Your first week in a shared apartment sets the tone for every month after it. Most roommate fights don't happen because someone is a bad person. They happen because nobody settled the basics at the start. Here's what to settle, in order.
Before you even unpack
Read the lease. All of it. Pay attention to whether every roommate is on it or just one of you, because that changes everything the day something goes wrong. If only one name is on the lease, that person is legally on the hook for the full rent, and everyone else is effectively their subtenant. Know which situation you're in.
Photograph the apartment on day one. Every scratch on the wall, every stain on the counter, the inside of the oven. Email the photos to the landlord the same day so there's a timestamp. Security deposit disputes are won and lost on move-in documentation, and in most states the burden lands on whoever has less proof.
Check whether your landlord requires renters insurance. Many do, and even when they don't, a basic policy costs about as much per month as two coffees and covers your stuff plus liability. One policy per person, not per apartment.
Utilities: whose name goes on what
Electric, gas, internet, sometimes water and trash. Someone's name goes on each account, and it shouldn't be the same someone on all of them. Whoever is named is who the company chases when there's a balance, so spread it around. Some utility companies want a deposit from new customers with no history there, so budget for that in month one.
Ask the landlord what's included in rent. Water and trash often are. Heat sometimes is, especially in older buildings. Every bill that's included is one less thing to split.
Money: pick a system before the first expense
This is where most apartments fall apart. Someone buys paper towels, someone pays the internet bill, someone covers the plumber, and two months in nobody remembers who owes what to whom. The fix is not a spreadsheet, because nobody updates a spreadsheet past week two.
This is where SHULAM! comes in. Set up one household in the app, invite your roommates with a link, and every expense that gets logged splits automatically. Who owes whom is calculated for you, and you settle up with Venmo or Zelle whenever it's convenient. Five minutes of setup on night one saves you a year of "wait, did you pay me back for that?"
House rules: one fifteen-minute conversation
You don't need a ten-page roommate agreement. You need fifteen minutes on the couch with everyone present and four questions: how do we split shared purchases, what's the deal with overnight guests, who cleans what and when, and what time does quiet start on weeknights. Write the answers somewhere everyone can see. Done.
FAQ
What if a roommate moves in mid-year?
They join the shared expenses from the day they arrive, not retroactively. In SHULAM! you just send them an invite link, and they only see expenses from the moment they joined.
Do we need a joint bank account?
No, and most roommates are better off without one. Track the balance in the app and pay each other directly with Venmo or Zelle. A joint account creates more problems than it solves.
How much should I budget for the first month beyond rent?
Beyond rent, deposit, and possibly a utility deposit, plan for a one-time shared haul: trash cans, a mop, basic kitchen gear, a shower curtain. Split it evenly and log it from purchase number one.
SHULAM! is a free app for running a shared home: expenses, groceries, fridge, and chores in one place. Available on the App Store and Google Play. Download it and set up your household in five minutes.