How to Handle a Difficult Roommate

Anyone that has lived in a college residence has ultimately had to deal with a difficult roommate. Even if you haven’t, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the horror stories of roommates locking each other out, stealing each other’s belongings, or bickering before bed.

Don’t end up like one of these stories. Here’s a guide for tactfully dealing with a difficult roommate.

1. Create an agreement early on

You don’t need a physical written contract, but you do need to assign ground rules. Who will do the dishes when they’re dirty? Who will get groceries? Is there a policy for playing music while others are studying or doing homework? It’s important to come to an agreement early on, instead of procrastinating and then arguing later.

2. Stay objective

In any situation, try to remove yourself from the problem so you can look at it objectively. When you take things personally, your mind is clouded, and you’re only focused on attacking the other person (in this case, your roommate). If any problem were to arise, approach it as you would a lawyer or a detective: focus on the facts.

3. Spot early signs

Roommates don’t just flip out at any given moment (most of the time). Many will exhibit signs leading up to a potential major conflict, so it’s important to keep an eye out. These may include not doing their share of chores, passive aggressive remarks, or just general apathy or disrespect. Don’t let these go. Address them as soon as possible.

 4. Confront directly

Don’t hide behind an RA or a friend. Don’t send text messages or voicemails explaining your issue. Instead, seat your roommate down when they aren’t busy, and be honest about the situation. If something they do is making you unhappy, let them know. Many times we aren’t even aware of what we do wrong, so being direct with your roommate could help open their eyes.

5. Consult help

If the steps above have been ineffective for mitigating conflict, you’ll need to get outside help to mediate the conversation. You may want an RA’s advice on how to handle the situation, or a mutual friend’s opinion. Finally, if you cannot resolve the issue amicably within a few months, it may be time to ask for a transfer to a different dorm or apartment, or even look into other student apartments for rent so you can live on your own.

Living with a roommate can be an incredible experience, or it can be exhausting. At times, the pressure of simply living so closely with other students can spark disagreements. Check out some off-campus student housing to find a new environment for you and your roommate, if needed.

Is Residence or an Apartment Right for You?

One of the biggest decisions to make before you head off to university is where to live. Many students decide to spend at least their first year in residence, but others find this uncomfortable and prefer to live in apartment rentals in Waterloo. Waterloo students are lucky, as there are plenty of options whatever you choose — you just need to figure out what would better suit your needs.

Cost of Living

Living in residence is almost always more expensive than renting an apartment. You pay for the convenience of being on campus, receiving a meal plan, and having a furnished space.

However, the total costs could be lower, as you’ll only pay for eight months rather than 12 months. This could be convenient if you want to go home over the summer, but it will be an additional complication if you want to stay in Waterloo for a job or internship.

Meet New People

A major reason why many students opt to live in residence for their first year is because they have no friends at university yet. When you live on campus, you meet a huge number of people in a short period of time. Beyond just being around other people, you can attend organized events that are designed to help you make friends.

Privacy and Freedom

A downside to living on campus is the lack of privacy. You’ll be sharing a room with another person, which means you’ll rarely be alone. Plus, you’ll have to share a bathroom with even more students.

You’ll also have less freedom. In residence, you need to stick to the rules about who you are allowed to bring to your room and stay quiet during exams. At other times of the year, you may find the dorms quite loud, which could make it difficult to study.

If you live in your own apartment, you’ll most likely have your own room and share common spaces with fewer people. Plus, you can set your own rules.

Commute

The last factor to consider is your commute. Living in residence means that you’re already close to everything and rarely need to think about transportation. If you have an apartment, however, you will need to think about how you’ll get to class.

It is possible to have the best of both worlds. With Waterloo student housing rentals like King Street Towers, you’ll be around other students and live near campus, but you can enjoy freedom and privacy. Plus, the suites are much more affordable than living in residence, even though rooms are furnished.

Questions You Should Ask When Renting Housing in University

Moving into off-campus housing is a big step. Initially, you’ll probably feel excited about your newfound freedom. All the same, the search for the perfect home can quickly turn stressful. Asking the right questions is key to ensuring you choose the best place to live and to preventing problems in the future.

1. How Does the Lease Work?

If the landlord will provide you with a single lease, this is ideal. You could be in trouble if one of your roommates fails to pay the rent on time and decides to move out early. When you know and trust everyone you will be sharing with, this is unlikely to be a problem. However, if some of your roommates are friends of friends, you need to be prepared that, should the living situation change, you may need to pay an extra share of rent and utilities.

Ideally, the landlord will be able to give each of you an individual lease. That way, if someone does leave, there will be no rush to find a replacement roommate.

2. What Does the Rent Include?

Sometimes, rent includes utilities. In other cases, tenants are expected to pay for everything. It is crucial to ask exactly what the rent includes when considering an apartment — otherwise, it’s impossible to compare places.

If the rent will not include utilities, find out how much you can expect to pay. Ask the landlord for average monthly payments. It is best if you can see evidence of what the previous tenant was paying. This will ensure that the landlord is not underestimating. Also bear in mind that some tenants may be less careful about how much they spend on things like electricity and heating — you may be able to reduce these expenses.

3. Who Is Responsible for Maintenance?

Some affordable housing for students is not the newest. There is always the chance that something could break — and you may need it fixed as soon as possible. Most of the time, landlords take responsibility for maintenance and offer a timely service. Clarify that this is the case before signing a lease.

A good alternative to apartments for rent near University of Waterloo is a place like King Street Towers. This accommodation is designed just for students, but it is still off-campus housing Waterloo, Students each receive a furnished suite in clean, modern facilities — utilities and maintenance are included. Although you’ll have roommates, you’ll only be responsible for your own rent payment.

