Last updated: January 2026
Living in a shared house with a messy mate who leaves a mountain of dishes in the sink gets old really fast. If you’re wondering how to get everyone to actually clean, we’ve got the solution – you need a housemate cleaning rota!
Creating a rota with weekly and monthly jobs is the best way to make sure your place doesn’t descend into chaos. Break the tasks into smaller, easier bits, so no one gets freaked out by the thought of cleaning the entire house in one go.
The first step is deciding which chores need to be done and how often. Get together and have a chat – your version of ‘clean’ might be very different from your housemate’s, so it’s best to get on the same page now to avoid arguments later.
Decide which chores will be communal and which are down to individuals. For example, everyone should handle their own room (and their ensuite if they’re lucky enough to have one), do their own laundry, and wash their own dishes, pots, and pans. But communal areas like the kitchen, living room, and shared bathrooms need to be put into the cleaning rota.
Although your shared house might include a Hoover and maybe a broom, you’ll likely have to grab some cleaning products yourself. Letting someone else buy all the supplies might be tempting, but it’s best to spread the cost. Try setting up a communal fund that everyone pays into each month for stuff like toilet rolls and laundry detergent.
Once you have your list of chores, it’s time to split it up. You might rotate the jobs each week so a different mate handles a different room. This ensures the entire house gets cleaned, and it should only take an hour or less per person. Plus, no one is stuck with a gross task (like the toilet) every single week!
However, if one of your housemates enjoys vacuuming while another is happy to handle the bathroom, you might assign particular chores to specific housemates. This kind of rota makes it a little easier to keep track of who’s doing what, and you can always switch it up if it starts to feel unfair.
Whatever rota you create, make sure there are clear deadlines on when a chore needs to be done and a quick list of what’s involved. For example, cleaning the living room might just mean hoovering, wiping the tables, and tidying the sofas.
Here are some common weekly and monthly chores to get you started.
Creating a cleaning rota for your student house can actually help you get along with your housemates – provided everyone sticks to it!
@split_the_bills Pls wash up after yourself x 🧼 #unikitchen #cleantok #splitthebills #splitthechores
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From creating (and following) a cleaning rota to ensuring everyone pays their share of the bills on time, house sharing has its moments…
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