Sharing an apartment (and the rent and expenses that go with it) makes sense for a lot of people just starting out. It even makes sense for people that love to travel, that work out of town, or people that just would rather not be alone.
Whenever I think of roommates, I think of the show Friends. Monica and Rachel shared their New York apartment while they struggled through different jobs…different relationships. Theirs was the roommate ideal where they always seemed to get along, the rent was always paid and they never seemed to eat each other’s food or steal from each other’s closets. But how do you replicate this ideal in the real world?
Create an apartment roommate rental agreement.
Signing a lease with someone takes care of the legalities of living together. But what about the day-to-day expectations that come with sharing living space?
That’s where creating your own roommate rental agreement comes into play. This is a document you can create together that can document your intentions regarding everything that isn’t part of a lease agreement…which is usually all the things that left undiscussed or undocumented can lead to disagreements down the way. There are many templates you can find online. I like this sample roommate rental agreement because it has everything you need to use as a starting point.
You’ll see it is a great record of who set up and/or paid for what when. It’s also a great conversation starter around things like visitors, groceries and cleaning. Now no agreement is perfect. And the I shared may seem a little over the top. But it’s a starting point. And an important starting point that could make the difference between becoming Rachel and Monica (who stayed life long friends – even outside of the show!) or becoming something much much worse (Single White Female anyone?!?!)
Now grab that friend, find your perfect apartment and start living the sitcom you’ve always imagined.
So now that you and your soon to be roommate have worked out all the boring details it’s time to start having some fun.
Step 1: Find a 2 bedroom apartment in a great location. We can help you out there. There are great 2 bedroom and 2 bedroom plus den apartments for rent at The Arch – a newly built tower in Calgary’s Beltline.
Step 2: Move in and make friends with other fun people in the building. Good news! The Arch has a shared sun deck and a fitness room as well as elevators…so many options for running into and hopefully getting to know cool neighbours.
Step 3: Get out and have some adventures. Find your hangouts. Calgary’s Beltline is filled with great coffee shops, restaurants, stores. I can see the episodes now.
Right now you and your roommate can rent a spacious 2 bedroom apartment with a balcony, laundry and air conditioning and you’ll also get cable and internet for free. What are you waiting for? Your roommate life is going to be great.
