Does a satellite dish need to be on a certain side of the house?

Look for a "satellite finder" app for your phone or tablet.

That will show you the point in the sky that the dish needs a clear line of sight to.

TV satellites are in geostationary orbits at about 25000 miles over the equator, so the dish needs a clear line of site to whichever sat you want to receive.

The location on the building does not matter, as long as it can see that spot in the sky; sometimes they can be fitted on the "wrong side" of a house, but aimed back over the roof.

The suggestion to look at other dishes in your area is probably the best one.

Yours will need to be oriented the same way - and positioned so that it has clear line of sight.

You should be able to get it installed such that it doesn't 'disturb' your roommates (like blocking a window or anything).

They point towards the equator ie south in the North and vice versa then a few degrees east or west to pinpoint the satellite. So on the south wall of your house

Always make sure there is nothing covering the dish. Use a satellite finder app.

Actually, if you have a DirecTV satellite box when you set it up it will start searching for satellites until it finds the strongest signal.

In the northern hemisphere,    

a satellite dish needs a clear view to the south 

--- no hills, no trees, no buildings, no anything else in the way. 

It needs to be where it can see the sattelite, you would need to check with an installer to see what bit of the house it would need to connect.  You can maybe get an idea from looking at neighbouring properties that have dishes to see where they are installed.

I think they position it where they get the best signal. You won't need to check, a professional company will do it.