Services can help students solve roommate conflicts

By BETH BAUMGARDNER
Collegian Staff Writer

Just switching rooms can't always solve conflicts among roommates, particularly if a binding document such as a lease, is involved.

Apartment realtors take few steps to help improve troubled relationships among roommates, instead allowing tenants to solve conflicts on their own.

When roommates are having problems, Associated Realty Property Management, 456 E. Beaver Ave., refers tenants to mediation services, such as those available on campus, Kris Holzwarth, property manager said.

Jean Welling, staff assistant for the Office of Greek and Community Life, often handles such referrals and usually receives the most requests at this time of year.

"The problem with roommates is that problems begin at the beginning of a semester and it goes downhill from there," Welling said, which is why she advises students to voice expectations before they agree to live with each other.

The office distributes questionnaires students can fill out to ensure they will be compatible. Questionnaire topics include whether potential roommates are messy or neat, what they think of drug use and what their reactions to anger are, she said.

For those who already live together and cannot get along, the Undergraduate Student Government has begun to co-sponsor a mediation program with Student Counselors, said Daniel Halperin, USG branch manager and legal affairs trainee.

"For all the problems that exist (among roommates), there's a lot that can be done," he said. Many times, all roommates need to do is talk to one another to ease tensions, he added.

About 15 trained peer counselors are available to help roommates smooth out conflicts and find solutions as part of the mediation program, said Barbara Copland, program adviser.

Students who are interested in the program can call 863-1874 or 863-2020.

Problems among roommates, even those who were once friends, usually begin as small annoyances and a lack of consideration, Welling said.

Differences in taste and volume of music, sleeping and studying patterns and smoking and drinking habits all are major threats to roommate compatibility, she added.

"I've seen some friendships ruined by (friends) living together," Welling said.

Roommates who live in apartments have a higher potential for conflict than those living on-campus because they have the added responsibility of paying bills and rent, Welling said.

The attorney for the student body, José Texidor, advises students to sign individual leases if they believe a potential conflict exists.

With individual leases, a tenant is only responsible for his part of the rent, which will not increase if a roommate leaves. Tenants in a joint lease divide the rent among themselves and if one roommate leaves, the other tenants may have to pay the difference each month.

Apartment tenants also have to be sure their roommates are obeying the lease agreement, Welling said.

One of the more difficult conflicts Welling mediated occurred when two roommates in an apartment began breeding chinchillas for extra money.

This was done despite their lease's no-pet clause and against the other roommates' wishes, she said. Eventually she convinced the conflicting roommates that breeding chinchillas was not in their best interest, especially if the landlord found out.

"They could have all four lost their apartment," Welling said.

"I hear things like that and I think, 'How could you do that to someone?' "