The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Cleaning
Rota for Housemates

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.

How to create the perfect housemate cleaning rota in a student house

1. Work out what needs to be done

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.

2. Create a cleaning rota (and stick to it!)

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.

What to include in your housemate cleaning rota

Here are some common weekly and monthly chores to get you started.

Weekly

  • Empty out the bins (depending on how many people are in your house and the size of your bin, you might need to do this more often).
  • Clean the kitchen, including wiping the sides, cleaning the microwave and hob, and binning any mouldy food from the fridge.
  • Scrub the bathroom sink, shower, and toilet. Throw any bathroom mats and hand towels in the wash.
  • Sweep, mop and/or vacuum all the communal floors.
  • Clean and tidy the living room. Clear away any clutter, tidy the sofas, and wipe the sides.

Monthly

  • Deep clean the oven.
  • Clean out the fridge and freezer.

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

♬ original sound - Split The Bills

How Split The Bills can help

From creating (and following) a cleaning rota to ensuring everyone pays their share of the bills on time, house sharing has its moments…

While we can’t help with the scrubbing, we can help simplify your shared household bills and give you one less thing to worry about. Split The Bills is a bill-splitting service trusted by thousands of students and young professionals.

We’ll set up all the utility accounts for your house and then split the cost between everyone you live with. There’s no need to worry about chasing up late payments or doing the maths – you just need to make one neat payment each month.

Customise your bills package to include gas, electricity, water, broadband and even a TV Licence. Plus, we offer uncapped gas and electricity plans, so you have the freedom to use what you need!

Grab a monthly price for your shared household bills today with our hassle-free service.

Student sorting bills on laptop

What Most Surprised Me about UK Utility Bills as an International Student

Moving to the UK as an international student comes with a lot of adjustments, including trying to figure out the transport system, cooking, getting used to the weather, and (one of the biggest adjustments of all) figuring out how to pay utility bills in a new country. In this blog, I’ll take you through the biggest surprises I came across when tackling bills in the UK as an international student.

Read More »
15th May 2026 No Comments