Setting the Ground Rules: Essential Housemate Etiquette

Moving in with a housemate or roommate can be an exciting experience, but it’s also important to have clear boundaries and expectations set from the start about housemate etiquette. Having a set of housemate rules in place can help prevent misunderstandings, conflicts, and create a harmonious living environment.

I personally have lived in numerous shared houses and in my opinion having a set of house rules is vital. I found that all of my housemates had different types of jobs and different working patterns, and housemate etiquette rules helped us all get along and minimised the chance of conflict.

In this blog post, we’ll explore 25 essential housemate etiquette rules you should have before moving in together.

25 Essential Housemate Etiquette Rules

1. Rent and bills: Decide on how rent will be split and make sure everyone is on the same page about who is responsible for paying what. However, it’s likely that the tenancy agreement will determine this.
2. Cleaning duties: Determine how cleaning duties will be divided and establish a schedule to ensure that the shared spaces are kept tidy and hygienic.
3. Quiet hours: Set quiet hours to respect each other’s sleep and study schedules.
4. Overnight guests: Establish rules regarding overnight guests and agree on how often they can stay.
5. Use of common areas: Agree on how common areas such as the living room, kitchen, and bathroom will be used and how to keep them clean and tidy.
6. Food: Decide how food will be shared and stored in the kitchen, and establish a system for labelling and keeping track of who brought what.
7. Smoking: Decide whether vaping is allowed in the shared living spaces and set rules around smoking in shared outdoor areas.
8. Furniture: Decide who will bring what furniture to avoid clutter and establish rules for using shared furniture.
9. Parties: Agree on when and how parties can be held, and who is responsible for cleaning up after them.
10. Visitors: Establish guidelines for visitors and how often they can come over.
11. Personal items: Agree on how personal items such as clothing, toiletries, and other belongings will be stored in shared spaces.
12. Noise: Set limits on loud music, TV, and other noises that can be disruptive.
13. Use of shared items: Determine which items are shared and establish a system for sharing them fairly.
14. Property damage: Establish who is responsible for repairing or replacing any damaged property.
15. Pets: Decide if pets are allowed (if not prohibited in tenancy agreement already) and what the rules are for caring for them .
16. Maintenance: Determine who is responsible for performing routine maintenance and how often it should be done.
17. Parking: Establish rules for parking, including who has priority and how parking spots are assigned.
18. Utilities: Determine who is responsible for paying which utilities and how they will be split.
19. Be polite: Agree that you will all treat each other with respect and avoid gossiping.
20. Rubbish disposal: Determine how rubbish will be disposed of and who will be responsible for doing it. Maybe create a rota, so it’s fair and not just one housemate taking out the bins.
21. Repairs: Establish who is responsible for fixing any broken or damaged items and how repairs will be handled.
22. Termination: Decide on a process for ending the roommate agreement if one of you wants to move out or if the living arrangement no longer works. This may already be dealt within the tenancy agreement.
23. Communicate: Agree to discuss any issues as they arise, so they can be dealt with before they escalate.
24. Have a cash kitty: Agree to have a small cash kitty that can be used for for small communal expenses such as washing up liquid or toilet roll.
25. Don’t hog the toilet: Agree that you won’t hog the toilet, especially early morning when everyone is getting ready for work.

Conclusion

When I lived in shared accommodation, I found the worst aspects were the noise and a certain individual hogging the toilet in the mornings. There is nothing worse than needing to use the toilet in the morning and having to wait half an hour. In my case, my other housemate was having the same problem and we tried talking to our housemate about the issues, but it sadly didn’t work. We both then had a conversation with our landlord, and that did the trick.

If you are having issues with housemates, try and talk to them first and as a last case scenario, approach your landlord, managing agent or housing association.

In conclusion, having clear housemate rules in place is essential for a harmonious living experience. Make sure to discuss these rules with your housemate before moving in and agree on a process for resolving any disputes that may arise.