The Pros and Cons of a Shared vs. Individual Apartment

Depending on your situation, having a roommate can be a blessing or a curse.

If you find the ideal roommate, everything should be grand. In a perfect world, everyone would get along and pay rent on time. You also wouldn’t have any issues sharing the utilities or cleaning the apartment.

But …

You could get stuck with a roommate who doesn’t pay rent on time. And, they may not care enough to clean.

Get stuck with a sloppy roommate, and you could run into some real issues.

At the same time, living with a roommate is far more affordable than living by yourself. If they keep up with their end of the deal, you’ll have someone to split the bills with.

And you may even get to live with a friend who you love being around.

So before you sign a lease and commit to one or the other, read this article. I’ll compare shared apartments and individual apartments, and offer some of the pros and cons of each.

Here goes …

Individual Apartments

Pro: Living in Solitude

If privacy is important to you, having a roommate may be tough.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try, though.

Even if you’re an introvert, a roommate can help bring you out of your shell. Or, you might be able to teach them about the joy of staying in.

If quiet time is your favorite time, living alone is ideal.

But you could get lonely. So, you should consider these factors when deciding whether shared living is for you.

Pro: You Don’t Have to Deal With Other Peoples’ Messes

Rent an individual apartment, and you’ll only have to pick up after yourself.

You don’t have to worry about washing your roommate’s dishes, or wiping down the counters after they leave spaghetti sauce all over the place.

Chores are a pain anyway, but they’re especially burdensome when you’re cleaning up after another person. I mean, who wants to spend their Saturday picking up after their roommate?

Not me, that’s for sure!

Con: It’s Usually More Expensive

Living alone costs a lot more than having a roommate. In a fast-growing city like Denver, for example, you could pay upwards of two or three grand for a 1-bedroom apartment. And even if you rent an efficiency studio, it’ll probably cost you at least $1,000 a month.

Then, you’ll have to pay for utilities, food, and other expenses. So unless you’re making at least $40k or $50k per year, you might find it difficult to live comfortably.

When you live with a roommate, on the other hand, you’ll have someone to share the bills with. Sure, a 2-bedroom apartment might have higher rent. But, your rent still won’t be as expensive as it would if you rented alone.

Con: You Have to Do All of the Chores

When you live alone, you’re responsible for cleaning up after yourself. If you don’t mop, vacuum, and do the dishes, no one will. Plus, you’ll have to take the garbage out, scrub the bathroom, and clean out the fridge from time to time.

So, you’ll have to set aside at least a few hours each week for chores.

Of course, it’s nice that you won’t have to clean up someone else’s mess. But if you live in a big apartment by yourself, you could spend a lot of time cleaning the entire thing.

Read Also:

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• Find a New Home with the Help of Online Apartment Hunts
• Alluring Reasons to Have Apartments in Forest Lake

Shared Apartment

Pro: Splitting the Rent and Utilities

One of the most significant advantages of having a roommate is that you get to split the rent. And, you get to split the utilities.

In some cases, roommates even share groceries, which is a huge cost-saver.

This will allow you to save money instead of spending all your income on rent, utilities, and food.

Most people don’t want to live with roommates forever. At some point, I’d imagine you want to have your own place.

So, sharing an apartment for a little while could help you to stash some money away until you have enough to live comfortably on your own.

Pro: Living with Friends

Living with a roommate can be fun, especially if they’re already close friends. It’s nice to share dinner with someone and to have someone to chat with while you drink your Sunday morning coffee.

Think about it: When you come home from a crappy day at work, your friend will be there to cheer you up. Or, at least, they can be a listening ear.

And, if you share hobbies, you can hang out together. You know, you can watch a few movies together or head out for a night on the town.

Of course, living with friends isn’t always fun. Even if you love them dearly, it can be tough to live with friends who are messy, loud, or irresponsible.

But if you have a friend who you trust and think might make a good roommate, consider asking them to rent a place with you!

Con: Your Roommate Might Miss Payments

When signing a lease, both you and your roommate are responsible for the rent. And if your roommate doesn’t pay their fair share, the responsibility could fall on you.

So before you venture to live with someone, make sure they can afford to pay. They should have a steady income, and some money saved that they can live off if their income changes.

And make sure that their name is on the lease, too. If they don’t sign a legal contract, they’ll have the option to move out whenever they feel like it.

In other words, you could find yourself desperately searching for a subletter to fill the room and cover the other half of the rent!

Con: You Might Not Get Along

If you move into a place thinking that you’ll get along with your roommate but find out that isn’t the case, you’re in trouble. Then, you’ll have to share an apartment with someone you don’t like.

Roommates don’t always get along, and that could very well happen to you.

Do your best to feel out the situation beforehand. Find out what your roommate’s habits are and what they expect out of you.

Communication vital when living together. Without it, it can get hard to coordinate things like rent and chores.

If you end up living with a person you don’t like, you’ll wish that you had rented an individual apartment instead.

Before you rent an apartment, you have to figure out if you want to live alone or with roommates. As I’ve shown above, there are pros and cons to each option.

So, take some time to think everything over before you commit to a lease.

After careful deliberation, you’ll no doubt make the right decision. You’ve got this!

Author Bio:

Sherry Haney serves as TriVista Business Manager where she is responsible for overseeing the operations and efficiencies of the company’s property management, sales, marketing, and renovation activities.

Mrs. Haney has more than 20 years of multifamily expertise and has been with Legacy since November 2005. She has a Colorado Brokers License, CAM certification, and CAPS certification.