'Living with housemates is an exciting part of studying away from home. Communal living can be lots of fun and there are a few simple things you can do to make sure everyone is happy.'
From boarding school dormitories to student halls at university or college, living with housemates is a big part of UK student life. It's a great way to meet new people and many international students make life-long friends.
You can find out more about student living on the accommodation page.
Here are out top tips for getting on with your housemates and having a harmonious student house!
Be considerate to others
When you first move in together, you could suggest that you all sit down and talk about some house rules. These can be fun, like eating together once a week, but also necessary rules too – like how often the bathroom is cleaned. In some student accommodation, such as halls or boarding houses, your rooms may be cleaned for you. You may pay more rent for this, so you need to see what is included in the price before you sign-up for this option.
No-one wants to argue over the washing up or get fed up with mess lying around, so make sure you tidy up after yourself as you go. Leave things neatly as you found them. This might include wiping down surfaces and putting things back in their place.
Here are out top tips for getting on with your housemates and having a harmonious student house!
Be considerate to others
When you first move in together, you could suggest that you all sit down and talk about some house rules. These can be fun, like eating together once a week, but also necessary rules too – like how often the bathroom is cleaned. In some student accommodation, such as halls or boarding houses, your rooms may be cleaned for you. You may pay more rent for this, so you need to see what is included in the price before you sign-up for this option.
No-one wants to argue over the washing up or get fed up with mess lying around, so make sure you tidy up after yourself as you go. Leave things neatly as you found them. This might include wiping down surfaces and putting things back in their place.
Respect each other’s need for peace and quiet
Living in a shared house is great fun, but it can be noisy. People can have very strong feelings about noise – if someone is trying to sleep or revise and there is too much noise, this can make them feel very stressed.
Make sure you respect your housemates when they need peace and quiet – for example make sure your music or the TV are not too loud, close doors quietly and don’t invite over lots of friends the night before someone has an exam.
If your housemates are too noisy for you then try asking them nicely to be quiet – they may not realise they are causing you a problem, If they persist, then you could discuss some ground rules with them – for example no music between 11pm and 8am.
If they don’t agree to this and your sleep is being affected, then speak to your student support office. They may be able to offer some help or advice to you.
Don’t hog the bathroom!
Don’t hog the bathroom!
Everyone likes to have a nice long bath or spend time pampering themselves in the bathroom, but this can be one of the biggest causes of arguments in a house! In the mornings, check what time your housemates need to use the bathroom and make sure you all get in and out quickly so you don’t make others late.
Budget together
It might also be worth having a house 'kitty' - a sum of money for communal items that everybody contributes equal amounts to. This could include bathroom or kitchen roll, washing up liquid and cleaning products. Everyone will use these and it makes more sense to do this than having five different items open at once.
Have fun together!
It's also important to make sure you have fun with your housemates. Everyone wants to have a positive student experience and if something is really bothering you, it's worth sitting down with your housemates to talk about solutions. Your institution's pastoral or student services team can give you more information if you need advice about accommodation.
See the pages on settling in and making friends for more information about socialising and getting used to UK life.
