Creating a Great Roommate Gift Giving Experience

December 8, 2017 | By Dana AuthorMy First Apartment

What should you do about roommate gifts? It depends. If your roommate is your best friend, then it’s easy. You know what they will like, and you’ll get them a perfect gift. It gets trickier (and more expensive!) if you live in a group house with many roommates, but there are ways to make the…

Group House Living: Setting Up House Rules

November 28, 2017 | By Dana AuthorMy First Apartment

You and your three friends have finally found a place to move in together, and everyone is excited about getting free of parents and dorm rules. However, you realize very soon that a free-for-all is not going to work – you need to set up some house rules for your new place. But how? So,…

6 Best Things About Having a Roommate

November 16, 2017 | By Dana AuthorMy First Apartment

When you first move in with a roommate, you may think that you are going to hate sharing your space because you always had your own place. Let me convince you how much fun it is going to be to have a roommate. With a roommate you’ll have: 1. Someone to do things with The…

The Art of Rejecting A Potential Roommate

November 2, 2017 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

Once you move into your first place, like clockwork, you will likely hear from a friend or a friend of a friend who asks if they can move in with you for a short time. Maybe they’re between jobs or almost have enough money to move into their first place, or are simply looking for…

5 Things You Need to Know about Your Future Roommates

October 23, 2017 | By Dana AuthorMy First Apartment

So you are looking for your first apartment and you don’t know where to start. Well, here are 5 things anyone looking for a roommate share should find out about their future roommates. Rent Payments You must know how they will pay the rent and when. Are they getting any help paying the rent? If…

What You Forgot to Ask Your Potential Roommate

October 5, 2017 | By Taylor AuthorMy First Apartment

I’m sure you’ve already asked your potential roommate all the basics. You know where they’re from, how late they stay up, and how messy they are. You’ve talked about their party habits, whether they have a significant other, and their favorite hobbies. But there are a few topics that probably haven’t come up yet. Here are…

From the MFA Mailbag: Can We Overcharge New Roommates for Rent?

September 27, 2017 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Eve asks: “Hello, my friend and I are thinking of renting out our spare bedrooms in our apartment. We live in an area were rent easily goes for $2,500+ for a two bedroom. We got an amazing deal with only paying $800, as the landlord has known us for quite a while. We were thinking…

Are You a Bad Roommate?

September 12, 2017 | By Taylor AuthorMy First Apartment

First, let me say that this is NOT an attack on any of my previous roommates! They were all great people who I was lucky to live with. However, there were things they did that I didn’t like, and by identifying the issues I had with them, I can ensure that I (and hopefully you!)…

Do’s and Don’ts of Befriending Your SO’s Roommates

August 29, 2017 | By Sarah AuthorMy First Apartment

Dating someone who has their own place generally means you’ll start spending a lot of time there! New relationships are exciting, especially when you just can’t wait to see each other again. But, most people live with roommates in their first few apartments! Your significant other’s roommates will start to play a role in your…

Four Expense Splitting Apps To Make Collecting Bills A Snap

August 26, 2017 | By J Simpson AuthorMy First Apartment

Living with roommates is a fact of life for most of us. That means the occasional headaches, like divvying up utilities, calculating rent portions, and incessant communication are also a part of our daily lives, for better or for worse. Expense splitting apps are making that less of a headache, thank the stars. From easily…