Win their respect! or How to be the best new roommate ever.

October 30, 2007 | By Joe AuthorMy First Apartment

My roommate Matt likes to remind me that he made this apartment the way it is today. “You know I made this apartment what it is today,” he’ll tell me, waving his hand towards the epic and alphabetized vinyl record collection or the well-stocked knife drawer in the kitchen like Napoleon flaunting his Arc de…

How to Secure Your Rights as a Roommate

October 17, 2007 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

These tips were contributed by Kelly M. Living with roommates can create a lot of complications, but most of us have to do it at some point. Laying down ground rules is important—and if you’re moving in with someone you don’t know very well, it can also be awkward. Unfortunately, one of the most crucial…

Friend-of-a-friend. Or, How I Found a Great Apartment Without Really Trying

October 9, 2007 | By Joe AuthorMy First Apartment

Last April, my friend Mikey and I ventured to Brooklyn for the final Spring Break of our collegiate careers. Admittedly, with its apparent shortage of Señor Frogs, foam parties, and wet t-shirt contests, Brooklyn was an unlikely destination for two vacation-makers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But we had an invitation for an all-inclusive stay…

The FATEFUL conclusion to the Couch Cover CATASTROPHE!

April 4, 2007 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Don’t ya kinda feel like you’re in a 1940’s movie theater? Watching– as the young heroine battles tragedy and turmoil until finally at last, a shimmer of light descends and she discovers that the young soldier respected her all along? Well, friends, in my story, that shimmer of light was my self-respect and the young…

Living with Strangers, er, Roommates

December 6, 2006 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

What to do when you want to move but all your friends already have places? Share an apartment with a stranger? Eeek! Actually, it can be pretty great–if you know what you’re doing. While starting by asking friends if they have other friends looking is a good idea, none of mine did. So, I went…

It’s a boy!

August 2, 2006 | By Kate AuthorMy First Apartment

This last weekend, I had a welcome addition to my little two bedroom apartment: my boyfriend moved in. His lease had ended and rather than sign again for another year, he decided to join me, his lady love. My apartment is also closer to his office. Our living arrangement is a little awkward, actually, because…

Future Roomie Arguments

March 28, 2006 | By Laura & Steve AuthorMy First Apartment

Well, they say that you learn something new each day, and “they” are right. Our lesson for today was this: no matter how much you love a person, and no matter how well you normally get along, searching for housing will lead to arguments galore. We love each other; we really do. But when it…

How to lose cash, a friend and not get the apartment

February 15, 2006 | By Jett AuthorMy First Apartment

This sad tale comes to us from Jonathan in New York City. Fresh out of college, Jon thought he had found the perfect place and the ideal roommate, but six weeks later he had no place to live, was out of $3000 and had lost his friend. Here’s how it happened. Mistake number one was…

Romance in the Air?

February 13, 2006 | By Jett AuthorMy First Apartment

Planning a romantic evening at home this Valentine’s Day? If you’ve got roommate this could get pretty tricky. You don’t want your dinner for two turning into a group event. You should probably ask ahead of time to make sure that your roomie(s) has other plans or won’t be at home. If they’re going to…

Roommate Decisions: The Personal Stuff

November 23, 2005 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

The key to a successful roommate relationship is having each party know what to expect right from the start. The best way to accomplish this is by drafting a written roommate agreement that anticipates problems before they arise and establishes ways to deal with them.