"Be Our Guest!"

"Be our guest. Be our guest. Put our service to the test!"

Or.... Not. 

We all know and love the lively hosts of Disney's Beauty & the Beast. Unfortunately, we aren't all as good as Lumiere and Ms. Potts. Most of us can't afford to play host 24 hours a day. So when you invite guests to stay at your place, keep in mind that they aren't just going to be staying in your home. You have roommates and it's their home too. They can't be responsible for entertaining people they don't know. Just like we have to be considerate of our roomies, so should our guests be aware that their choices affect people around them. 

For starters, don't take everyone by surprise. The worst thing in the world is coming home to what should be your private space, and finding a complete stranger sitting on your couch. "Um... Excuse me Sir... Who are you?" If you want to have someone over, whether it's for dinner or a whole weekend, clear it with people first. For all you know, your roomie has to get up at 5am for a big exam, and it's not a good night for people to be making lots of noise in the living room. Group texts make avoiding this problem super easy. You know the whole. "Don't ask for permission, ask for forgiveness" concept? Yeah, no. Not when it comes to the people you're living with. That's just asking for a fight. 

Once you've gotten the ok for the guest to come over, ya gotta talk etiquette with them. There are few things that frustrate people more than a rude visitor. So help your guest out. Brief them on the general rules of the apartment, so they know what to expect. Show them the trash can and the dishwasher, and let them know how they can help keep things tidy in the communal areas. And if they're staying overnight, show them what stuff is yours- ESPECIALLY in the kitchen. Let them know that the delicious chocolate chip cookies in the cupboard don't belong to you, and by extension them. "Unintended thievery" isn't really acceptable.

It's also always best to inform your guest if there are any "off limits" areas. For example, I am very particular about who sits on my bed. Call it picky if you must, but my nightly slumber is very important to me. One day, I remember coming home and a roommate's guest was not only sitting on my bed with a beer in hand, but had tons of clothes draped on it. (This roommate no longer lives in the apartment) It wasn't my roommate who was being disrespectful of my stuff, but because it wasn't explained that the bed space was private, I ended up having to ask the guest to get off my bed.  #awkward 

In a nutshell, your roommates should be willing to let people hang out at the apartment. Having friends over is fun and it can be relaxing to just enjoy your living space with a guest! But make it easy on the roomies to say yes next time you ask.