Table des matières
Flat sharing is one of the most popular ways to live for a few years. If you do not really know how to define it, we are going to help you and give you our best tips. Flat sharing consists of sharing an accommodation with other tenants, either friends or unknown people. In flat sharing, you share every part of the house (kitchen, living-room, bathroom, etc.) except bedrooms, of course.
#1 : Pay your rent on time
It is probably one of the most important rules to follow for any type of renting contract, and contract in general. Paying your rent on the agreed day is essential. More than showing that you are a serious person, it will reassure the owner. It will also allow you to live more peacefully. We recommend you to set up a permanent bank transfer on a regular day (set up before with your owner). This way, you will not have to think about it (and you will not forget to pay).
#2 : Establish some rules on your moving day
Life in a community requires establishing some rules for the harmony between all the roommates. Whether it’s about the division of household chores and meals, noise at night, or just who gets to use the bathroom first, it’s important to discuss it with your roommates first. You can, for example, print out your roommate’s commandments on the refrigerator and discuss them all together. Do not hesitate to review them when a new roommate moves in the apartment. This will allow you to take into account his way of living and to integrate him into the apartment.
#3 : Set a calendar up for the chores and meals
Household chores are easily the most important sources of disagreement in a flatsharing. In order to avoid this, we advise you to set clear rules with your roommates, as soon as you arrive, so that you can get organized. You can set up a schedule for the task assignment, dishes turnover, vacuum the house, etc. This also applies to meals. Some people would like to share groceries while others prefer to have their own food and compartmentalize the refrigerator. Be sure to clarify these rules within the roommates when a newcomer joins the apartment. This will avoid misunderstandings.
#4 : Always ask for the permission to your roommates (and vice versa)
Living in a community also means that. You do not live on your own but with other people. Your habits and theirs will be turned upside down, but remember that respect is one of your flatsharing’s foundations. It is essential for you to ask them before doing something that could change and impact their peacefulness. And vice versa. One of you wants to invite some friends over ? Another wants to party ? Another one has his eye on the last part of pizza ? Ask for the permission before, even if it is only about warning the other roommates. It will be such a shame that such a tiny thing could ruin such a good harmony.
#5 : Help one and another
Mutual assistance in flat sharing is essential. You are going to live with 2, 3 or 4 other roommates. The atmosphere should be at its best for you all to live the best way. If you have some DIY skills and one of your flatmates has a problem, why not help him/her out ? One of you has a pet and wants someone to look after her puppy ? It is finally time to take care of it. You have an appointment but public transportations is on strike ? Take him/her with your own car.
#6 : Do not let things unsaid
Your roommates said something you disliked ? You are currently in a stressful time and all you need is some rest but your roommates are worried about the situation ? You need to talk before going to a non-return point. There is no need for one of you to get bitterness. It would be a shame if a bad atmosphere came to tarnish the accommodation. Even if everything seems to be going on well, you may want to consider having a monthly meeting to talk about what’s going well and what’s not in the flatsharing.
#7 : Accept your differences
You may not have the same lifestyle as your roommates. You may be a loner or an extrovert, you may not share the same political views or religious ideas. However, this should not prevent you from living together in a respectful way. Everyone has to make concessions to keep the relationship going. If your opinions and those of your roommates do not coincide, move away. There’s no need to start yet another world war over so little. If you’re open-minded, why don’t you try to learn more about your differences? You might grow from it.
#8: Tidy up your belongings and take care of the common areas
There’s nothing worse than living in a messy home. Even more when you live in a community. You and your roommates may have different views on cleaning and tidiness, but let’s agree on one thing: no one wants to find dirty socks or a pile of plates with food in the sink. Everyone should make sure that the common areas do not become extensions of your bedrooms. To do this, clean and put away utensils after use, clean common areas like the bathroom, and most of all : talk!
#9 : Eat together at least once a week
If you have chosen to live in a community and even more so in a shared apartment where there is proximity, it is surely for its convivial side. What better way to share a moment than in the kitchen? It will be an opportunity for you and your roommates to prepare a good meal together, to laugh, and to learn more about each other’s tastes. We recommend that you share a meal together at least once a week. Why not set a regular day in the week like Wednesday night? You can also set yourself challenges like organizing a thematic meal, at a fixed budget, etc.
#10 : Try coliving out !
Coliving is the perfect solution to fill your desire of independence while also living in a community. At Colivys, we help you to settle into your new city and your new home. We make it easy for you to move in by providing administrative support, simplifying your contract(s) and offering you a fully equipped bedroom, from the bed to the candles. You will find lots of ideas for a better roommate life, like the coliving rules in your apartment, some ideas for recipes to try between roommates on our social networks and a lot of other things for your coliving.
We assure you, coliving is made for you if you are looking for something different than the classic roommate.
