Are you living with others for the first time or coming back together after being apart for the summer? Regardless of your situation, living with others can be difficult so it is important to keep open lanes of communication, inform your housemates of your expectations, priorities, and be ready to compromise.
Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), assumes that students who sign a joint and several lease have a shared understanding of how they will live together. When you sign a joint and several lease, you are financially responsible for each other.
Building relationships with your housemates early in the year, makes it easier to discuss any conflicts that may arise. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Sign up for an intramural team sport together
- Set aside a night of the week to eat dinner together
- Make a list of Kingston attractions you want to visit as a house
- Find a day of the week that works with your house to go on a walk together in one of Kingston’s many green spaces
Establish house rules, goals and agreements between you and your housemates as soon as possible. Everyone has a different definition of cleaning so come up with a definition and a plan that works for all of you.
Sometimes, when concerns arise, we tend to leave them be, but overtime, not addressing our concerns can cause problems. It is important to talk to one another as concerns arise as opposed to ignoring them.
Having these difficult but important conversations in advance will set your household up for success!
Keep these tips in mind:
- talk face-to-face
- be direct and clear
- brainstorm solutions together
- try and create a win-win situation
- always be respectful
From our experience working with students, open and calm communication is the most effective tool. Arrange to have a house meeting as soon as possible.
Pro tip: If your household has not discussed how chores like cleaning will take place during your tenancy, have that discussion as soon as possible. Don't wait until problems arise, complete a housemate agreement today.