ON50 Apartments are located across the street from the University of South Florida and offer multi-level floor plans for enhanced privacy, which will help every roommate situation.
Whether you are living with friends, a sibling or you just met through a roommate match service, we have some tips on how to be a better roommate at your USF apartment. You will learn so many life lessons as you become someone's roommate, and if you are lucky, you may even become lifelong friends. At the center of having a good roommate relationship is communication and respect, and we hope these tips will set you on your way to having the best experience in your apartment and your time at the University of South Florida.
RESPECT SPACE/PRIVACY
Respecting someone's space and privacy is a big one. If you live in an apartment with separate rooms and bathrooms, respect your roommate's personal space and privacy. It's not a good idea to go into their room or borrow their things without asking first. Especially in a small area with multiple roommates, you may find you need your private time and space even more, and it goes both ways. Just because you are roommates does not mean you need to be together all the time.
PAYING BILLS
Many University of South Florida apartments are on individual leases, meaning you are separate from your roommates and only responsible for your lease and your bills. Although in some situation you may split the electricity, internet bill, etc. If your roommates rely on you, and you split the bills, make sure you pay your share, the total amount, and pay them on time. Especially during college, no one has extra money to cover their roommate's bills, and nothing will ruin a relationship faster than one roommate slouching when it comes to paying the bills.
SHARING SPACE & OTHER THINGS
When you first move in together, you may decide to split some apartment essentials like toilet paper, paper towels, or maybe you decide to go further and split groceries each week. Make sure all of this is discussed up front and stick to what is discussed. Please don't use the last roll of paper towels without replenishing it or take from your roommate's canned soup stash without asking. The same goes for the shared area of the apartment. It's not a good idea to ask a group of friends over to your apartment without first clearing it with your roommate(s). Your roommate may be in the middle of a big project at USF and wants some quiet time to work instead of hosting a group of people. Communication is key with roommates.
GET TO KNOW YOUR ROOMMATES
Lastly, get to know your roommates at your USF apartment. Not every set of roommates turn into best friends but getting to know your roommates will help create a pleasant living situation. Maybe set aside one night a week for a game or movie night with just the roommates. Maybe make dinner together once a week or whatever you all enjoy that keeps the interaction moving along.
You may eventually decide you may want to look into a one-bedroom apartment or see if you can find a short-term lease around the University of South Florida to try to meet others you want to share an apartment with during college. And not to worry, not every roommate will become your best friend. The main goal is to have a safe and pleasant place to live during your time at college here in Tampa, and being a good roommate helps achieve that goal.