A lot of colleges require roommates to sign formal contracts. It's a great way to start talking about potential differences.  If you never had a discussion with your roommate about the basics, it's a way to get a fresh start. You might even discover that you agree on a few things. A little common ground is better than nothing. Here are some topics you'll want to discuss:

Guests

When is it okay to have guests over?

How much advance warning is needed?

Will one roommate with a guest have exclusive rights to the room? If so, for how long? What happens if a guest damages property?

What if both of you want to have guests at the same time?

Are there different rules for same sex vs. opposite sex visitors?

Personal Property

What's okay to share? What's off limits?

What happens if something is touched without permission?

Cleanliness

What's your idea of clean? What do you consider messy?

What's necessary to keep your space livable? Whose responsibility is it?

Where does dirty laundry go?

How should the bathroom be kept? Kitchen? Bedroom? Common area?

Study/Quiet Time

What are your hours of study?

Is it okay for your roommate to watch TV or listen to the radio while you study?

Is it okay for your roommate to work on the computer while you sleep?

When do you sleep/get up?

Are there different rules for the weekend?

Telephone/Mail

Where do you want your phone messages and mail to go?

How will the phone bill be handled?

Do you want to "cover" for one another (tell callers you're not there when you are)?

Is there a time limit on how long one person can be on the phone?

Is it okay for your roommate to talk on the phone when you are sleeping or studying?

Are there certain hours when friends should not call?

Shared Costs

Should you split costs on anything? If so, how will bills get paid (cash, check, credit card)?

If you split food or laundry products, how do you decide what's fair? 

Smoking/Drinking

Will smoking and/or drinking be allowed in your room? If so, under what conditions?

Is anyone allergic to smoke?

Personal Space

How will your room be decorated?

Are there any areas that should be off limits?

What happens if someone puts up something offensive?

Disagreements

How will you handle disagreements?

How will you handle updates to your contract?

What if someone breaks the contract?

Other Issues

Is there anything else you need to know about each other to get along?

What's the most important thing you each want respected?

      Discussing all these issues up-front prevents a lot of future hassles. You may think it's too much work or that you'll be able to deal with problems as they arise. But it's much harder once emotions cloud the issue. Just like nobody gets married expecting to divorce, nobody enters a roommate situation expecting to not get along. Still, it happens. It's worth it to have some guidelines in place

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