Space:
Most people aren't used to living with a roommate. Many have had their own room and are used to having a lot of space for their things. A college dorm room is small. It's impossible to fit a lot of things into a tiny space. If you end up with a roommate who has decided to bring more things than their side can handle, let them know that you will not tolerate any of their things on your side. Be sure to write this down on the agreement, and make sure that they acknowledge it. Remember, you are paying rent too. Don't let your roommate's failure to pack effectively ruin your college experience.
Lights:
Some people go to bed early, others are night owls. If you like to be in bed by 10 pm and prefer to have the lights out by then, write it down in the agreement. Some people can tolerate the light on while sleeping, others cannot. Unless you tell your roommate that you need total darkness to fall asleep, they'll assume that they can leave the light on.
Visitors:
More likely than not, you and your roommate will have visitors in the room. If your roommate has people over and you're afraid that your belongings might get stolen, then keep a small safe in the room. Keep the safe hidden and don't let anyone know you have it.
If you don't want visitors over after a certain time, let your roommate know and write it down in the agreement. If you wont allow any overnight visitors, document it in the agreement as well. But remember, any and all rules in the agreement will apply to both you and your roommate.
Other Concerns:
You may have other concerns that you wish to address in the agreement. Bring them up with your roommate and come up with sensible rules that the two of you can follow. Don't be too demanding, but be reasonable. No one is perfect, so don't expect a roommate agreement to turn your roommate into the perfect person. As long as both of you respect the rules, your dorm experience should hopefully be a nice one.
Sample Roommate Agreements:
Are you having trouble coming up with a roommate agreement? Well don't worry because we've provided you with two sample agreements. Feel free to change them as needed.
