4 Common Roommate Conflicts and How to Resolve Them

If you haven’t had your first conflict with your roommate yet, you eventually will. It’s only normal for arguments to arise while sharing such a tiny space. Resolving conflict is all about being reasonable and coming to a mutual agreement.
Don’t avoid the big elephant in the room. Talk about your issues openly while still respecting the other person.
Here are four common roommate conflicts and ways to resolve them:
The neat-vs.-messy conflict: We all know that neat-freaks and slobs don’t make the perfect roommate match, but that doesn’t mean it can’t work out. Neat freaks tend to have a handful of pet peeves that irritate them to no end, but they can generally overlook the rest. If you’re the slob in this roommate relationship, find out what those pet peeves are, and try to avoid them. If you’re the neat-freak, understand that he or she lives there too, and your roommate wants to make their dorm feel like home, not Grandma’s house.

The what-to-share conflict: This should be one of the first things you discuss when you first meet your roommate. Whether it be toilet paper or milk, you’ll likely have to share something with your roomie. Split the grocery bill to keep everything fair. When it comes to personal items, like curling irons or electronics, let each other know what’s open to borrow and what’s hands-off.
The political-argument conflict: Democrats and Republicans can be friends. They can even live together under the same roof. Living with another person is all about having an open mind and realizing that nobody is just like you. If you run into a political altercation, don’t let the other person’s beliefs get to you, and don’t get angry. Respect each other, and don’t try to convert each other. Just know that you have different views, and that’s OK.
The lights-out argument: Night owls and early birds can also live in harmony, as long as they are considerate to each other. There should be a set nighttime when the majority of lights and electronics are turned off and a set daytime when everything should be turned back on. If the night owl wants to stay up and watch TV or listen to music, they should use headphones and leave the lights off. The roomie who likes to get up at the crack of dawn should also keep the majority of lights off and other noises to a minimum.
Also Read:
How to Live With a College Roommate
20 Ways to Annoy Your College Roommate