Living near your workplace or university is such a time-saver and it offloads much of your everyday stress. Renting provides a great deal of convenience, allowing you to opt for accommodation nearby amenities and workplaces while freeing you from the long term commitment of homeownership.
Having said that, if you are a student or a fresh graduate looking forward to affordable accommodation, renting a space comes with a price tag. There will be bills to pay: rent, electricity, water, internet and so on. Oftentimes, getting a roommate becomes a solution to lessen the renting expenses.
If you are not careful, having a roommate(s) can be more costly and more of a hassle than expected.
So let us explore the pros and cons of living with a roommate and how you can navigate through the common roommate quarrels.
What is a roommate?
Growing up Malaysian, we love to mix and match our English to fit our daily colloquial communication. In all honesty, I assumed roommate is a universal word to be used for all situations where space is shared, be it for housemate, flatmate, roommate or suitemate.
To my surprise, my Malaysian mix and match of English did not fail me.
In general, room-mate refers to a person occupying the same room as another. With the modern application, the term room-mate has evolved to describe someone who shares the same space, flat or house with another, be it occupying a separate room or otherwise.
1. Rental Payments and Dues
Pros: Splitting on rental payment
From my experience and my conversation, the number one reason anyone would consider taking in a roommate is to split on rental payment.
Having a roommate is extremely helpful in reducing accommodation expenses where the rent is split among the roommates. This lessens the burden for you and your roommate because rent can take up a huge chunk of your salary. For most young adults, rent is typically 40% of your salary if living alone.
For renters early at the beginning of their careers, roommates may be necessary if you are living in a business hub where accommodations are high in demand. Getting a roommate is good to split the bill both ways while getting more roommates can make the rent look cheap in comparison.
Cons: Missing or late payments
No one likes being paid late, not you not your landlord and if you have a roommate that cannot afford the rent, it is going to cost you money and stress.
Having a roommate can be expensive if you do not know your roommate’s ability to pay rent on time. Whether you have money or not, you and your roommate will need to meet the rental dues. If your roommate cannot afford his share of the rent, you will need to shoulder the balance.
Paying for your roommate’s share of the rent can really mess with your monthly budget.
Tips #1: Have a master tenant
Typically, a tenancy agreement is signed between the landlord and the master tenant. This master tenant will be responsible should the timely rental payments and to communicate with the landlord of any necessary maintenance.
When it comes to the relationship between the roommates, the master tenant should collect the rent from the roommates and pay on behalf of the roommates to the landlord. The transaction can be made seamless if you and your roommate agree on a due date that works for both of you.
This helps to align expectations on when to pay for rent and who will pay for rent.
Tips #2: Check the profile of your roommate
If you intend to have a roommate to split the rent, you better be checking your potential roommate’s capability in making payments.
Some questions you want to be asking as you filter through potential roommates should be,
- What do you do for a living?
- Will you be staying for long?
- Do you have a work history?
- Can you afford the rent?
If your roommate cannot hold on to a job long term, chances are he cannot afford the rent and that is a big no-no.
2. Splitting Utility Bills and Managing Lifestyles
Pros: You share everything
The good thing about having a roommate is that you get to share the other accommodation expenses. This includes electricity, water and internet which makes these necessary utilities very much more affordable.
Living alone can be expensive because utilities do have a minimum charge every month to maintain their services. Having a roommate makes the minimum charge worthwhile and the bundle of internet services affordable.
Cons: You and your roommate have different lifestyles
Sharing utility expenses do not necessarily mean you get to save a fortune. It is very much dependent on how you and your roommate use the utilities. In most roommate conflicts, the difference in the lifestyle among roommates can result in one paying an unfair share of the bills.
Sometimes, having air-conditioning installed in the rental space can cause dissatisfaction to happen between roommates. Having the air-cond running 24/7 will definitely consume a lot of electricity and that can be a massive burn in the wallet for the other roommates.
I once had a roommate who would have the air-cond running from 7 pm – 7 am. That kind of lifestyle is definitely a deep burn to my already tiny wallet, especially when I’m working on a tight monthly budget to afford my first home.
Tips #1: If you are not using it, turn it off
I’m serious, “If you are not using it, turn it off”.
Have them stuck everywhere, at every single switch point if you can because you can never remind a roommate enough about it. Leaving the water heater on is going to consume a lot of electricity and that will be an expensive electricity bill.
So yes, if you aren’t using it, turn it off.. .. ..please.. ..
Try not to be too demanding about it but it really needs to be communicated.
Tips #2: Communicate the lifestyle difference
I cannot emphasize enough how important communicating the lifestyle difference is when living with a roommate.
If you are dissatisfied with how the electricity bill is distributed, have a peaceful conversation about it. Give your roommate the benefit of the doubt that these differences in lifestyle can be resolved amicably.
If your roommate habitually needs to have the air-conditioner running 12 hours a day while you only need it for 4 hours before bed. It is simple mathematics of splitting the electric bill by 1:3 (4 hours to 12 hours is a ratio of 1:3).
Otherwise, you can consider installing a split electric meter to monitor each of your usages in the worst possible scenario.
