Those of us who have roommates know how difficult it can be to live with someone else. Depending who you ask, everyone has an opinion on whether it’s easier to live with men or women. More and more, renters are becoming less conscious of living with someone within their own gender, and male-female roommates are becoming increasingly common.
However, it can be a completely different ballgame living with a platonic member of the opposite gender.
Stay Away from Stereotypes
Women won’t necessarily be neat and clean all the time, and men don’t have to be the ones to do all the hands-on work in the unit. After all, if you were living with a roommate of the same gender, you wouldn’t have that option. Whatever gender you are, check out our post on apartment maintenance.
Avoid Romance
This may seem obvious, but it is a bad idea to begin a romantic relationship with your platonic roommate! If you two agree beforehand that you won’t let the relationship develop beyond friends and roomies, you may be able to avoid a potentially awkward situation in the future.
Shared Spaces
When you’re living with someone of the opposite gender, cleanliness issues can surface, just like living with someone of the same sex. For women, this means hair everywhere! In sinks, showers, on furniture, etc. Women also tend to use up more toilet paper than men, and (typically) have more beauty supplies. Men may leave the toilet seat up or walk around in their underwear. Set ground rules - if you establish what is considered acceptable from the start, then you’ll be able to live harmoniously.
Dating
You’re both going to date, and it’s best to establish expectations from the beginning. For example, if one or both of you are in relationships, discuss how often your significant other can stay over (check out this post for tips). Living with the opposite gender can also have its benefits - you’ll be able to get a guy/girl’s opinion on your situation, whatever that may be.
Although these tips might help, a bad roommate is a bad roommate, whether man or woman. If you’re dealing with a bad roommate, we can help.
Learn how to build credit history when you pay the rent with WilliamPaid, and check out our resources section for more helpful tips for renters.
