Getting along with a roommate isn’t always easy – especially if you have more than one.

But when a student gets to choose who they will be rooming with, applying basic criteria to roommate selection can relieve headaches in the long-run.

NIU students offer an array of advice to their future roommates.

Sophomore history major Jay Kraska thinks it’s important to be honest with your roommates.

“Know who they are before you move in with them, and know if they’re gonna be able to pay their bills,” Kraska said.

It’s important to speak your mind about how you feel, said junior history major Brandon Bernabei, who is one of Kraska’s roommates.

“Don’t let problems build up,” Bernabei said. “If you get irritated about stuff, say something.”

Kraska, Bernabei and their third roommate, sophomore Jeramy Raymond, have known each other for two years and plan to live together next year.

Junior nursing major Brittany Love said she thinks it’s important to designate chores.

“Ask for help doing the dishes or taking out garbage,” Love said.

Love lives with her friends, juniors Jackie O’Hara, a health major, and Nikki Kostecki, a health administration major. The three roommates spend time together regularly and plan to live together next year.

The most important thing to consider is whether or not you really know your roommates before you move in together, O’Hara said.

“Make sure you know the person’s lifestyle habits,” she said.

Susan Besinger, president of Horizon Real Estate Management, said the most common complaints are roommates not paying rent or other bills.

Horizon offers a “parent guarantee” to ensure that tenants don’t have this problem. The guarantee ensures that if one of the tenants refuses to pay their rent, the tenant’s parent will pick up the tab.

“A lot of times tenants don’t take the time to really check out their roommates,” Besinger said. “They just take a friend from their floor or a friend of a friend.”

Future roommates need to sit down and ask what their expectations are, she said. Besinger suggests discussing subjects such as borrowing things, party schedule and how late they usually stay up.

Besinger was a dorm director prior to managing Horizon, and lifestyle conflicts were the biggest she encountered, she said. Besinger suggests roommates “think before they speak,” and that living with multiple roommates requires work, just like a romantic relationship.