• At some point, a roommate situation may become inevitable. Whether bunking with a fellow classmate in a college dorm, sharing long-term quarters for a work or volunteer assignment or simply saving money by rooming with another tenant in community housing, living with another person offers a host of benefits. Of course, this arrangement can bring challenges as well, but these are often minimized with honest communication before problems get out of hand.
  
  

Ground Rules

• Write down the ground rules at the beginning of any roommate situation so everyone is on the same page. These can include chore duties, rules about pets, how long and how often guests can stay, and noise level expectations. Having a set of standards before routines become established helps everyone keep the peace. Re-evaluate these guidelines regularly for updates or revisions, such as how high to keep the heat during the winter or changing chore duties.
  
  

Dealing with Challenges

• Pick your battles. The occasional indiscretion of drinking the last of the milk or not taking out the garbage is annoying, but best overlooked if these incidents are rare. If the roommate is constantly doing something high on your pet peeve list, such as always leaving her towel on the floor in the bathroom, mention it without making a federal case out of it and she'll likely change her behavior. Repeated problems that affect the household dynamic, such as constantly being late with the rent or bills, or blatantly disregarding house rules, are worth talking about more seriously.
  
  

Respecting Roomates' Property

• Care for each other's property as if it were your own and remember that living together does not mean his stuff is yours. Always ask permission to use certain items like sporting gear, his bicycle or the new grill he picked up unless he's made it crystal clear these are shared objects. Likewise, even though accidents happen, if you break or damage something belonging to a roommate -- like burning the skillet beyond further use -- replace it without being asked.
  
  

Regular Communication

• Communicate with one another frequently. Despite the business of daily life, set aside at least some time every couple of weeks to share a meal or a drink and catch up. Having regular conversations helps keep the lines of communication open for when a more difficult or challenging subject needs discussion.