Whether you are a returning student, a new student living with a friend from high school, or meeting your roommate for the first time, the quality of the relationship you develop with your roommate is a major factor in determining how satisfied you are with college, and it can be an important influence on your academic achievement.

Roommate Rights and Responsibilities:
You have a responsibility to your roommate! By keeping in mind the following values and by demonstrating thoughtful consideration, you can make your residential living experience more satisfying. It is important to work together from the beginning to establish an environment that allows both of you freedom with responsibility. The most critical factor in this endeavor is to be honest with one another and to communicate openly. Listed to the right are the basic rights of a roommate. Remember that with any right comes the responsibility to ensure that your roommate is afforded the same rights.

If you feel that your rights are not being respected in your living environment, start by talking to your roommate in a calm and rational manner. Your RA is available to help you practice how you might approach your roommate about your concerns or to provide some ideas on how to begin. Remember that Avila University does not, nor can it, guarantee that you will attain each of these rights at all times. However, you can help to ensure that these rights will be honored through thoughtful communication and discussion with those living around you.

Remember that you are living in a community which is collectively responsible for the environment in which you live and that the only person whose behavior you are responsible for is you.