Depending on what the illegal activity is, there is a chance that you could be held responsible, too, which is why so many roommates head directly to the cops when they suspect something is up. It could be something as simple as your roommate smoking a joint to something far more serious. Depending on how severe the crime is, you can either choose to talk to them about it and threaten to either move out or have them move out or you can go directly to the cops yourself and ask them what your options are.

In most cases, a simple conversation with your roommate about an illegal activity is enough to dissuade them from doing it again. If you don’t approve of recreational drug use, than you can simply say that you don’t approve of them doing that in the apartment, or at all, and you want to move out. They can’t really complain since you sort of have evidence against them, so simply pack your things and go. If you feel like they are engaged in other, more serious crimes, you probably shouldn’t get involved and simply notify the authorities.

Often times, a landlord or office manager will be more than happy to resolve any major issues with you and your roommate since it is easier to play mediator than it is to find new tenants every few weeks because people move out over fights. Of course, this arrangement can be abused if you aren’t careful; no landlord is going to want to referee fights every week, but if you have a serious problem and you need an unbiased third party, most landlords will be more than happy to help.

The same can be true if you have mutual friends, however, asking a mutual friend to help resolve a situation like this can lead to that friend no longer being friends with both of you. Make sure that all three parties understand that the ruling of the friend is binding and that there are inherent risks involved with this type of mediation.

Finally, if you feel like the dispute is unresolveable, consider ending the arrangement for good. No one needs to live in a stressful environment with someone they genuinely dislike.

Most arbitration hearings aren’t as formal as a court proceeding, even though the ruling of the arbitrator is legally binding. You don’t have to wear a tie or a formal dress, but it is a good idea to do so. Once the hearing begins, both sides will have a chance to go over their situation with the arbitrator and interrupting the other person is considered rude and inappropriate. You won’t be allowed to cross examine each other, but you are allowed to bring witnesses to back up your story and if you have document evidence that backs up your claims, you are encouraged to bring as much as you have. In some cases, the arbitrator will take a short recess and then come back with a ruling, while other jurisdictions won’t render a ruling for days or even weeks. In almost all cases, there are no appeals and the ruling of the arbitrator is final.

So, should you look into using an arbitrator? If you have a financial dispute, it can be worth it. There is a cost to use an arbitrator in most jurisdictions, but it is usually $50 or less. It often costs significantly less than small claims court and can get a similar result.

Before you move in with your roommate, you should have a system in place to resolve disputes. If you have a problem with your roommate, it is never a good idea to ignore it and let it fester. The sooner you talk about the issue and resolve it, the happier both parties will be in the long run. Just like you can’t let things fester is a romantic relationship, you can’t let them go with a roommate either.

Try to divide up housework duties so that each person does an equal amount of work. Of course, this is easier said than done, but if you can divide up things like dusting, vacuuming and other chores, one person won’t feel like they are doing everything. If it turns out that one person in the apartment is a bit of a slob while the other person is a neat freak, you might want to rethink your arrangement.

Finally, try cooking meals together so that there are only one set of dishes that are dirtied every night. Of course, you will have to determine who pays for what raw ingredients, but it can be a great way for roommates to bond, communicate and air any grievances.

Privacy is an extremely important part of any roommate agreement, but it can be even more important when you involve a male and female living together. To ensure that there aren’t any problems, it would really only be advisable to do if you have two bathrooms so that you don’t have to share one. The mad capped problems that could happen on any regular busy morning are almost too many to count.

A second agreement needs to be made when it comes to using the shared areas of the house if one person is on a date. Asking for the use of the living room to entertain once in a while is part of living with a roommate, but the other person needs to be respectful of the other person’s wishes, as well. Walking in on a private moment can ruin an otherwise wonderful roommate relationship.

Finally, clear and concise communication is key to any positive roommate relationship and they can be even more important when it comes to an inter-gender roommate combination. Don’t let problems fester and get worse. The only way to have a positive place to live in is if problems are aired right away.

Perhaps the single best reason to have a roommate is for security purposes. If you have a roommate, not only will there be someone else home more often than if you lived alone, if a problem ever arises, you will have two people there to help solve it instead of just one. It will make your unit less likely to be a target of crime and you can sleep easier at night knowing you aren’t all alone.

If you can find a roommate that you have things in common with, it gives you a built in friend to hang out with and do things with on a regular basis. You can also tap into each others friends and see if you have things in common with them, too. Having a roommate really opens up a whole new world of friendship and things to do.

Finally, having a roommate means being able to split up housework. You can take turns doing dishes, vacuuming and everything else so that one person is never saddled with all the responsibility at once.

Sometimes, people worry that they had money or something valuable stolen by a particular roommate. Before you force a confrontation and possibly end a friendship, you need to make completely sure that you are, in fact, missing what you thought you were missing. Calling the police in a situation like this is pretty much pointless, so you are going to be left to resolve the issue yourself.

Once you’ve confronted your roommate, it will likely spell the end of your situation, no matter if they are guilty or innocent. It would be tough to live with someone if they just accused you of theft, so be prepared to move out or to have your roommate move out after the argument ends. If you feel that nothing is getting resolved, you can speak to a lawyer to see what your options are. Most lawyers have a free consultation service they offer that can help you figure out if you have a case without spending any money. Remember, don’t act unless you are absolutely sure there is a problem.

It is important to stay honest and calm, no matter how ugly or animated the conversation gets with your roommate when you decide to move out or decide to tell them to move out. Deciding who moves can be a bit point of contention, especially when both of you have your names on the lease. If only one of you does, than it becomes a pretty cut and dried affair. Make sure you give your roommate plenty of notice so they can find a new place. Expecting them to move out overnight or within a week is completely unreasonable.

Resolving any lingering money disputes can also be a huge point of contention. For a situation like this, you may need to enlist the help of a professional arbitrator to get you through. Many states and even some Canadian provinces have arbitration systems in place for dispute resolution between roommates and even between tenants and landlords. If you don’t have an arbitrator you can use, check out the possibility of using your landlord to decide your dispute for you. It is important that both parties understand that the ruling is binding and that you both have to abide by it, or the whole exercise is pointless.

In the case of late rent, it is a situation where if something like that happens once, it is fine since everyone makes mistakes now and then, but if coming up with rent late starts to become a habit, than immediate termination of the roommate agreement is acceptable. By not having rent on time, you are putting your roommate in an extremely difficult position, especially if they don’t have any way to pay the remainder. If you can’t pay the rent, you shouldn’t have moved in.

As far as dividing up utilities goes, you would be smart to have an agreement in place long before the first cable, internet or power bill comes in the mail. Of course, those agreements can be adjusted throughout the stay, but they can also be made part of the overall agreement so that any changes could result in someone moving out. Essentially, if roommate A decides they don’t want to pay for half the cable bill anymore, instead of simply withholding that cash, it would be decided upon at the beginning that that would mean that that person moves out.

First off, be passionate. You aren’t looking for a study partner here, you are looking for someone to share your living space with. If you have pet peeves, talk about them, if you have things you’re passionate about like hobbies or political beliefs, talk about them. Finding someone you match up with is important, and you don’t want to find out after they have already moved in that they are a mortal enemy.

Second, don’t be afraid to be picky. Again, it is impossible to stress how important of a decision this is, and you don’t want to get it wrong and settle for someone you really don’t care for. If you contact someone based on a mutual interest you both have only to find out that you only have that one thing in common, keep looking, there are a lot of fish in the sea.

Finally, trust your first impression because it is often correct. If someone seems a bit off to you, they likely are.