Guest blogger Felix Dewornu is a Biochemistry Student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology helps us answer the question – do I really need a roommate?

A lot of people wonder if there are any benefits at all to having roommates. This blog will explore some of the benefits and not-so-good demerits of sharing your apartment with other people. You should be able to decide if you would like to have a roommate or not after reading this post.

A roommate is someone who shares a living facility such as an apartment with you. They may live with you temporarily or permanently depending on the agreement you have with them. Space sharing is very common, especially in the colleges and universities. People get themselves roommates for various reasons, but this sometimes comes at a cost. Below are some of the biggest reasons people have with roommates.

Benefits of Having a Roommate

1. A major advantage of having a roommate is that it helps in sharing the cost of the space. It has become quite expensive to rent a room or apartment and even more expensive to furnish and foot the utility bills, so why not share the expense with a roommate? This way, you might even be able to land a bigger and more beautiful place than you could afford on your own.
2. Another advantage of having roommates is it deters would-be intruders. Sharing a room or apartment with a roommate ensures that someone is always home at a particular time, if not always. This deters burglars from breaking into the property. Also, would-be intruders deem it dangerous to rob a house with two or more people than just an occupant.
3. Roommates also help do chores. Having a roommate provides that extra hand that we all want when doing the cleaning, and if lucky, one could avoid the chores he/she likes the least. This extra helping hand will not only save you energy but time which could be used for other important things in life.

Downsides of Having a Roommate

Despite all the advantages mentioned, having a roommate has its own set of drawbacks. These include:

1. Having roommates often means there is a lack of or less privacy. You can never have the maximum level of privacy with a second person sharing the space with you – it’s just that natural. And this can be even worse when the other person has serious privacy issues.
2. Having an irresponsible roommate also counts as a disadvantage. Some people can be very irresponsible; they leave things where they are not supposed to be, they will never help with the chores nor will they take care of your room or apartment in case you leave town for some days. Such a  roommate tends to be extra baggage.
3. Also, some roommates may miss payments of rents or utility bills, either deliberately or due to financial constraints. This can leave a huge financial burden on you, and you will end up spending out of your budget just for your roommate’s share of the bills. It is therefore advisable to choose a roomie who is financially secured so as to avoid such a situation.

Now, would you love to have a roommate? Share your answers with us in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter.