Sharing living space with others can be economical and fun but can also lead to disagreements. One way to avoid most disagreements is to create a list of rules to follow when you are first placed together.
Without established rules, it may feel awkward to discuss issues with a roommate. If rules are agreed upon in advance, you can refer to them and remind your roommate(s) of what they agreed to at the start of the tenancy.
Creating rules for your shared living space is all about living within boundaries that all roommates agree on. Please review the suggested guidelines below, and feel free to update and add your own rules for shared living.
Expenses
You need to decide who will oversee paying your utility and cable bill. Typically, these services are in the name of the first person to occupy the share or the current resident.
Shared Household Items
When it comes to shared household items such as toilet paper, paper towels, trash/ recycling bags, and cleaning products, you need to establish how these will be bought.
There are several ways to tackle this. You could take turns buying them, although this method does run the risk of someone forgetting or claiming they can’t afford it when it’s their turn.
If you and your roommate(s) decide not to share expenses for household items, then you may want to designate storage areas for each person.
Cleaning
Roommates can differ in their perception of cleanliness. It is best to come to a mutual agreement on what a tidy space looks like. After gaining this insight:
- Sit down with your roommate(s) and talk about which jobs and chores you don’t mind and which you dislike.
- Decide between you who will do what and when.
- Write the cleaning schedule down, display it in a viewable area, and stick to it.
Common Spaces
You may learn from talking about a cleaning schedule or from experience that mess may not bother you, but it may annoy your roommate. Within reason, you can live however you like inside your bedroom, but the shared living spaces always need to be clean and tidy, as stated in the Terms and Conditions of your License Agreement.
No one wants to be in a home with a messy living room, dirty dishes in the sink, a dirty kitchen floor, and used pots and pans on the stove. After food preparation, each person should clean the stove and kitchen counters. Emptying trash may be as simple as taking it upon oneself to dispose of it when it’s full or assigning trash removal as a daily chore or a rotating schedule.
If you live in a three-share, this also includes not leaving clutter in the shared bathroom, such as empty shampoo bottles, empty toilet paper rolls, and dirty towels.
Noise
Each person may have their own tolerance for noise. However, the rule here is to set realistic expectations.
- You can expect to hear your roommate when they are in other rooms of the apartment. However, you shouldn’t have to listen to them blasting their music at 2:00 AM.
- You could agree on quiet times and times when noise is acceptable. It is best to consider everyone’s routines in this, as you may work different hours and have different sleeping habits.
- Be considerate of your roommates as to how much noise you are making.
Guests
WCM policy states that roommates must mutually consent to having guests. Having a guest over is a normal part of living in an apartment, and rules around this need to be reasonable. It would be unreasonable to never consent to a guest; however, if a guest becomes another roommate, that is a different matter. Each resident is responsible for their guest's behavior.
Food and Beverages
It’s important to include food and beverages in your rules.
If you and your roommate(s) decide to share food staples such as milk, bread, water, coffee/tea, cooking oil, etc., you will need to establish rules to pay and shop for these items.
- You might decide on a rule that if you bought it, you consume it.
- Or you might decide that others can eat or drink your items if they replace them promptly.
If you decide on the latter, we recommend adding a note to the rule stating that the last item is always to be saved for the person who bought it. Otherwise, you may arrive home after a long day at work to find that someone has eaten your last ice cream or consumed your last water and not yet replaced it.
To clearly identify whose food belongs to whom without having to resort to labeling, assign different cupboards and areas of the fridge and freezer. If labeling works best for you and your roommate, then make this a mutual rule.
Safety
- It is imperative that your doors are closed and always locked.
- While leaving your door open while quickly running an errand may seem convenient, it is best to err on the side of caution and lock your door whenever you go out and as soon as you come home.
- Always remember to turn off the stove, oven, and coffee pot and unplug hair dryers, rollers, and curling irons.
The Shared Living Experience
Shared housing is a permanent placement during your years of housing eligibility, and WCM Housing wants you to have the best possible shared living experience. The above guidelines can help you develop and maintain a positive relationship with your roommate(s), where everyone is satisfied and boundaries are respected. Please feel free to expand upon the suggested rules and create your own based on the needs and desires of everyone residing in your apartment.