Roommates don’t need to be best friends. Clear rules beat good vibes.

Sharing a space runs on logistics far more than on affection. Friendly people who never settled who buys the dish soap end up in a slow cold war, while people who barely socialise live together easily because everything was agreed in advance. Good will is not a system. It runs out somewhere around the third unwashed pan.

Have the dull conversation early: cleaning, noise, guests, money, food. Write the answers somewhere you both see them. Revisit it once instead of arguing it again every week.