You and your roommate are individuals with particular interests, goals, values, likes, and dislikes. You may not find it necessary to share every aspect of college life with your roommate. Learning to accept each other’s differences without infringing on one another’s freedom is a valuable part of your total education.

Each roommate has equal rights as an occupant of the room. Roommates must be able to come to compromises and agreements. Each person has the right to his/her own personal space within the room. This is why there is a desk, bed, and closet or personal wardrobe for every person. It is vital that you talk about your preferences for the room and what purposes you feel the room should serve. Consider the following roommate rights when creating your roommate agreements.

Each person assigned to the room has…

• The right to study free from undue interference (noise, stereo, guests, etc).
• The right to sleep without undue disturbance from noise, guests, roommates, etc.
• The right to expect that roommates will respect each others’ personal belongings.
• The right to a clean environment in which to live.
• The right to free access to one’s room without pressure from roommates
• The right to personal privacy.
• The right to host guests at agreed upon times. Guests are to respect the rights of the host’s roommate and other residents in the community. (Hosts are responsible for their own guests.)
• The right to be free from harassment, discrimination, and fear of intimidation and physical and/or emotional harm.
• The right to expect reasonable cooperation in the use of the room telephone.
• The right to expect that any disagreements will be discussed in an atmosphere of openness and mutual respect, and that it is acceptable to confront the roommate respectfully when he/she is not fulfilling mutual agreements.