Co living is tough on its own, but if you decide to co live with someone of the opposite sex, it can be tougher.

Even if you’ve co lived with a sibling of the opposite sex when you were home, it’s not quite the same when you share an apartment with a stranger of the opposite sex.

So to make your shared living space and roommate relationship tranquil, you need certain house rules to keep your home environment a sane, peaceful and less awkward one.

Let’s jump right to some of the rules you NEED to talk about if you’re starting to, or planning to co live with the opposite sex.

1. Think about what your co living relationship would be like

Nothing’s stopping you from getting cozy on the sofa with your roommate to watch a movie, on a cold wintery night, especially in the middle of the pandemic. Humans get lonely, and your roommate is all you have in your shared apartment. We understand.

However, before you share an apartment with a roommate of the opposite sex, make sure you keep your intentions absolutely clear. We recommend discussing your personal relationships, expectations, and boundaries, to keep the sanity of your living space intact!

If you do fall in love with your roommate, well, deal with it later. But it’s best to start out with the intention of a platonic relationship to avoid making co living messy.

Bonus: As Reddit user Mogwailnjustice shares

It was easier to get good parties together since attractive women always know other attractive women. Not much else different really.

And the same goes for men!

2. Establish co living boundaries

To share an apartment with roommates peacefully, you need to establish certain boundaries about what’s allowed and what’s not.

What about the hair in the drain? The mess in the kitchen in your shared living space? And of course, knock, knock, knocking on your roommate’s door before entering should be a must!

As Reddit user Niqulaz suggests

Get some ground-rules established fairly quick, like what’s an acceptable level of filthy for the kitchen, and what’s an acceptable amount of time to spend continuously occupying the bathroom. This will help immensely.

3. Figure out the guest rules at your shared apartment

Other than having your hot friends over for a party that will benefit you both, there would be times when they get their SO or dates over for a night in your shared apartment.

Make sure you discuss the rules beforehand to avoid any awkwardness in the future.

Can you get your respective SO’s and coochie coo with them on the couch in your shared living space? Can they be naked in the kitchen getting some OJ in the morning?

Establish these ground rules in your shared apartment. So you won’t be annoyed or embarrassed when something odd happens.

And of course, as Reddit user Shepsus says, it’s knowing about your own preferences well.

Guys would bring girls home, I’d meet them in the morning, or find them rummaging my fridge, no big deal really, have some OJ.

But when I found a guy rummaging in my fridge wanting some of my OJ, I had an issue with it. I don’t trust random strange males. Yes, I should have the same apprehensiveness toward strange females, but I don’t.

4. Practice open communication

If it’s your first time co living with the opposite sex, you should anticipate and accept that awkward things might happen. So if and when you find something wrong, make sure you openly communicate with the other!

Make sure none of your concerns, or theirs are swept under the rug. Try to bond with them just like you would with any other roommate. This will make your co living conditions and shared living space comfortable!

As Reddit user Hammeltime rightly suggests

Ultimately, regardless of age and gender, some people are just better roommates than others. For me it’s about a 50/50 split between how many male and female roommates I’ve had and I can’t say I prefer one to the other.

Checking references and pre-interviewing roommates is about the best you can do to guarantee a quality roommate. Good luck

Need some more Roomi in your life? Have your pick from Roomi’s endless recommendations crafted to your needs. Doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a room to call home, a couch to call your bed or a mate to share these with! Download the app here — and get surfin’