Living With Roommates: The Art of Sharing a Living Space

It's no surprise that living with roommates is a recurring theme in major television series. Sharing a living space is an infinitely rich human experience—or at least rich enough to fuel ten entire seasons of the legendary sitcom Friends. But what is it like in real life?

Traditionally popular especially among students, shared living now enjoys renewed popularity among a growing circle of people. The current economic context indeed drives many people to want to reduce their expenses, which is an excellent reason to live with others. However, shared living may be gaining popularity for much more fundamental reasons. After all, sharing an inspiring living space with others who inspire us can be a tremendous daily joy.

If you're considering shared living soon, or if you're currently a roommate, this guide simply and practically explains how to optimize this amazing life experience.

Living With Roommates: The Advantages 

Saving Money for What Matters

Living with roommates comes with a host of benefits. The most obvious is cost-sharing. Sharing rent, bills, recurring expenses, and even groceries with others helps save money for other priorities, such as a trip or a new car. Certainly, spending less on housing also relieves a significant mental burden, thus enhancing the overall sense of well-being.

Dividing to Better Enjoy

Beyond costs, shared living allows for the division of household chores. Many people express a desire to free up as much time as possible to enjoy life but find that household tasks take up a significant amount of it. Sharing house chores with one or more people helps avoid spending entire weekends or evenings cleaning. After all, having more time to dedicate to one's passions is certainly not insignificant.

Dividing to Better… Eat

And it doesn't stop at cleaning: the same holds true for meal preparation. While many enjoy cooking, it's undeniable that preparing meals takes time. Sharing the dinner duty on a rotating basis throughout the week, for example, frees up several hours for each of the roommates. In the end, everyone benefits—especially you if you're fortunate enough to have a roommate who excels at the stove.

Living With Roommates Because the Roommates! 

The most significant advantage of shared housing is perhaps the companionship it provides. It has often been demonstrated that a sense of community is an important factor in human happiness. Sharing one's daily life at home with one or more roommates creates a sense of closeness—being able to exchange both the good and the challenging moments of the day is one example. Frequently, friendships are formed or strengthened through shared living. People who know each other a little become very close, and others who are already friends share memories for a lifetime through the sharing of a roof. 

The Downsides of Shared Housing

Like any group activity, shared living can have its drawbacks. Since we share our living space with others, it's possible to feel a lack of personal space, and even privacy. It can also happen that one or more roommates feel a restriction on their social life, as they do not have complete freedom to invite anyone they want to the house, whenever they want.

It is not uncommon for conflicts to arise due to tensions created by cohabitation. This can be because one of the roommates is noisy, or simply because they do not pick up their personal items in common areas. Worse still, some roommates may neglect certain responsibilities, such as their share of household chores, understandably causing friction among housemates.

Sharing Rent Costs With Roommates

Rent payment itself can become a source of disagreement in shared housing situations. In this regard, it is good to know that in Quebec, two types of lease agreements exist: the “shared responsibility” type and the “mutual responsibility” type. With the first one, roommates pay at most their share of the rent without having to cover any unpaid portion. On the other hand, leases of the “mutual responsibility” type, which all residents of Devimco Apartments sign, mean that tenants share the responsibility for the rent. In the long term, this type of lease is often advantageous as it encourages cohabitation with people in whom we have complete financial trust—a crucial element, as one understands, for a successful shared living arrangement.

There's no need to worry: all the inconveniences mentioned above are quite common. Fortunately, when entering into a shared living arrangement with pre-planned solutions, they are also easy to avoid!

How to Avoid Shared Housing Inconveniences

The Art of Communicating With Roommates

Planning a successful shared living arrangement involves reaching a prior agreement on the terms desired by each of the roommates. This includes aspects such as decorating your living space, a specific schedule dividing household chores, and some pre-established rules that all roommates agree upon. One way to avoid potential issues is to establish solid rules from the beginning. Consensus on the desired cleanliness standards for the living room, kitchen, and bathroom helps prevent unpleasant surprises along the way. It cannot be stressed enough: there is no satisfying cohabitation without transparent, respectful, honest, and, above all, constant communication.

Shared Housing, But in Which Location?

The living space itself matters immensely when living with others. Being able to enjoy comfortable private spaces in an apartment helps make the most of a shared living arrangement. The same holds true for common areas, such as the living room or dining room. It can also be beneficial to ensure that spaces exist outside of our apartment, such as communal areas in a rental apartment complex. Imagine residing in a cozy apartment while having access to charming common areas where you can invite a few friends when your roommates are asleep. After all, if you can live with friends and have a ton of personal space, aren't you enjoying the best of both worlds? This is one of the reasons why Devimco Immobilier rental projects are a golden option for a delightful shared housing experience!

Shared Living in Devimco Apartments

It's always a good idea, if opting for shared living, to do so in an apartment or condo where everyone enjoys a space of their own, where they can have moments of relaxation and solitude if they wish to. Moreover, the rental condos by Groupe Devimco are thoughtfully designed as they boast beautiful common areas that can serve as an extension of your apartment. Indeed, these state-of-the-art communal spaces are perfect for socializing and relaxing, but also for working and even engaging in coworking.

Thanks to these numerous communal areas, you won't risk suffering from a lack of personal space, as it extends beyond the confines of the home to encompass the entire project. This allows you to work out at the gym, enjoy common terraces, take a few laps in the rooftop pool, or simply relax in the lounging areas available in most Devimco Immobilier projects. Living in one of them means being part of a dynamic community of people who choose to prioritize their well-being.

Not to mention the dreamy locations of all Devimco Immobilier rental projects. Whether you choose to reside in Montreal or on the South Shore at Solar Uniquartier, you will be in the heart of dynamic neighbourhoods, buzzing with essential services, culture, and gastronomy. An undeniable advantage of shared housing? You will always have someone with whom to plan your next adventure within the excitement of your neighbourhood. 

Shared Living? Roommates + Location! 

In summary, shared living comes with its share of advantages and challenges. The key? Finding an inspiring apartment that provides attractive communal spaces, so you don't feel restricted in your movements or privacy. And most importantly, choose roommates with whom you can communicate easily, and who will add a special touch to your daily life. The secret to shared living? Roommates and location! There, the secret is finally revealed.

Speaking of roommates, why not combine business with pleasure and plan a weekend in a cottage before signing a lease together? Sometimes, it's better to test the chemistry in small doses before the big shared living experience!

On that note, all that's left is to wish you a long and enjoyable shared living experience with people as friendly as you!

Discover all the possibilities of Devimco Immobilier apartments.