn’t mean they always want to hear what you have on. Besides, great quality headphones are a lot less expensive than great quality speakers. —frontrow333

    19. Always remember that not everyone was raised like you.

    @ jessicag303 / Via instagram.com

    And even though that can be infuriating, it’s not something you can get mad at. —breg4234ec519

    20. Act like your parents are visiting/landlord is inspecting/you’re bringing a date home at least once a week.

    @PeterGrahammm / Via Twitter: @PeterGrahammm

    You know what I’m talking about. Do it to respect yourself if not to respect the people who live with you. There’s no good excuse for not cleaning up after cooking a meal. Don’t be like my ex-roommates who would leave it that way for days and get all passive-aggressive or rationalize when I point out the messes they leave across the apartment. —shinychromenux89

    21. Give each other at least a few hours a week to be in the room alone.

    Stuart Duncan @autismfather

    Why I like to be alone. #introvert

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    People need space no matter how well you get along, and it’s nice to be able to relax with no one else around. —Buzzfeed21

    22. Refill the damn Brita water pitcher.

    Twitter: kfjos / Via Twitter: @kfjos

    —livinlavidamocha

    23. Sometimes it’s hard, but let your roommates know when you're having a tough time or feeling emotional.

    When we’re sensitive to each other’s needs the house stays peaceful and everyone is taken care of. —lesaw2

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