ROOMMATE SEARCHING BY JULIE HEFFLER
A SUCCESSFUL MATCH PROVES TO REQUIRE MORE THAN FRIENDSHIP
W
hen looking for
to split half of the rent, the most common advice seems to be search within a circle of friends and acquaintances for potential roommates. someone
However, evaluating a roommate from your friends doesn’t just require that the two of you get along well said Don Yackley, executive director for UH Housing and Residential Life. “We’ve found that the most important factors are: Do you smoke or not smoke? Non-smokers living with smokers — huge issues. Issues are cleanliness — huge issues. Are you compatible with that?” Yackley said. “I think that the best thing that folks can do is sort of vision-out what’s most important for them in a living situation.” “First-year students or students who have never had a roommate sometimes come with their best friend from
Look, Learn, Lease! 2013
high school or their best friend that they’ve met, and often they are not the best of roommates.” UH senior Sarah Dyer said she decided to live with someone she had been friendly with in high school, but had not been as close to then. “My current roommates are friends of mine from high school who happened to find their way to UH after going to other schools,” Dyer said. “I didn’t expect to get as close as I have with one of my roommates. She and I kind of drifted apart after high school, but since we’ve been living together we have shared a lot and have ended up really rekindling our friendship.” Those who must choose a roommate from Craigslist should make sure they get all the information, Yackley said. “I think generally when trying to find a roommate on your
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own for off campus, as much background as you can about the person — references, for example, keeping in mind that safety is really important. Usually in an off-campus situation, you both are in charge of rent, or sometimes there is a ‘lead’ person on the lease. The roommate then pays that person and that person pays the landlord,” Yackley said. “There are problems with roommates where they’re not able to cover their side of the rent. The lead person is then responsible for it all. Your issue on how to find a good roommate is critical.” “Vet your possible roommate out as much as possible,” Yackley said. “Not only should they connect well with you as an individual, but financially if anything goes wrong, you’re on the hook too.”