List the responsibilities
You might not be aware of just how much you do for the house, and your housemates might not know either. That’s where a list can be handy. Write down everything you do and how often you do it, and talk it through with your housemates. That way they can see just how busy you are, and if they’re decent humans, can offer to do some of the jobs themselves. If you’re feeling more passive aggressive than that, just stick the list up in a communal area and circle the jobs in a red marker. Sorted!
Make a rota
Knowing when certain jobs need to be done, and whose turn it is to do them, is a key part of sharing household responsibilities. Do the bins always go out on a Tuesday? Write it down and stick some names next to it. Could the bathroom do with a monthly clean? The same rules apply. A rota can help keep people accountable, and if you all agree to follow it up-front, there’s no excuse for missing your turn. And we’ve even got a handy guide to creating a cleaning rota right here.
You could even make a game of it. If someone does miss their turn, they have to pay for the next takeaway. It seems only fair.
Hold a meeting
Ok, maybe don’t call it a meeting, because that immediately puts people off. But if you get all your housemates around a table, perhaps with a coffee and some snacks, you can discuss the jobs that need doing and ensure everyone is on the same page. “The following jobs need doing around the house, who wants to do what?” Just making these things part of a normal, chatty conversion can take the pressure off the situation, and make you all feel like equal parties.
(And if there is tension, check out our guide on resolving common houseshare arguments.)
Don’t nag
While it is important everyone plays their part in household jobs, you don’t want to get a reputation for being the naggy one. If people aren’t pulling their weight, just remind them gently that they’ve agreed to do something, and talk about it in a friendly, professional way. Definitely don’t use the phrase “It’s like living with a teenager!” We speak from experience.
Withhold things (if you have to)
If things get really serious, for example a housemate hasn’t contributed to the energy bills for a couple of months, it could be time to ramp it up a notch. Not paying your way adds a lot of pressure to everyone else in the house, so you could try limiting access to things as a way of getting your point across.
Let’s say someone refuses to wash the dishes, you could just leave their pots and pans out until they wash them. This is only a card to be played in serious situations, but it can lead to results. After all, if you change the WiFi password without telling someone, they’ll soon realise the error of their ways.
If only there was a website could help with some of this…
One of the biggest stresses in houseshares is sorting the household bills. That’s where we come in! With Split The Bills, you each pay your own share of the bills, with separate direct debits from each housemate – so you’re not having to take on all the burden for the group.
Let us lighten part of the load of running a houseshare so you can focus on splitting chores fairly!
Get a quote today to see how much easier automatically splitting your bills could make life in your houseshare.
Want more info on how it all works? We’ve got you.