Roommate Bill of Rights

This agreement is a reminder to you of your responsibility to your roommate(s) and others living in your floor, hall and campus as a whole. Your happiness while living in a residence hall community will depend, largely, on consideration that you demonstrate to each other. The following list is a reminder of what your rights and responsibilities are as a roommate. These basic rights are:

1. The right to read and study free from undue interference in one’s room. Unreasonable noise and other distractions inhibit the exercise of this right.
2. The right to sleep without undue disturbances from your roommate, guests of roommate and others.
3. The right to expect that roommate(s) and their guests will respect personal belongings.
4. The right to a clean-living environment.
5. The right to free access to one’s room and facilities without pressure from roommate(s) and floor mates.
6. The right to personal privacy.
7. The right to host guests with the expectation that guests will respect the rights of other hall residents.
8. The right to voice concerns and to have residence hall staff assist in mediation.
9. The right to be free from physical harm, threats of physical harm, stalking, hazing and harassment.
10. The right to expect reasonable cooperation in the use of shared items.

Sharing a room can be a new experience full of opportunities and challenges. Getting to know your roommate and understanding their preferences early is crucial. SDSU Housing and Residential Life is committed to assisting in this process to help roommates develop strong relationships to lead to a positive experience living on campus.

Recognizing that conflict or misunderstandings are typically inevitable can help; going into the relationship willing to communicate with honesty and respect is important. As a result, all residents are required to complete a Roommate Agreement during the first few weeks of classes. Community assistants in the residence halls will assist with facilitating this process through programs, guided discussions and more. The agreement itself is made available via online link sent by the Residence Hall Director.

Through this process, roommates are encouraged to communicate openly regarding factors that impact sharing space (e.g., safety concerns, sharing of personal belongings, cleanliness, guests, sleep habits, etc.). Completing this process will allow roommates to start with a strong foundation and have a plan for what to do when conflict arises.