Rental Tips for Students

Many students are concerned about living off campus simply because of potential problems. After all, you’ll need to take extra steps to stay safe and avoid disputes with your landlord. However, these are minor challenges to overcome, especially when you consider all the advantages of living in student rentals in Waterloo. In fact, with the right planning, there is no reason you should experience any issues at all.

1. Avoid Becoming a Target for a Break-In

Take measures to prevent your home from becoming appealing to thieves. When you go out, draw the curtains of any windows with a street view or at least keep valuables out of sight. Always confirm that windows and doors are securely fastened — including when you are in the house.

2. Stay Alert

Be on the lookout for anyone in your neighbourhood acting suspiciously. Take extra care when arriving home late in the evening.

3. Never Hide Keys

Leaving a key under the doormat or elsewhere in the entranceway is all but inviting thieves into your home. If you worry about getting locked out, give a spare key to a trusted neighbour.

4. Prevent Fires

Check your smoke alarm on a regular basis. Avoid accidents by never leaving the oven or dryer on when you leave home, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Unplug items like hair straighteners as soon as you’ve finished with them.

5. Report Maintenance Needs

Confirm what your responsibilities are and what are the responsibilities of your landlord by reading your lease. For instance, you may be required to shovel snow and keep the yard in good condition. However, your landlord should carry out repairs to appliances and fixtures. If you need any maintenance, inform your landlord as soon as possible.

6. Take Out the Garbage

It is crucial that you take out the trash regularly. Letting it build up will attract pests ranging from flies to rats, which could cause damage to your unit.

7. Be Respectful

If you are renting a room in your landlord’s apartment, go a step further. Keep common areas clean, avoid making too much noise, and obey the rules of the house.

You can eliminate the headaches that come with renting off-campus University of Waterloo housing by staying in a student rental like King Street Towers. Staff are on call 24 hours a day to resolve any problem you may face, only people who live in the building are allowed to enter unattended, and you have no need to worry about repairs — simply submit a maintenance request for whatever you need.

Tips for Keeping Your Student Housing Clean

When you lived at home with your parents, you most likely did at least some light cleaning. Still, nothing can prepare you for maintaining an entire apartment. The situation only becomes more complicated if you live with roommates, as you’ll need to ensure that everyone contributes their fair share. By having a plan in place (that you all agree to stick to), you can ensure that your home stays organized and clean.

1. Clean Up in the Moment

Mess always starts with one neglected chore. If you notice that something needs cleaning, do it as soon as possible. Of course, there will be times that a chore has to wait, such as when you’re rushing to class or you arrive home late and are too exhausted to do anything. However, these occasions need to be the exception.

Put things away when you’re done with them, wash dishes right away when you’ve finished eating (you can even wash some as you cook to make clearing up your meal easier), and just strive to be tidy in general. Not only will this speed up how much time it takes to clean, it could even help you avoid problems like pest infestations, stains, and other damage — repairs for which will come out of your security deposit.

2. Replace Cleaning Supplies Immediately

You won’t be able to clean if you run out of supplies. If you notice that a cleaning product is running low, add it to your shopping list. Then, once you have everything you need, store supplies in logical places. The last thing you want is to become frustrated when you are unable to find the cleaning equipment you need.

3. Designate Different Areas for Different Activities

Spreading activities around your apartment is a great way to create mess. Prevent such disorganization by always eating at the kitchen table, studying at your desk, and relaxing on your couch. In particular, avoid using your bed for multiple purposes. Otherwise, you’ll likely find random items strewn on the floor around your bed.

Student apartments in Waterloo are a challenge to keep clean, as they have many common areas and it can be difficult to determine who is responsible for what. For this reason, a better option may be a room for rent in Waterloo. Off-campus housing like King Street Towers is especially ideal, as you are only responsible for keeping your area of the suite clean and there is no need to worry about maintenance.

How to Be a Successful Student

With your newfound freedom, a heavy workload, and plenty to distract you, it can be difficult to be a successful student at college or university. It is important that you have a game plan if you are going to ace your exams and graduate on time.

1. Organize Your Time

Dedicate certain times of the day to schoolwork. During these periods, turn off your phone notifications and don’t allow yourself to do anything unrelated to your studies.

2. Focus on One Thing

Pick a single activity and give it your undivided attention. You may believe that you can multitask, but if you try to do more than one thing at once, the quality of your work will suffer.

3. Set Realistic Goals

As a rule, projects take longer than you would expect. Give yourself more time than you think you’ll need to complete the work. In addition, plan to work for reasonable amounts of time. Spending too long studying will only make you exhausted, and you’ll be unable to absorb all the information.

4. Take Breaks

Include breaks in your schedule. It’s best if you can use your breaks to be productive. For instance, regular exercise will make it easier to concentrate.

5. Get Enough Sleep

Another way to give your brain a break is to sleep enough at night. Figure out how many hours you need and make sure you never sleep less than that.

6. Create a Study Space

Assign a space just for studying. This needs to be away from the view of the TV and other things that may distract you. It should also feature a comfortable seat. Use the space just for your schoolwork — this will help put you in the right mindset.

7. Study with Others

Studying with others will keep you motivated. It also gives you the opportunity to discuss any material you are struggling with and to explain concepts to others — if you are able to explain something, you definitely understand it.

It is impossible to be a successful student if you lack a quality Waterloo student living space. You’ll be able to focus much better on your studies if you move off campus and seek out Waterloo student housing rentals. Your best option is a place like King Street Towers. Designed just for students, the rooms are furnished suites with comfortable beds. On site, you’ll find lounges for group study, a fitness centre, and a recreational centre where you can relax with friends.