If you’ve ever flipped through channels and came across The Big Bang Theory, chances are good that you heard something about Sheldon’s infamous Roommate Agreement. It’s a document that Sheldon made his roommate Leonard sign before he had even moved in and outlines the rules of the apartment and/or certain situations. For example-
If Sheldon turns into a zombie, Leonard is not allowed to kill him
If one roommate discovers how to time travel, they must show up five seconds after the time the clause was signed
Thursday night is Jets pizza night
While most of the rules in the Roommate Agreement come off as ridiculous, some of them are worth considering for anyone who finds themselves living with roommates.
The Manners Rule - Sheldon has to ask Leonard how he’s doing once a day
The Thermostat Rule - the temperature is controlled by Sheldon and is kept at 72 degrees
The Dairy Rule - the other roommate must provide a ‘confirmation sniff’ for questionable dairy products
I’ll admit right now that I have done my share of confirmation sniffs for said dairy products.
From my days as a college student living in cramped housing conditions, I’ve had several roommates and there were many times when it would have been good to outline our own apartment rules before issues rose up and contention ensued. There were plenty of arguments about the thermostat - how much some roommates were willing to pay vs. how comfortable others wanted to be. Keeping the apartment clean was another big issue - how long are roommates allowed to keep their stuff out, how often the apartment is cleaned, and who cleans what. Don’t forget the bills - how are rent and utilities divided and who is in charge for what.
So while it may feel socially awkward to meet together at the outset and sign a paper that lists all your rules, I would highly recommend it. Some topics you could discuss are-
Finances and bills
Rules about when company comes over
Groceries and food
Household chores
Decorating
What you can’t stand - I had a roommate who couldn’t stand light while she slept so everyone had to have a red light digital clock and if you wanted to look at your phone you had to do so under the covers
How to bring up further issues - have you ever chewed off all your nails trying to figure out the best way to tell someone there’s a problem? Discussing how to do this before there are any issues will save a lot of anxiety
Or if you’re too lazy to come up with all these rules yourself, you can just order Sheldon’s Roommate Agreement and follow those rules instead.
