In a flat share.. who buys the toilet roll? milk? tea bags? Who does the cleaning up?

Question

Im moving in a flat share for the first time and need some advice.. Whos buys the toilet roll? milk? tea bags? Should I keep my own? Who does the cleaning up? How do you share the bathroom? Any advice from experienced flat-sharers is appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

you said it all in the first few words flat share
you share the basics
if you feel that they take the p1ss and there is always one who doesn't pull together then have words or go things alone

Answer 2

Oh dear, there is no easy answer to this. I've shared many flats and everyone is different - some people want to put a certain amount of money each week into a 'kitty' for milk, bread, cleaning products etc. Great unless you don't eat bread or else you live with the milk monster. Then it starts to get a bit unfair if someone else eats/uses 90% of the kitty purchases.

On the other hand, if you don't have a kitty, you might end up with 4 loaves of bread all going mouldy because each person isn't able to eat an entire loaf on their own before it goes off. I think the best way is to all sit down together at the start, discuss your respective diets and need for bread/milk/chocolate etc and then decide on a variation of the kitty that seems fair. And a weekly cleaning rota is always a good idea (not that anyone ever sticks to it).

Good luck!!!

Answer 3

You should have aranged thet before you move in.

It depends, I've shared where there has been a kitty for things like the toilet roll, cleaning products etc.

Milk and tea bas are food you just buy your own.

Bathroom, just use it as you would at home. If you are going to have a long soa in the bath it would be polite to ask if anyone else needs the bathroom first.

Cleaning - some people do a rota, some take a room eg A cleans the kitchen B cleans the bathroom C dusts and vacs

My most succesfull flat shares we have clubbed together to pay for a cleaner to clean the communal areas, that works well.

But We were all earning money. As has been said if you are students it's a different thing. You may start with good intentions but...............

I have waded through knee high pizza boxes and coke botttles to get to the bathroom in a student house (i was just visiting)

Answer 4

Whatever agreements you come to about who's going to buy what and who owes what, this is the basis of the biggest arguments flatmates have. For example, someone has to do the shopping for the basics, getting the money back from flatmates can be very difficult on a regular basis. The same goes for individual food. Usually, you have your own cupboard to keep your favourite biscuits and cereal in and that can be pretty safe, but stuff like butter and milk in the fridge, your own ham or cheese is frequently treated as fair game by some disrespecting flatmates, and it's often difficult to prove who actually used it. So replacing it is at your own cost.
These are the joys of sharing. Hopefully, you will be with a bunch of really good folks who will respect your belongings and pay up on time. But be prepared, sharing can be very like the family from hell, and getting money out of them (if you've paid for the rent, fuel bills or groceries) can be an impossible task. Worse, ill feelings can make the whole experience a nightmare.
As far as cleaning goes, if you can get the money out of them, get a cleaner in for a couple of hours a week to do the hoovering, bathroom and kitchen. That way, at least the place is reasonably clean. If not, a rota usually works for a couple of weeks before it lapses into chaos. Keep your own eating utensils + plates, dishes and pans either in your room, or in your personal cupboard. Get into the habit of washing them as soon as you use them and put them away. Kitchen sinks are the biggest health risk in a shared appartment. The build up of unwashed utensils has to be seen to be believed, but you wouldn't want to use them ever again! I would keep also keep a couple of toilet rolls tucked away in your room to be used personally. Believe me, if no one sticks to the cleaning rota, the toilet is a very unfriendly place and the toilet roll is either never there, or ,,,, Yuch!
Hopefully, you will not recognise anything from my tale of gloom and doom, and you and your flatmates will live happily ever after.

Answer 5

I found it worked out best when we went shopping together for household supplies like toilet paper and dish soap. We kept our food separate, but that was more because she was Korean and I am American. We ate different foods. Sometimes flatmates purchase food together as well, then take turns cooking dinner. As far as cleanning, just make up a rotating schedule so that no one is stuck cleaning the same part of the flat all the time. Everyone shares in the cleaning. Maybe each person gets a room to clean, or make a list of specific jobs and split them evenly, or pick a time for cleaning and everybody pitches in. And make sure everyone knows they need to clean up after themselves.

Take some time each week or each month to have a "flat meeting" where you discuss dinner menus if you are sharing food, cleaning schedules, and household rules.

Answer 6

All you have to do is have a sit down with your flatmates and dicuss those issues and everyone can decide as a group what they want to do. Usually its easier if you have your own toilet paper, food etc. But as for cleaning and usage you have to sit and make a cleaning schedule so everyone can take turns cleaning. And find out what your flatmates schedules are like so you can figure out who needs the bathroom first in the morning, second, etc, based on what time everyone needs to out the door by. If you all leave around the same time you'll probably have to wake up a bit ealier so that everyone can have their turn and no ones late.

Answer 7

You want to resolve all those issues as soon as possible. Things as simple as replacing the toilet paper roll can make for tension. When I had roommates, we pooled money for house hold items, cleansers, and staple grocery items. If someone wanted somthing special they bought it themselves, but most items were shared. We made up a monthly list for cleaning chores, and fixing supper, we were on our own for other meals due to differing schedules. We found having a chart helped everyone be more responsible. Bathroom time should also be discussed. Communication is key.

Answer 8

Have a kitty that you all pay into to buy things like toilet roll, make sure you decide on exactly what items are bought out of that money.

Regarding the cleaning, draw up a rota so you all take a fair turn.

Answer 9

OOh tricky one. Ideally, everyone buys a bit of eveything and does a bit of everything and it's sharing in the true sense of the word and you get to try all sorts of different teas and loo roll and cleaning products in the process. Bathroom sharing? Invest in a good stick.

Answer 10

have a kitty. everyone put a tenner in a week or something. Thats what we used to do. Also, go to Costco or Makro to get bulk bog roll, toothpaste etc.