If you’re looking to rent a place with a roommate, it is important to qualify your candidates closely before committing to a rental agreement. Here at Stargate West, we’ve seen shared tenancies go really well, and unfortunately we’ve seen some roommate scenarios that are less than ideal. We have sifted through the various roommate archetypes to come up with the following five which you may want to think twice about. If you’re looking to pick a roommate for your next co-habitation venture, here are five types of roommates that you will want to avoid.
The Hoarder
Your home is your sanctuary, that is unless you’re sharing it with a hoarder, in which case your home may be inundated with other people’s clutter. There is nothing worse than having to deal with the encroaching mess of roommates on a daily basis. A hoarder knows no limits or boundaries to stuff and hoarding is a medical condition that requires proper intervention and treatment. Getting to know your roommate before signing a rental agreement with them and viewing their current dwelling if possible will give you a good indication if they are a hoarder or not.
The Partier
All of us have either lived with or socialized with the partier before. You may find them fun for a night, or to see on occasion, but living with a partier is a whole other story. It is important your home is a place where you can seek peace and quiet amongst the busyness and sometimes chaos that surrounds many of our lives. Having your home turn into a party pad, or having your partier roommate bring pals around at all hours, will surely ruin any quiet and calm and disrupt your daily cycles. Resist the temptations of rooming with a partier, leave those relationships to the clubs, not the comfort of your home.
The Procrastinator
If your prospective roommate is having trouble getting you the rental agreement and deposit money on time, you may be dealing with a procrastinator. Procrastinators can be hard people to live with, especially if you fall on the other end of the motivation spectrum. Procrastinator roommates may be late paying rent, fail to pay joint bills on time, and in general may not stay true to their word (in a timely fashion at least). If being on time and straight-forward are important to you, stay clear of procrastinator roommates who may operate with a different agenda.
The Slob
Living with a slob is like having an additional part time job- but one that you don’t get paid for. Cleaning up after yourself is one thing, but cleaning up after another adult human who has the full capacity to fend for themselves, gets tiring very quickly. Before signing rental documents with a roommate make sure to discuss responsibilities and expectations and clearly outline the ideal cleanliness state expected in the home. If your slobby roommate is unable to uphold their commitment of a clean and tidy space, it’s probably time to start looking for a roommate replacement.
The Nocturnal
Unless you’re a nocturnal yourself, you’re going to want to avoid living with a nocturnal roommate. Having out of sync daily rhythms is the perfect recipe for chaos and friction in a household. Not only do you not want your nocturnal roommate making noise while you’re trying to sleep at night, you don’t want to be tip toeing around in daytime in an effort not to wake your day sleeping friend. Make sure you fully understanding the work and sleeping habits of your roommate before you decide to reside together.
Here at Stargate West we consider our tenant’s family and enjoy seeing roommate situations that are mutually enjoyable and beneficial. If you’ve been looking for short-term or student housing in Tucson Arizona, Stargate West may be the place for you.