Choosing the Right Apartment Mate is Important When Deciding to Move Off Campus

There are lots of affordable student rentals near SUNY Cortland that can make renting an apartment a pleasure, but if you don’t have the right apartment mate, it can turn into a problem. The perfect apartment can be a blessing, but only if you get along with the person who is renting with you. Before making arrangements to share your living space with someone, be sure both of you are a good fit for living together.

Know What You’re Looking For

Do you simply want someone to split the rent with or are you hoping to find a companion to share your free time with? If you’re hoping for companionship, make sure the person you’re considering shares some of the same interests you do. Having common interests is important if you plan on spending your free time together. On the other hand, if you prefer your privacy and do not want your apartment mate to impose on it, you should make this clear to any potential apartment mates.

Look for Apartment Mates Through Friends and Family

Applying for an apartment mate in classified ads and through bulletin boards is fine, but friends and family can give you a better idea of someone’s personality and dependability. Friends and family are often the best referrals you can get for new apartment mates and you won’t have to do a background check. Keep in mind, however, that if it doesn’t work out, it can be more difficult to kick out a roommate if they are a friend’s cousin or nephew. Student apartments to rent hear SUNY Cortland are in high demand and you don’t want to lose your apartment because your apartment mate can’t come up with his or her portion of the rent.

Consider Your Lifestyles

When you are considering living with someone, it’s crucial to ask some questions to get a feel for whether your lifestyles will complement each other or cause problems. If you like having friends over on the weekend and hosting parties, an introverted roommate who hates being around strangers won’t be a good fit. If a spotless apartment or always having the dishes washed and put away is important to you, be sure you make this clear. Some potential apartment mates may believe that as long as there is one clean dish left everything is fine. If one of you has to grit your teeth to tolerate the other, friction will eventually lead to fights and one of you could end up having to go your separate ways.

Also consider your schedules and habits. If one of you works nights and weekends the other will have to keep things quite during the day. A night owl roommate may find it difficult to live with a morning person. Finally, ask about habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol and having overnight guests. Don’t bend on issues that are important when looking for student apartments to rent near SUNY Cortland. You’ll be together for months and living with someone you can’t tolerate will make you both unhappy.

Check Out References and Credit Reports

Always ask for two or three personal references from potential apartment mates, then take the time to check them. Ask about the person’s dependability, where they’ve lived in the past and how they get along with others. A credit check is also a good indication of whether the person will be able to keep up with the rent and utilities. If a potential renter doesn’t want you to do a credit check, chances are they have had financial problems in the past. Finally, ask for the contact information for their last landlord. Find out why they are leaving their current residence and get the story from their former landlord’s perspective for a balanced picture.

Cortland offers affordable student rentals near SUNY Cortland that are clean, convenient and attractive. Without the right apartment mates, however, even the nicest apartment won’t feel like home.