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It is common for students and people who cannot afford their own place to share a flat. The most important thing is for those people living under the same roof to agree on some rules that suit everyone, to establish rights and duties through dialogue, and that you clarify what the shared costs are. 

If on visiting a shared flat, you do not like the rules imposed by its tenants, it is best to look for somewhere else, since the place you choose will become your home and you should feel comfortable there. Financial issues are the first point to address. Normally each person pays a proportional part of the rent (sometimes the shares are different in virtue of the size of the bedrooms), and then pays their part of the shared costs to pay the electricity, water, gas and telephone bills. Be clear about how the telephone bill is to be paid because, even though you have a mobile, if you are going to use the Internet, you should share the cost of this bill. You may also have to pay some money into a kitty for buying cleaning materials, household items and other shared products. 

Rules of flat-sharing

This point is just as important as that related to costs. It is essential to achieve a balance in this area so that everything works well, mainly in the communal areas. The most “controversial” are the kitchen and the bathroom. In the former, it is advisable to divide the fridge, the cupboards and the larder into separate areas so that each tenant can store their own food. In the bathroom, you will also have to organise the available space (shelves) in order to store your toiletries. 

The remaining communal area is not important, since your clothes, accessories, books and other personal items can be stored in your bedroom. You should establish the rights and duties as you all agree, in other words, whether everyone clears up after themselves in the kitchen, whether there is a cleaning rota for the remaining communal areas, whether you do your washing together or separately. You also need to reach agreement on when you use the bathroom in the morning, in the event that you all need to go to work or college at similar times. 

Don’t overlook the details

It may seem like the basic issues are under control, but it is other aspects that can make flat-sharing a fantastic experience or a real nightmare. Before committing yourself, assess whether your potential flatmates have habits which could make sharing a flat difficult. This is personal and everyone has their own way of understanding what a home is. It is important to respect habits which are different to our own but if there are large differences it would be better not to go ahead. 

Clarify basic concepts, such as whether pets are allowed, if you can have parties, whether or not anyone smokes, if it is a house that receives a lot of visitors… We can give you a few hints, but no one knows your pet hates better than you do. It is essential that the people you are going to share a flat with give you a good feeling and that you have similar interests and tastes. Finally, take care with odd habits. We can easily see other people’s faults but are never aware of our own.  

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