Roommate Living Guide

Boston University Roommate Living Guide

In an effort to meet our mission, Residence Life strives to assist all roommates in maintaining respect for their community members and preventing tension with one another.  As a result, Residence Life has created this tool to help you engage in civil dialogue with your roommate(s).

The living guide can be found here:
Roommate Living Guide – Apartment Style
Roommate Living Guide – Dorm Style
Roommate Living Guide – Suite Style

We acknowledge that sharing space with another person(s) can be a rewarding and sometimes challenging setting, whether you’ve just met or have known each other previously.  Living together successfully will require openness, flexibility, respect and compromise.  Learning to accept each other’s preferences without infringing upon one another’s rights, while allowing each other to grow; will be an enriching part of your educational experience at Boston University.

We want you to be successful, safe and healthy in your residential community.  The quality of life in your community will depend on you, your roommate(s) and your relationship with each other.  Should conflicts arise, we encourage you to facilitate a courteous and open discussion with your roommate(s) before seeking out your resident assistant for intervention.  However, please know that Residence Life staff are always available should you need further support.

Prior to having a conversation with your roommate(s), we ask that you be mindful of adhering to Boston University’s Student Responsibilities as stated in the Lifebook.  The legitimate expectation of all students is that the University will provide an environment in which they may study, learn, work, and live without unwarranted interference from others.

The basic responsibilities of the student include:

  1. Respecting the rights of others.
  2. Respecting the highest standards of academic integrity and reporting any violations of those standards to the dean of his or her school or college or the Dean of Students for appropriate investigation and disposition.
  3. Respecting the property of others, and the property, equipment, facilities, and programs of the University.
  4. Refraining from actions that endanger the health, safety, or welfare of any member of the University community or its guests.
  5. Complying with the normative standards, rules, and regulations of the University as well as with federal, state, and local laws.