The co-living experience is the most unique and adventurous of all the experiences you'll have in your life. Renting a room and co-living in a house or apartment with a handful of strangers you barely know has its pros and cons. You may make it through smoothly or break it. Breaking a lease is complicated and should be the last resort. But in case you have already made up your mind then you can easily find rooms for rent in popular cities like NYC, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and many more on Cirtru.
Roommates aren't soulmates meeting on Earth. They are a lot different and distinguished. They might turn out to be your complete opposite and teach you the art of patience and acceptance. Roommates can be annoying, nosy, loud, and everything you don't like, but you have to deal with such passive-aggressive roommates as you choose the path you are on.
Setting boundaries is necessary even when you are living with roommates having the best qualities. Healthy boundaries would make your co-living experience exceptional and memorable and the best of all. Setting these boundaries may be difficult but doing it at the earliest is imperative.
Here is the simple recipe for setting healthy boundaries with your roommates:
1. Understand each other’s needs & requirements to avoid miscommunication
If you are a student or an introvert, you won't like having loud and nosy roomers over all the time. If you work at odd hours, you may want to have a quiet place to rest.
The first step is to understand your own needs before anyone else's. You need to know what you expect and want in order to live peacefully in the house. You may want to jot down these needs to communicate about them later. Self-analysis is necessary, and it helps you understand what you expect from your roommate once they move in. In case you are living with a roommate for the first time, it is suggested that you mention these specifications while listing your room for rent. You can easily find roommates on Cirtru, who match your schedule and also cooperate with the space and be respectful of your silence you need for your studies or work.
2. Communicate thoroughly to bridge the gap
Communication is the key to a happy and peaceful co-living space. While you move into a new co-living space, make sure you give yourself and your roommates enough time to adjust and understand each other, take a week or two maybe.
Set a time for your first earnest and candid conversation with your roommates and schedule it well. Also decide on all the household expenses and set up a budget with your roommate. Ensure that you know what you need to talk about, make notes if you struggle with such discussions.
You need to communicate throughout the sharing experience to have a peaceful environment and fun times with your roommate.
Tip 1: You might want to notify your roommates a day or two in advance for mutual convenience.
Tip 2: Ensure that only your roommates are present with zero outsiders as too many cooks can burn down the kitchen of a budding friendship.
3. Acknowledge everyone's opinion even if you beg to differ
Give everyone time to put forward their opinions and thoughts. Take into consideration all those pointers while framing a final opinion or set of rules. You need to respect everyone's opinion equally if you wish your opinion to be respected.
4. Make decisions and rules
With mutual understanding and plenty of discussions, you may make a set of rules. A casual yet binding set of rules would make co-living easy and fun. To help you get started in the right direction, you can also check out these tips on how to divide house chores with roommates. Remember the douchebag jar from New Girl?
Fun Tip: Get inspired by TV shows for fun ideas to break the ice and awkwardness between you and your new roommates
Serious Tip: Always remember that you live in a shared space and not a dorm. You may not get everything you want or wish for, so be mentally prepared and adjust accordingly
5. Set an example so that you all can relate to each other
Before expecting your perfect roommate to follow the boundaries, you need to do it first. For example, if you don't like sharing, you shouldn't be taking others' belonging without their consent, either. You should also not expect them to share their things with you.
Another option would be to rent a room on Cirtru that is spacious and allows you to have room to breathe and be by yourself on THOSE type of days. Having an additional sofa cum bed in the hall can give you the much needed “Me-time” that you deserve.
Pro Tip: "Be the change you want to see in your living space"
6. Enjoy your co-living experience
Rules may need to be renewed or modified with changing times and situations. Follow the above recipe carefully, and you may modify it depending upon your style or conditions. Go ahead and break the ice. Your roommate is a family away from home with a set of rules you make mutually. Follow the rules and create new ones when needed. It is okay to have exceptions and off-days.
Remember that boundaries don’t distance you from your roommate but make your living experience better in room rental.
Conclusion
Co-living can turn out to be a lot easier when communication is clear and on-point. You may have house meetings to announce something important or to discuss fundamental issues. You and your roommates should be on the same page before you initiate to set rules. With a little help from this guide, you can sure enjoy your co-living experience!
