Rules for House Sharing
Do you have a roommate? Are you thinking about getting one? Having a roommate, or a group of friends who move in and share expenses, can be an excellent way to bring down the cost of living. However, when you have group of people living together, it can swiftly lead to disaster unless you are careful. Fortunately, there are some tricks you can employ so that you can house share and remain friends, without your house or apartment turning into a dump.
House Sharing Do's
1) Do divvy up the chores. Then, rotate chores so you don't always have
the same one. Do you really want to always be cleaning the toilet?
2) Do create a budget. Make sure everyone knows how much a bill is and
what their share is. You can easily do this by sending a copy of the
bill via email or posting the paper bill in a communal area, like on the
fridge.
3) Do come to a pet agreement. In addition to the furry four-legged
variety, this can include your friends and significant others. Know what
your house mates limitations are and make sure you and your pets don't
wear out their welcome. At the very least, agree to discuss it before
someone comes for the weekend.
4) Do pay the rent regularly and on-time and give your housemates a receipt for anything their money went towards.
5) Do sign a residence agreement. Make this an agreement for both you
and the owner/renter to abide by the house rules. It can also act as a
contract.
House Sharing Don'ts
1) Do not bring in any illegal drugs.
2) Don't assume every weekend's a party at your place, or that excessive alcoholic consumption is okay with your house mate.
3) Don't assume your roommate doesn't mind if you eat his/her food.
Discuss setting up a kitty that can go towards shared food. If that's
not an option, discuss breaking up shelf space in the fridge and ask
before you try something of his, even if you "just ran out."
4) Don't spend all your time together. Some overlap is okay, but you're different people with different lives. Live them.
Sharing a house can put your mind at ease when it comes to paying bills.
However, it doesn't always go as planned. Fortunately, if you are
considerate of one another, the problems you experience should be
limited.
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