6 tips for living with roommates
How to make shared living work with cleaning schedules, chat times & privacy
Living in a shared apartment is an attractive option for many students and young professionals. Over a third of students choose this option – no wonder, as the benefits are obvious. You live in a community instead of alone, sharing costs and responsibilities. And nothing is more legendary than a really good shared apartment party.
But to make sure that living together remains harmonious, you need clear agreements, consideration and a good dose of fun. In this article, we'll show you how a few simple tips can help you manage everyday life in a shared apartment.
1. Cleaning and other plans: all in order
Everyone has their own idea of cleanliness and tidiness, and this can easily lead to arguments in a shared apartment. Agreements and a well-structured cleaning plan can help to avoid this. So think about what tasks need to be done regularly with your roommates – from taking out the garbage to keeping the kitchen clean.
Apps like OurFlat come in handy. You can use it to enter regular tasks and assign them to your roommates. Whoever completes the task, gets points. This way you can always try to keep the score even or give the winner a case of beer or a meal at the end of the month.
Small gestures are also a good idea to ensure a happy shared apartment. Agree in advance that you will always clean up the kitchen immediately after cooking and generally clean up after yourself, at least in the common areas (you can keep your own room as tidy as you like). This helps keep the apartment a place where everyone likes to spend time.
Agreements also help with things like cooking times, parties, and so on. For example, if one roommate is in the middle of studying, the others should take that into consideration and not party late into the night. When it comes to cooking, it helps to agree on who will use the stove and when. Or you can just agree to have a cooking night together, which is much more fun anyway!
2. Joint accounts and the last cookie
In addition to rent, there are often other costs in a shared apartment that affect everyone –from toilet paper to dish soap. In order to keep track of everything, a shared apartment fund can be helpful. Everyone pays in a fixed amount each month, and the shared expenses are paid from this fund. If you prefer to do it virtually, you can also use apps like OurFlat or Splid to share the costs.
This way nobody feels disadvantaged, and you can share things like food more easily. But be careful with food that you don't officially share, such as things in the fridge or snacks. It's better to ask before you steal someone's last cookie ????.
3. Open communication instead of secrecy
Open communication is essential in order to keep living together in a pleasant way. Instead of suppressing problems and feelings, talk openly and appreciatively about what bothers you. Whether it's noise, disorder, or unwanted behavior, if you address the issues early and in a relaxed moment, you can usually resolve them more quickly and easily. This will also prepare you for your career and future relationships when it comes to conflict management and teamwork.
In addition to open communication when conflicts arise, it also makes sense to strengthen your relationships with your roommates. Take time to get to know each other and organize activities together. This fosters community, builds trust, and helps you understand and relate to each other better.
4. Have fun in the community and cultivate me-time
Even though there are rules and responsibilities in the daily life of a community, having fun should not be neglected. After all, living in a shared apartment is an opportunity to make new friends and have a great time together. Whether it's spontaneous movie nights, cooking together, or trips into the city, living in a shared apartment provides plenty of opportunities to have fun together.
It's important to find a balance between time together and individual freedom. Everyone should have space to retreat and unwind when they need to. A healthy amount of privacy and me-time plays a key role in ensuring that all roommates feel comfortable.
5. Your roommates as guides: stronger together
Whether you're just starting out at university or working at your first job, living in a shared apartment can be a real support. A new city, new people, and maybe the first time away from home – it's nice to have a direct connection and to be able to talk to others. Together you can discover the area, the best cafes, clubs or gyms.
And if you ever have any problems or worries, a shared apartment is a good place to get advice or support. Because we’re stronger together.
6. Pros and cons of sharing an apartment
Of course, living in a shared apartment doesn't only have its advantages. While having your own place gives you all the freedom you need and you don't have to answer to anyone, living in a shared apartment requires compromises. From different ideas about how to live together to small disputes about everyday life, living in a shared apartment requires flexibility.
But the advantages outweigh the disadvantages: You share not only the costs, but also the daily tasks. This provides relief and more community. You usually have more space in a shared apartment and you may even save on buying and moving furniture if your room is furnished. If you're coming from abroad, are a student or new to the working world, or are only looking for a temporary place to live, it's easier to find a shared apartment than a place of your own.
And you are never alone. In a shared apartment you will always have someone to talk to, you will develop your social skills and you may even make friends for life.
Living in a shared apartment at THE HOUSE OF CO
At THE HOUSE OF CO you have the best of both worlds: your own fully furnished apartment with a bathroom, pantry kitchen and soundproof doors, where you can enjoy your privacy, and at the same time a large communal area if you fancy some company. The open-ended and flexible all-inclusive leases make life easy for you, and with good connections within Berlin, Munich, Greifswald and Karlsruhe, you can get anywhere quickly. And if you don't feel like cleaning – no problem, our cleaning service can do it for you.