No one wants a stressful condo living experience. When you’re sharing a condo unit with roommates, however, you run the risk of getting into conflicts, disagreements, and fights - all of which get in the way of your ideal, stress-free condo for rent.
Roommates often come from different backgrounds, and personalities are bound to clash every now and then. But no one can deny how beneficial having a roommate is, especially when you’re saving on rental fees and utility bills. So if you want a peaceful experience within the condo community, you need to learn how to adjust to your fellow tenants and meet them halfway today.
Want to foster a harmonious home life with your fellow tenants? Here’s your guide to essential tips for a stress-free condo life with roommates this year.
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Understanding condo life with roommates
Living with roommates means sharing your most intimate spaces with others on a daily basis. Whether you’re close with your fellow tenants or not, you need to understand that you’ll be in close proximity with them very often - and that might bring up some problems or concerns for you as time goes on.
When sharing a common living space, it is imperative that you all establish clear channels of communication from the very start. These channels help you establish and respect each others’ boundaries, thus fostering a sense of safety and security among you and your fellow tenants.
Respecting privacy and personal boundaries in a shared condo is essential to the success of your condo living experience. Discover everything you need to establish with your roommates with the help of this guide today.
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12 tips for living in a condo with roommates
Here are some of the most essential roommate tips that you’ll need to know when it comes to living with other people in a shared condo this year:
1. Know each other's quirks from the get-go
Are you a night owl, or a habitual midnight snacker? Are you the type of person who wants the living room to be organized in a certain way?
If you have quirks or habits that will affect the lives of your fellow tenants, make sure to disclose them right away. As you welcome your new life together as roommates, let each other know about your quirks to avoid unpleasant surprises in the long run.
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2. Agree on household rules
Sit down with your roommates to discuss relevant household rules. These might include who will clean what parts of the living space and when, how long or how often a significant other can stay over, and other things that matter to everyone.
Make sure everyone in your unit can benefit from these household rules, and ensure that you're all on the same page early on. This way, you'll all save yourselves from major misunderstandings in the future.
3. Save each other's contact information
Another important thing to discuss is to exchange and save each others’ contact information within the first few days of cohabitation. Not only will this help you stay in touch with one another, but this will also help you establish those crucial channels of communication in case emergencies happen during your stay.
If you’re comfortable with the idea, you should also exchange emergency contact information with your fellow tenants. If something happens to you or them, you’ll be able to get in touch with each others’ emergency contacts and ensure a secured living experience.
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4. Bring an eye mask, just in case
Once you’ve established each others’ quirks, you can adjust to them accordingly. If, for example, you sleep better in the dark but your roommate does not, a good compromise is to just leave the lights on while you sleep with an eye mask on.
This tip also comes in handy for when you want to sleep early, but your freelancer roommate pulls an all-nighter to work. Just make sure to find compromises that work for all parties, based on your established habits and quirks.
5. Pack earplugs, too
Having a snoring machine for a roommate is nothing short of miserable. Protect yourself from a possible nighttime disaster by arming yourself with earplugs.
If nighttime noise is a constant problem, you can also try to drown out sounds with some soundproofing. A fan or white noise machine will drown out the noise from outside. Curtains and drapes are also good noise insulators.
6. Establish what you’re willing to share
Some of your roommates think you're cool with them using your speakers while you're away, or eating your leftover pizza that's been in the fridge for a few days. What should you do with a roommate who often takes your stuff when you aren't around?
Talk directly to the person to let them know that their behavior is bothering you. Tell your fellow tenants which of your things you’re willing to share, and which ones you’re not okay with sharing. Also, ask them which of their things you can use when they aren't home too. Establish this as basic roommate etiquette to avoid conflicts in the future.
7. Deal with roommate arguments like adults
Got a problem with a roommate? Passive-aggressiveness won't solve things. Bring it up with the person right away and look for a fair compromise. Don’t bottle up your anger - this will just build up resentment and lead to a huge, nasty fight in the future.
If, however, your fellow tenant is too much to handle and your polite requests have fallen on deaf ears, it’s time to defer to management. If you’re a property owner, it is within your right to speak with the property management office. If you’re renting the unit, bring your landlord into the situation and have them talk to the management about your condo-related problems.
Be sure to check your contracts and lease agreements so you keep your complaints within the bounds of house rules.
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8. Clarify the pet situation
Depending on where you live, pets may or may not be allowed inside the premises. To address this, you can confirm with the building management if your roommate is allowed to have animals in the area.
If pets are allowed, but you’re experiencing problems like bad smells or messy living conditions, talk to your roommate to remind them of their responsibilities as pet owners. After all, it’s unhealthy and unsanitary for everyone if a pet is dirty inside your shared home.
9. Discuss party rules
It’s not bad to host a party or two in a small place like a condo unit. Problems arise, however, when they happen too often and they cause disturbances among your fellow tenants, or even your neighboring units.
To deal with the problem, find a time to talk to your roommate and let them know they’re being too loud or disruptive. Remind them of the building’s rules and regulations, especially with regards to noise, guests, and other related concerns.
10. Share the chores fairly
Let’s recall the previously mentioned tip on household rules. Who cleans what parts of the unit, and when? What will happen if someone in the household consistently fails to do their fair share of the work? Your agreement on these established rules should also include the fair distribution of all your household chores.
Chores should be shared and delegated fairly, based on everyone’s skill sets and amount of time spent at home. If dividing the home cleaning tasks takes effort, consider hiring a cleaning service - that is, if everyone is okay with splitting the budget.
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11. Split the rental payments
Rent is one of the most expensive things you have to pay for when living in a condo. This is why one of the most significant advantages of living with roommates is that you get to split the cost of the monthly rent.
You all need to agree on due dates for paying the rent, so that you can all make adjustments to your monthly budgets. Everyone in your household should also consider other payment methods and schedules, like taking turns in paying rental fees, or assigning one person to pay while everyone else repays that person.
12. Fairly share the utility dues
Unfortunately, rent isn’t the only thing you need to pay for throughout your condo life. There are also electricity bills, water bills, and other utility dues. When you’re living with other people, however, you’ll get the chance to split these payments and manage the bills too.
Discuss how to fairly share the utility bills with your roommates. Do you split it equally, or do you divide it according to usage? It’s really up to what you agree with your fellow unit tenants.
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Harmonious living in a shared condo
Conflicts and compromises will always arise - these are natural parts of living with housemates or roommates, after all. What is important is finding solutions that work for all sides, with the help of clear communication throughout your condo life.
If you’re willing to talk to your fellow tenants and communicate clearly, then a harmonious life in a shared condo is totally possible. Just make sure to establish rules, respect boundaries, and uphold agreements, so that you can all ensure each others’ safety and security at home.
Key takeaways
Enjoy a stress-free home life with your fellow tenants today. Remember to bring these final takeaways with you as you embark on your shared living experience with DMCI Homes this year.
- Communicate clearly. This is the best way to ensure a harmonious home relationship with fellow tenants. Communicate clearly and address disagreements right away, to prevent the buildup of resentment and conflict in the long run.
- Treat each other with respect. You’re all equals in your shared living space. Always treat each other with respect to foster that sense of community in your small home.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. Having a hard time resolving certain issues? Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your building’s management to enjoy a stress-free experience at your DMCI Homes property today.
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