The unwritten rules of sharing a room with a stranger
The first rule is simple: treat the room as both people’s refuge. Headphones, dim lights, tidy paths, and a warning before guests go a long way.
The rest should not remain unwritten. Agree on alarms, calls, laundry, food smells, window use, temperature, and what counts as borrowing. Decide how you will handle a bad night, an early flight, or a week of intense work.
Use direct, small corrections. “Could we keep calls outside after 10?” is easier to hear than a month of silence followed by anger. If the issue repeats, return to the agreement and set a specific change.
Courtesy is not about being quiet all the time. It is about making your routine legible to the other person.