16 APARTMENT GUIDE 3
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2007
TO DO LIST: APARTMENT PREPARATIONS Use this handy guide to work out the details of your living space
1. Rent: Before moving in, talk with your roommates and decide how rent will be paid. Consider if one roommate will pay more because of a larger bedroom and decide a deadline for payments, which person will collect the money and what to do if one roommate can't pay one month.
Notes.
2. Furniture: A bedroom, living room and dining room is a lot of space to fill, so make sure you talk with your roommates before moving in to decide who is bringing what furniture. Some furniture might be too big for your space, so measure your furniture to ensure that it's not too much.
Notes.
3. Utilities: Call utility companies before moving in (see page 10 for more details.) Decide how you and your roommates will pay the utilities: Should each roommate pay one bill or should you combine the costs and split it?
Notes.
4. Food: Decide how you will buy or handle food. Discuss whether you will collectively use the pantry and refrigerator, have separate shelves or keep personal food in a private refrigerator. Notes.
5. Parking: Talk to your rental company and find out if there are any parking restrictions, how many spots you get per apartment and if you need a parking pass. Find out if all your roommates have cars.
Notes.
6. Boundaries:
Discuss each roommate's living preferences. Maybe one person likes to study with music on. Maybe another likes to sleep with the TV as background noise. Talking about these situations now will avoid tense situations in the future.
Notes.
7. Pet Requirements: Find out if your roommates have pets or want pets. If you have a pet, talk to your rental company about their restrictions regarding size and type of pets. Notes.