11 Simple Rules You Should Follow To Be The Best Roommate On The Planet

So you are about to move in with some new roommates. The three of you are best friends and you have been hanging out all the time! However, you’ve never lived together and you’re about to move in.

Get ready, because even the best of friends can turn into the devil’s spawn when you share close quarters. Here are some general guidelines that you should follow!

1. Everyone loves a long and warm shower. But timing is everything. No, you shouldn’t stand under the water for every drop of hot water at 8:30 on a weekday. There are others in the house. Take that long shower on a drizzly Saturday morning instead!

2. If you use the last of a toilet paper roll, refill it. The next time your roomie sits down and goes to wipe their keister after a full-splatter explosion that was a Chipotle burrito the night before, she’s going to want some TP.

3. If you make something that uses more than 2 pans, you must do the dishes. I know that everyone is in a hurry these days, but if you had the time to cook on more than 2 devices, you’ve got the time to wash your dishes.

4. If you need some of the following items (milk, butter, cheese, eggs, bread, baking supplies, etc) feel free to borrow it. Just know that you should replace it with your own, and know that yours might be gone in the future.

5. If you have a Brita filter, and you pour yourself a glass of water, add more water to the pitcher. There is nothing worse than a freaking pitcher with half a cup of water sitting in the fridge. The same thing goes for Ice Trays.

6. Have a really open conversation about cleaning in the first week. Make a list of the tasks you all think need to be accomplished, and make a list of weekly tasks. I know I mentioned it above, but finding a good “Dishes” schedule is crucial.

7. Rotate taking out the trash. It’s so easy to just cycle through roommates on this one. Don’t let garbage cause a rift amongst you.

8. When my bedroom door is closed, that means I am in my own space. By all means, knock if it’s important. But if I want to talk, I’ll leave it cracked open. Yes, I might just be binging on Pinterest, but I also might have my pants around my ankles while throwing darts at a picture of my ex on the wall.

9. If you want to have one friend crash on the couch, you can alert your roomies the day of. If it’s more than 1 person, you gotta give some warning, preferably more than a couple of days.

10. Be understanding in sexual circumstances. One of your roommate’s is getting lucky? Put in the headphones and ignore those moans. You know you’ll appreciate it when you’re the one between the sheets.

11. If you have a boyfriend, and he sleeps over at our place, he needs to leave the facilities on a regular basis. No one signs up to live with their roommate’s significant other. If he is lounging on the only community couch all day, your roomies might be put off.

While this list just scratches at the surface of the intricacies of a roommate relationship, they are great things to keep in mind. Let me know if you have any other examples of rules you like, and I’ll try to get them on the list!