The PLEA: RENT: The Student's Guide

Living on your own can be fun. But it can also be lonely and expensive. A way around these downfalls is to find a roommate.

There are great reasons to have a roommate. They help pay rent, are great company, and give an added sense of security.

If you find a roommate or two, remember that landlords have the right to limit the number of people in a rental property. To be certain, they can’t ignore human rights when renting out a home. Refusing to rent based on things like race, gender identity, having children, or being a recipient of social assistance is against the law. However, they can set a cap on the number of tenants.

Landlords may also charge more rent for extra people, so long as this is outlined in the rental contract.

Getting Along

Living with others isn’t always easy. It requires patience, kindness, and compromise. You’ll have less privacy and the occasional disagreement.

Rental laws generally won’t help you resolve roommate disputes. The Office of Residential Tenancies–the provincial agency that deals with rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants—only deals with landlord/tenant disputes. In extreme situations involving money or property, Small Claims Court may be an option. All of this means that you need to find ways to resolve disputes on your own.

One way to prevent disputes is to create rules on how to live together. Your rules can outline anything from sharing chores to your obligations to each other.

The rules can be more than just “Do Not’s.” Also think about “To Do’s.” Do be respectful and kind, do laugh with each other, or do clean up after yourself. If disputes arise, your agreement can help determine if everyone is living up to their obligations.

Keep in mind that any agreement between you and your roommate does not affect any laws about renting a home. This means that you can end up on the hook for the entire rent if your roommate does not pay. It also means that you could lose your security deposit if your roommate causes damage. Also, if only one tenant signs the rental agreement, that tenant can do things like decide to end the tenancy without consulting with their roommates.

For these reasons, it is important to choose roommates that you trust, spell out your expectations to each other, and most importantly be open, honest, and respectful.