COVID-19 Roommate Discussion Guide

Real Talk with your off-campus roommates:

A COVID-19 Roommate Discussion Guide

If you’re planning to live with roommates during the pandemic, you may have some questions for them about how they have been dealing with COVID-19.

This Discussion Guide is designed to help you begin the conversation with your roommates about COVID. First, by helping you to identify and understand your concerns. Knowing what you’re worried about can help you communicate more effectively with your roommates.

Next, the Guide provides a series of questions for your roommates about safety, visitors, hygiene, travel, and work and social habits during the pandemic. This series of questions is designed to help you address concerns jointly with your roommates, and to come up with a joint plan for the household to stay safe, and civil, during the pandemic.

Read this discussion guide, talk to your roommate(s), LISTEN to each other. Remember, we’re all in this together.

Ask yourself these questions before you move in with roommates during the COVID-19 pandemic:

How comfortable are you with visitors coming over and being inside your living space?
- Think about how you will talk to your roommates about having visitors, and how you might work out visitors coming over while engaging in physical distancing.
- What will you do if your roommates won’t agree not to have visitors, or to engage in physical distancing when visitors are over?
How important is cleanliness in your living space? What are your expectations for cleaning and hygiene for your roommates?
- How does COVID change your usual cleanliness standards?
Are you willing to take the lead in modeling and enforcing COVID safety measures if your roommates don’t want to wear masks, engage in physical distancing, etc.?
Is there a space in your rental unit where a roommate can isolate if they are exposed to COVID?
What will you do if you learn you were exposed to COVID?
How familiar are you with IU, City of Bloomington, Monroe County, and State of Indiana regulations and recommendations for staying safe, and reducing the spread of COVID-19? Here are some links to help you stay on top of the latest information, and to share with your roommates:
- If you or a roommates are showing symptoms:
- Guidance on masks and face coverings from IU, and the CDC
- Tips on physical distancing from IU:
- Monroe County has restricted the number of people allowed at private gatherings to no more than 50 people:
- COVID updates and information from the City of Bloomington.
- For the latest information from IU about fall 2020.

Ask your roommate(s) these questions to get on the same page about COVID. Don't forget to listen:

Safety

Do you wear a mask in public (in enclosed spaces, outside when physical distancing isn’t possible)?
When do you feel the need to wear a mask?
What are your hand washing tendencies?
How have you been getting groceries?
- Do you clean your groceries (boxes, containers) before bringing them inside?
- If so, how do you clean them?
What are your shopping habits and frequency? (ie. curbside pickup, delivery, in-store shopping)
Are you (have you been) practicing physical distancing?
What are your thoughts on the COVID-19 situation?
- Do you believe physical distancing and mask wearing are important?
- Do you believe being tested after showing symptoms is important?
- Will you cooperate with efforts to contract trace if you, or one of your roommates, is diagnosed with COVID-19?
Are you taking additional precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19?
Has someone in your household, or with whom you are in regular contact, been diagnosed with COVID-19?
- If so, when was it?
- How was that situation handled?
Have you been diagnosed with COVID-19?
Have you been tested for COVID-19?
Are you in a vulnerable population outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Habits and Practice

Study and work habits

Have you been working remotely or in-person during the pandemic?
Have you been taking classes over the summer?
Are you planning to attend classes in person in fall 2020?
Are you going to work off campus during the school year?
- If so, is your employer complying with CDC and State recommendations on physical distancing, mask wearing, and hand washing?
- If you don’t know, are you willing to inquire?

Leisure and social habits

Are you planning to go to restaurants and bars as they start to reopen?
Will you wear a mask and engage in physical distancing when you go out?
How often do you visit or stay with family, significant other, or friends?
How often do you plan to have visitors over?
- Are you willing to ask friends and others who visit to wear a mask, and practice physical distancing?

Travel

Do you have plans to travel this year?
If you travel in the U.S., what means of travel will you use? (plane, car, other?)
Have you reviewed recommendations on how to travel safely?
Are you willing to self-quarantine when you return?

Lease and Household-Specific Questions

If at least one roommate deems it unsafe or is uncomfortable with having others over, are you willing to honor that?
Are you willing to help with extra cleaning during this time? Will you participate in a chore chart?
What are your plans for the school year?
- Can you commit to a 12-month lease?
- If not, have you talked to the landlord about a shorter lease, or what to do if you have to leave before the lease is over?
Do you have a plan for finding a subtenant if necessary? (if the lease allows subleasing)
What are your plans if IUB has to move to 100% remote instruction sooner than November?
- Would you stay in Bloomington?
- Do you have a backup plan?
If one of us has symptoms or tests positive for COVID, what is our plan of action?
- Quarantine areas?
- Are you willing to isolate for your roommates’ needs?
Have you signed, or reviewed, the IU Student Commitment Form?
- Do you agree to abide by the terms of the SCF?
Have you reviewed IUB’s restart and safety recommendations?