After rounding up the roommates (that’s at least half the
battle), it’s time to find an address. Better grab an
aspirin, or something stronger, because those early Saturday
morning walk-throughs ““ in Palms or Culver City, no less
““Â are enough to induce apartment-huntingitis.
Maybe the situation isn’t this desperate. Yet. But really,
does anyone enjoy this spring ritual?
The horror stories about Westwood managers alone are enough to
inspire dozens of excuses for avoiding the apartment search. Never
mind that most of them aren’t true; even the rumor of
crossing that gun-toting manager on Kelton is frightening enough.
What if rent is a day late? Or worse, if a late-night party wakes
him from a pleasant dream?
Truth be told, all managers have their quirks. It’s almost
a prerequisite. But in the end, most of them are harmless ““
right? Sure, they don’t offer opportunities for recycling.
They might take a little longer than normal to fix that drippy
shower. Some have been known to overlook a rat or two, or six. And
good luck getting your security deposit back.
So maybe they’re not so harmless.
But really, management should be the least of a student’s
worries. The most serious of problems will inevitably be found in
the very circle of friends trusted with the most intimate details
of each other’s lives: the roommates.
The roommates will bail out on leases, or not sign them to begin
with. Watch out for this. They’ll decide to study abroad, or
pick up a foreign fling, or even move in with a domestic lover
““ circumstances which will lead them to believe they no
longer have financial obligations to the remaining suckers. They
might even steal your mail.
Sometimes it’s less explosive. It starts with the shampoo;
roommate No. 1 will run out and will lift a squirt or two from
roommate No. 2. But then it starts happening with the toothpaste.
And then a roll of toilet paper. And then, before anyone knows it,
even the supply of lunch meat is looking suspiciously small.
Fortunately, all is not lost.
Still stuck on the first step? The Community Housing Office
offers roommate listings in addition to apartment openings and
other advice about off-campus living.
There are plenty of units with leases that don’t begin
until the end of summer ““ a better option if finals stress is
making it impossible to track down a new apartment in the next
three weeks in addition to studying. Cheap summer sublets are
abundant and a better alternative to rushing into a signed
contract.
Figuring out how to divide the rent is only the first in a
series of sticky situations the roommates will have to battle out
““ like how to split the utilities? The parking spot? The
booze? And the couch? But it’s not all that bad.
They’ll share the TV and on luckier days, dinner.
There’s more privacy in the apartments than in the dorms. And
mail delivery is more reliable with a real address than it is on
The Hill. Just don’t forget: Befriend someone with a premier
meal plan.
Just make sure to bring the aspirin.