Flatmate etiquette 101: how to make shared living work

Ten house rules worth agreeing on day one

1. Quiet hours. Agree times for calls, music and guests, especially if someone works US or UK hours.
2. A cleaning plan. Who does what, which day. Or agree to pay a maid and split it.
3. The kitchen. Cooking times, cleaning up the same day, and any food rules (vegetarian only, no cooking certain things).
4. Food and groceries. Shared staples split equally, personal food labelled and left alone.
5. Guests. A heads-up before anyone visits, and a limit on overnight stays.
6. Bills. One person pays each bill, everyone settles in an expense-splitting app by a fixed date.
7. Privacy. Knock before entering. Do not borrow without asking.
8. Common areas. No personal stuff left in the living room or on the dining table for days.
9. Problems. Raise them directly and early, not in the house WhatsApp group at midnight.
10. Moving out. Notice period, finding a replacement and the deposit (see below).

Money: splitting rent and the deposit fairly

• Rent by room, not by head. A room with an attached bathroom or a balcony usually pays more. Agree the split before anyone picks a room.
• The deposit. In Bangalore it can be 6 to 10 months' rent. Write down who paid how much, and to whom.
• Shared costs. Wi-Fi, electricity, water, maid, cook and gas, split equally unless someone uses much more (an AC running all night).
• One-time purchases. A fridge or a washing machine bought together: agree who keeps it and who gets paid back when someone leaves.

When someone moves out early

This is where most money fights happen. Agree it in advance, in writing, even if it is a WhatsApp message everyone replies "ok" to:

• How much notice the leaving flatmate gives (one month is common).
• Who finds the replacement, and who has a say in choosing them.
• That the leaving flatmate keeps paying rent until the replacement moves in or the notice ends.
• That the new flatmate pays the leaving one their deposit share, so the owner's deposit stays untouched.

Whose name is on the agreement?

Ideally everyone's. If only one person signed, they are responsible to the owner for the whole rent and any damage. That person should have a simple written note from each flatmate on their share of the rent and deposit. See our guide to tenant and landlord rules.

Looking for a flatmate or a room?

Ask the right questions before anyone moves in. Our post on finding flatmates has ten to start with. If you have a room to fill in Bangalore, you can post it on Flatscanner for free.