No matter how perfect you get along with your roommate, there are going to be times when a good heart to heart is needed. It could be because one of you is a neat freak and the other is messy or it could be a noise related issue, but regardless of the issue, making sure you approach your heart to heart in the right way can make all of the difference. Here are a few tips.

First, make sure that you aren’t sitting your roommate down for a serious talk after every first offence. Often times, people are simply clumsy or inconsiderate by accident and they may do something once that they will never do again, or at least not on a regular basis. Having 4 serious talks a week can build up a lot of resentment between two people and that can lead to its own set of problems. Try to make your serious talks only about serious things.

Above all else, make sure you stay calm. The last thing either of you needs is a shouting match and a permanent break of your friendship and living arrangement. It’s safe to say that we all have enough drama in our lives without going through new roommates every few weeks. Keep your cool and talk things out like adults.

Finally, don’t be afraid to use an arbitrator for serious problems that the two of you can’t get over. Many landlords would be more than happy to help solve a problem instead of having to look for new tenants.