Many people like living alone. They prefer to live alone than share their space with someone. Sometimes, you feel like you don’t have privacy or you’re just not used to sharing your space. Whether you’re dorming in school or splitting rent with a friend/stranger, having a roommate is beneficial.

First and foremost, one of the perks of having a roommate is splitting rent and utility costs. If you’re dorming in a co-ed space, this does not pertain to you. However, if you’re a college student staying in an apartment complex with suitemates, this pertains to you depending on the school. If you are not a college student, and you are sharing an apartment with a friend or stranger, you save money on rent and utility. You are able to afford a bigger apartment because you have someone also helping to cover the costs.

Second, you have a friend to hang out with and the opportunity to meet with their friends. Whether you’ve known this friend for a while or you met them recently through an ad that was looking for roommates, it’s always nice to come home to someone to talk to when you really need to. You vent to them, and it’s just nice to have someone there for you. If you are new to an area, you have your roommate to travel with you and explore new places. With roommates, they have their own circle of friends that they hang out with that they introduce to you. Before you know it, you have big hang out sessions frequently.

Third, if you ever get locked out of your place, you are always able to call your roommate to rescue you! Forgetting your keys happens all the time, but having a roommate prevents you from not knowing what to do when you get locked out.

Fourth, you share things with each other such as clothing, utensils, food, secrets, etc. This of course depends on your level of comfort and the closeness of your friendship. Typically, roommates let you have some of their leftover foods. If you’re going on a date and not sure what to wear, roommates always are able to lend you their clothing to borrow or provide advice on what to wear.

Once you and your roommate become comfortable and get acquainted with each other, you tend to start telling each other your work hours or if you have a specific event going on the next day. Sometimes your roommate is your personal alarm clock and wakes you up to tell you that you’ve slept in or that you need to wake up to start getting ready now.

Finally, similar to splitting the costs, you’re also splitting the chores. You do not have to be the only one cleaning or cooking. In fact, you create a schedule so that you know who’s in charge of cleaning what, on what days. You don’t necessarily have to have a schedule but if the schedule keeps you both accountable, then it’s ideal to have one or an agreement made.

For those who do not like the idea of having a roommate or are considering having a roommate, there are definitely benefits to consider. Whether you want to split rent costs or want someone to hang out with, having a roommate is great. These perks of having a roommate definitely open your mind and show you how beneficial one is.