Flatsharing: the five conversations to have on day one
Almost no flatshare conflict is about what it appears to be. What to agree before moving in so you do not end up in a tense message group.
September fills shared flats with people who did not know each other in August. What gets discussed in the first week shapes the whole year.
1. Who signs what
A single contract with everyone as tenants is not the same as individual contracts per room. In the first case, if one person leaves and does not pay, the rest of you are liable. Knowing that in advance avoids the worst of the shocks.
2. The bills and how they are split
Utilities, internet, cleaning of shared areas, shared supplies. Decide who is the account holder for each and how it is divided — equally or by usage — and write it down somewhere you can check later.
3. Guests
It is the point that causes most conflict and gets discussed least. You do not need a rulebook: it is enough to agree what counts as normal and how you flag it when somebody stays several days.
4. Cleaning
A written rota works better than goodwill, not because anyone is inconsiderate, but because everyone has a different threshold for what counts as "clean".
5. When and how each of you leaves
Agree how much notice is given if somebody vacates a room and who finds the replacement. It is the most awkward conversation to have at the start and the one that saves most trouble at the end.
And the same as in any tenancy: photos of the state of the room and the shared areas on the day you move in. With several people and several departures across the year, it is the only way to know whose damage is whose.
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