Co-tenancy: The gains of renting an apartment with a roommate

There comes a time in our life when staying alone can be a bit traumatizing. Single people who rent apartments without a corresponding flat mate or roommate do so mostly due to privacy but there are times they wish it was different. In this article we will be discussing the gains of renting an apartment with a flat mate.

Co-tenancy is a trend that is mostly common among single guys and ladies, especially students of higher institutions. Imagine having your best friend as your co-tenant in the apartment you both rented; you will never want to live alone again, right?

Having a flat mate fills a lot of void that comes with renting an apartment as a single tenant. As a matter of fact, there are real benefits to co-tenancy or having a flat mate as the case may be.

Times are hard, as a single lady or man living in Nigeria especially in Lagos where rent is ridiculously high, having to pay rent as flat mates/roommates or signing a co-tenancy lease agreement could do you a whole lot of good. However, the real benefits to co-tenancy goes beyond rent.

Living with a roommate/flat mate helps you learn the act of self-control and perseverance so when the time comes to tie the nuptial knots with that significant other, the lessons you learnt from co-tenancy can then be applied.

As a bachelor, there are times when I live the house in a hurry and consequently I would leave the tap running. At least, this happened about twice or thereabout and I had to pay dearly for it.

Those times, I got back home to a water-logged house that took me more than half a day to clear the mess. Those days I wished I had a flat mate, that would have saved me the trouble.

I can also recall a day I left stew to cook on the gas cooker, that was a horrendous mistake I would later live to regret.

Now, if I had a flat mate none of the aforementioned incidents would have transpired.

Co-tenancy when at a friendly level gets you out of compromising situations.

Also, if you are the kind of person that locks yourself outside or has a habit of misplacing the key to your apartment, your co-tenant can come in handy here.

Another thing that is worthy of note is that, having a flat mate ensures that you spend less not just on rent but on furniture and other household items too. Essentially, you get to split the bill on a number of occasions especially if you are living with someone you have an understanding with. Invariably you save a whole lot when you involve in a co-tenancy style of living.

There is no greater soothing relief that comes with having a chit-chat and sharing moments with your flat mate after a horrid day at work.

A roommate or flat mate can even awake you when he/she knows you are running late for work, classes or an appointment.

In addition, some roommates have different schedules — and that can be a good thing. If someone is always home, there’s less of a chance of an intruder getting away with your stuff.

Another gain that comes with co-tenancy is having to share or take turns to do chores in the apartment. There are times you would feel pretty lazy to do some chores, at those times, a good roommate can effectively fill the void.

In summary, your co-tenant ordinarily should be a good mirror for your life