If you’ve ever lived with roommates (and since you’re reading the Diggz blog, we’re willing to bet you have), you’ve probably witnessed one of two things.
Either your perfectly normal roommate suddenly got into a relationship and your apartment’s entire dynamic changed overnight…
Or you’ve experienced both worlds firsthand: living with single roommates and living with a couple.
Both come with their own personalities, perks, and cons.
Single roommates can turn your apartment into the headquarters for spontaneous adventures, late-night pizza runs, and the occasional dating horror story. Couples, on the other hand, usually bring a little more predictability, but they also come with a built-in teammate, inside jokes, and sometimes the feeling that you’re intruding in your own home.
So which living situation is actually better?
As with most roommate questions, the answer is: it depends.
Let’s compare the two and see what life is really like on both sides of the roommate spectrum.
Pros of Living with Single Roommates
1. The apartment usually feels like everyone’s space
When everyone is single, the apartment tends to feel a little more balanced. No one naturally comes as a package deal, so common areas usually stay… well, common.
Whether it’s deciding what to watch in the living room, planning a game night, or arguing over whose turn it is to buy toilet paper, everyone has an equal voice. The dynamic feels more like roommates sharing a home rather than one person feeling like they’re visiting someone else’s.
2. Expenses are usually split more evenly
Bills are refreshingly straightforward.
Rent, utilities, streaming services, groceries everyone chips in according to the agreement, and there’s usually less confusion about who owes what.
You won’t often find yourself wondering whether your roommate’s partner should also be contributing because they’re practically living there. Fewer people means fewer awkward money conversations.
3. More spontaneous and social
Single roommates are often up for grabbing dinner, hitting happy hour, binge-watching a new show, or hosting a game night. If you’re looking to make friends rather than just share rent, they can be great company.
Cons of Living with Single Roommates
1. The dating scene can become your background entertainment
One week it’s Alex. Next week it’s Jamie. The week after… honestly, you’ve lost track.
If your roommate is actively dating, you might find yourself meeting a steady stream of new faces. It can be…a lot… at times.
“My single roommate brought home so many dates that I started wondering if I should introduce myself every weekend. The problem wasn’t the dating – it was having complete strangers in the apartment where I kept expensive equipment and jewelry. Safe to say, living with a single roommate isn’t automatically drama-free.”
It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It can make for some hilarious stories…but if you prefer a predictable home environment, constantly meeting new people can get a little exhausting.
On the bright side, you’ll never run out of “So… how did the date go?” conversations.
2. Schedules can be unpredictable
A spontaneous weekend trip, last-minute plans, or a late-night return from a date can make the apartment feel a little less predictable.
3. More pressure to socialize
Some single roommates enjoy hanging out together often. If you’re someone who values quiet evenings alone, you may occasionally feel guilty saying, “I’m just staying in tonight.”
Pros of Living with a Couple
1. You generally know who’ll be around
One of the biggest advantages of living with a couple is predictability.
Instead of wondering who might walk through the front door after work, you’ll usually see the same familiar faces. There’s less of the awkward “Hi… I’m sorry, have we met before?” introduction every other weekend.
Once you get to know both people, your home can actually start to feel more settled and comfortable.
2. They often entertain each other
Couples naturally spend a lot of time together, which can sometimes mean they rely on each other for company instead of expecting you to fill that role.
Need a quiet evening? They’re probably already watching a movie together. Want the apartment to yourself for a bit? Date night might work in your favor.
3. Household chores may get done faster
Many couples naturally divide responsibilities between themselves. One cooks while the other cleans, making it easier to keep shared spaces tidy.
One Redditor shared how they loved living with a roommate couple since they kept the space so neat and homely,
“Couples tend to make their apartment more of a home base/leisure space, so it’s logical for them to be more invested in upkeep and keeping the peace. It was a pleasure to live in a place that was treated with the care and respect of a home, having lived in apartments of singles who only slept, showered, and had sex there.”
Cons of Living with a Couple
1. It can sometimes feel like you’re the third roommate… and the third wheel
Even the nicest couples have their own routines, inside jokes, and habits.
Sometimes decisions happen between the two of them before the rest of the household even hears about them. You might also find yourself unintentionally excluded from conversations simply because they’ve already discussed everything together.
It’s rarely intentional, but it can occasionally make the apartment feel a little less balanced.
2. One extra person can quietly become two roommates’ worth of everything
If both people officially live in the apartment, no problem.
But if your roommate’s significant other starts spending four, five, or even seven nights a week there without contributing to rent or utilities, things can become frustrating.
More showers. More dishes. More electricity. More groceries mysteriously disappearing.
At that point, it’s worth having an honest conversation about expectations before resentment starts building.
3. Shared spaces can become ‘their’ spaces
The couch becomes their movie theater. The kitchen becomes date-night central. Sometimes it can feel like you’re living in someone else’s home rather than sharing one equally.
Three House Rules You’ll Thank Yourself For Later
Whether you’re living with one roommate or a couple, a few ground rules can prevent small annoyances from turning into full-blown roommate wars.
Treat Couples as One Unit
When you’re living with a couple, don’t get caught in the middle of the blame game.
If dirty dishes are piling up or the trash hasn’t been taken out, it shouldn’t matter which half of the couple forgot. As far as the household is concerned, they’re one unit.
Let them figure out who was responsible, but the shared responsibility belongs to both of them.
One Redditor shares their ordeal,
“The boyfriend would leave a mess, and his girlfriend would immediately say, ‘It wasn’t me.’ Then they’d point fingers at each other while the mess just… stayed there. I got so tired of playing detective that I started texting both of them every time something needed cleaning.
Eventually I told them, ‘I don’t care who did it – you two are a couple. One of you clean it up and sort it out between yourselves.’
They moved out six months later… and I haven’t rented to a couple since.”
The takeaway? Your roommate agreement shouldn’t require CSI-level investigations. If a couple shares a home, they should also share accountability.
Decide How Chores Will Be Split
This is one conversation you want to have before anyone moves in.
There isn’t one correct way to divide chores, but there should be a system everyone agrees on.
For example:
- Split three ways if each person is responsible for themselves.
- Split by household, where the couple handles half the chores together, and the single roommate handles the other half.
Neither option is inherently better. The important part is that everyone agrees upfront. Nothing creates resentment faster than discovering halfway through the month that you’re somehow cleaning up after three people.
Set Overnight Guest Rules
Let’s be honest, significant others tend to become the biggest source of roommate drama when they start sleeping over… a lot.
Whether your roommate is single, dating, or part of a couple, it’s worth setting overnight guest rules before anyone moves in.
Talk about questions like:
- How many nights per week can someone stay over?
- Should roommates give a heads-up before having guests?
- What’s considered visiting… and what’s basically moving in?
Here’s a good rule of thumb:
If someone’s staying over three, four, or five nights every week, they’re starting to look a lot like another roommate.
Maybe they don’t need to split the rent right away – but it’s completely reasonable to expect them to contribute to shared chores, clean up after themselves, and be respectful of the space they’re regularly using.
After all, no one wants to wake up one day and realize they’ve accidentally gained a third roommate without ever agreeing to it.
Sooo…Who Wins?
Well…neither. Excuse us for playing you.
Whether your roommate is single, dating, married, or somewhere in between, one thing matters far more than their relationship status: communication, respect, and – let’s be honest – splitting the bills fairly.
A considerate couple will always beat an inconsiderate single roommate. And a respectful single roommate will always beat a messy couple.
Now, whenever you’re ready to find a roommate, whether they come solo or in a matching set, Diggz has you covered.