3. Splitting Groceries and Having Homecook Meals
Pros: It is typically cheaper to buy in bulks
When I started renting, the thing I missed the most is having a home-cooked meal with friends and family. Well, that is only possible and affordable if you have a roommate.
If you are as thrifty as I was, then you know it is definitely more economical to order take-outs and fast food as compared to home-cooking. The funny thing about living in Malaysia is that fresh produce is so expensive that it does not make sense financially if you are cooking for less than 2.
So if you’ve decided to have a roommate, you can buy groceries together and cook for one another. This way, you are killing two birds with one stone, saving money and getting healthier.
Cons: Not everyone likes the same things
When it comes to food, the taste is a personal preference and it becomes much harder planning for your meals if your roommate is a picky eater. In some cases, you will come across roommates who keeps buying what he wants but have the bill split between the two of you.
I think we can all agree that is rather unfair.
Tips #1: Have a shopping list and budget
Before you go shopping, prepare a list together and budget it. List down the things you both need and split the expenses there. If you want to purchase other things, you will have to pay separately.
In my opinion, this is the easiest way to manage grocery expenses. If you do not communicate and agree on the list and budget, you cannot expect to be in control of what is bought and shared.
Tips #2: Have dedicated fridge space
The refrigerator is a common appliance for you and your roommate. But that does not stop you from allocating dedicated space for your stuff, his stuff and the shared stuff.
At the same time, it helps if there is trust and flexibility in sharing food between roommates.
4. There is Safety in Numbers
Pros: It is safer with a roommate you trust
Staying in an apartment is pretty safe with security personnel and CCTV cameras in the common area. However, having a roommate you trust to have your back can be really assuring.
If you are away for a short getaway or a quick trip home visiting the family, it is a good feeling to know you have a roommate you trust taking care of the place.
Nothing beats a well-needed getaway with a promise of security.
Cons: Some roommates are bad with locks
We all know of someone who leaves the house unlocked and unsecured. It is worst if that someone is your roommate, causing you the constant anxiety-like, “Did my roommate lock the house today?”
Tips: Get a key-retaining lock
If you have a roommate that tends to leave the place unlocked, then you should give them a reason to remember locking up as they leave.
With a key-retaining lock, your roommate will need to lock up the place before he can retrieve his keys. This will discourage any intention of being lazy, leaving the place unlocked and risking the security of all.
In case you wonder, what is a key-retaining padlock?
A key-retaining padlock does not allow the key to be removed while the padlock is in the open position. This is especially useful in preventing padlocks left unlocked by accident and it also prevents you from accidentally locking yourself out of the house.
5. Companionship during the loneliest nights
Pros: It is always nice to have a friend
Sometimes, living alone can be really quiet and lonely. A small 2-bedder apartment can become too big for one person and one cannot help but feel lonely in the quiet stillness.
Hence, having a roommate is a good way of alleviating those unwanted feelings of loneliness. Imagine a tough day at work, who better to complain and rant to if not a friend at home?
Besides that, having a roommate can mean having the economic means to buy groceries in bulk. If you are looking to try a new recipe, it is easier to stick to the portions measured in the recipe and have your roommate try out the food.
Quality and taste is another story, haha!
In my experience, having a roommate is good so that you do not struggle alone. Video calls are great but it does not beat real-time face-to-face communication.
Cons: More people, less privacy
If you prefer to come home to peace and quiet, then having a roommate may not be the best idea for you.
The reality of living with a roommate is that you are now less in charge of your environment and there will be a lot of accommodating to the needs of the roommate. In other words, life will no longer be interruption-free.
In some cases, you might even need to schedule time for showers in the morning if the apartment comes with limited toilet space. Worst if you are sharing the apartment with multiple roommates and the toilet can get rather dirty, rather quickly.
Tips: Resolve all arguments quickly and peacefully
Arguments and disagreements can sometimes be inevitable. However, if the argument is left hanging, it gets exponentially difficult to pick up the pieces and come to a peaceful conclusion.
Personally, if there are things that upset me, I will try to voice them out quickly before things get out of hand. For all we know, your roommate may not be aware of how you feel and is quick to accommodate if they knew about it.
If the disagreement gets heated, it might be wise to take a short breather and agree to discuss the matter the next day. This gives room to both you and your roommate to cool heads and think rationally on a win-win situation.
I am certain many disagreements can be resolved if communication is open and clear.
Tips: Stay with someone you know
If you are more a pacifist who avoids any possible argument or disagreements with your roommate, then you should consider living with someone you know. It can be a good friend, a close relative or a colleague.
The benefit of staying with people you know is cultivating better understanding among one another. Opening up to a total stranger about how you feel on certain matters at home can be difficult in comparison to telling a friend or family.
Final Word
There are many benefits to having roommates with the main drivers being financial savings. Having said that, renting an apartment alone or sharing it with someone can be a tough decision to make if you are undecided between having a budget or prioritizing your privacy.
Regardless of your decision, there are ways to work around the difficult situations – be it dealing with a terrible roommate or sorting out the expensive utility bills. Once you learn to work through these issues, you will come to find that living with a roommate can be a wonderful living experience.
With that, I hope the experience shared can serve as a guide if you are still undecided between living alone or renting with a roommate.
