Is it normal to have a "House Rules" in a House share or a bit OTT

Snazzy_Chazzy

Just wondering do most owner occupiers have a house share rules list?

ie
Please dont throw your clothes and sports bags around the common areas especially hanging from wall lamps.
Put refuse in the bin as opposed to leaving it on the toaster in an old bread wrapper and or on the ground beside the bin for other house mates to pick up
Please refraim from Throwing used tea bags on the window sill.
Leaving a chicken carcass in the oven for 5 days is not a good idea
If doing a number twosies make sure to clean the 4 inch skid mark of the bowl and flush toilet also. (prevents other house mates gagging when using after you)
When disposing of used condoms allways make sure to put the used condom into the bin as opposed to hanging it out over the bin with tip end protruding from under lid

OK so this is a bit tongue in cheek, but is it normal for a basic rules list or a bit childish? I dont want to seem like an old moany biddy but it would be great to have some sort of order in the place. Any thoughts, are most house shares apartment shares organised by a general rules statment.

The_Morrigan

I've never had a list of rules, but I've had a chat with any of my tenants about what I expect from them and what they expect from me.

Two way street in renting/sharing and open conversation is way better than a list stuck to a fridge.

seamus

For owner/occupier house share I don't think a list of rules is necessary unless you have very specific requirements.

There's an expectation of not being an asshole and being considerate of your housemates, and in return the tenant should expect to be able to come and go as they please (i.e. not restricted from watching TV or using the kitchen at certain times, no curfew, etc).

House rules are really only necessary in an apartment/flat setup where each individual has their own lockable front door but has to share the use of facilities.

In an owner/occupier scenario if someone is acting the dick you can evict them with zero notice, so house rules are OTT.

Those things should just be common sense or basic manners - not house rules.

House rules would be like a rota for putting the bins out or no parties without asking the other house mates first.

oakshade

I think its best to have some guidelines set up front to manage expectations and have everyone on the same page. Some people can be messy gits

loyatemu

send that list into http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/

Snazzy_Chazzy

One month ago i politely asked that everyone wash their dishes and dry them and put them away so the kitchen is nice and tidy for next house mate.

I asked numerous jackets,shirts extra shoes sports bags be stored in their own bedrooms as not to be in the way in communal areas.

for 1 week all was grand but again the same crack so i mentioned at the weekend politly as I was just trying to keep the place neat for everyone.
I was informed that its a bit much to expect them to put their gym bags in their rooms as they use them each day so they would have to be running up and down to their rooms and getting them every day which was a hassle

On the clothes being thrown over every spare seat back i was informed that the seats could still be sat in and it wasnt a big deal and to chill. When i said it just makes the place look a bit messy i was told that they were the only ones that were really over so was no big deal and I needed a "chill pill"

On the plates and pots being left out to dry I was told that they dry either way, whether they use a dry cloth or leave them on the side top to dry in the air they should be sufficiently dry for the next house mate to use.

The_Morrigan

See this is the problem when you share with people, everyone has differing levels of what is neat and tidy.

I currently live on my own because I'm working and in my final year of college and I can't inflict the fact that I'm just not bothered about where I throw my coat/shoes. If I leave my college notes all over the kitchen table etc. Or if I'm too tired to clean up after I've cooked late at night. But I've made the conscious decision because I know it would bug me if others did that to me.

Are all the other housemates happy with how things are, or is it just one person leaving stuff all over the place and you're being asked to get them to stop?
It may be a case that the rest of the house are happy to live in a 'lived in look' house where you want the 'show room' look and a compromise will have to be reached between everyone.

the world wonders

Snazzy_Chazzy wrote: »

One month ago i politely asked that everyone wash their dishes and dry them and put them away so the kitchen is nice and tidy for next house mate.

I asked numerous jackets,shirts extra shoes sports bags be stored in their own bedrooms as not to be in the way in communal areas.

for 1 week all was grand but again the same crack so i mentioned at the weekend politly as I was just trying to keep the place neat for everyone.
I was informed that its a bit much to expect them to put their gym bags in their rooms as they use them each day so they would have to be running up and down to their rooms and getting them every day which was a hassle

On the clothes being thrown over every spare seat back i was informed that the seats could still be sat in and it wasnt a big deal and to chill. When i said it just makes the place look a bit messy i was told that they were the only ones that were really over so was no big deal and I needed a "chill pill"

On the plates and pots being left out to dry I was told that they dry either way, whether they use a dry cloth or leave them on the side top to dry in the air they should be sufficiently dry for the next house mate to use.

None of this stuff is unreasonable behaviour, you should either accept it or move in with other people who are more compatible with your tidiness standards.

You are in a no-win situation -- even if you manage to get them to change their behaviour they will still resent you as "that nagging *****". Personally I'd put up with a bit of clutter rather than live in a house with that kind of atmosphere...

_Kaiser_

And this is why (no offence to the OP - I'm talking generally) I could never live in a house share again.

I think it's grand when you're in your 20s say and don't really care that much but when you get a bit older you become a lot less tolerant for stuff like the OP describes - which is fairly harmless, normal stuff really but it'd bug me too .. especially as it's not MY mess but I'd be the one putting up with it.

Obviously it's different if you're living with someone, but if I were the OP I think I'd be feeling the same way - I certainly wouldn't be thrilled getting told to "chill out/take a chill pill" in my own home.

But maybe I am just getting old and set in my ways!

djimi

If you are an owner occupier then its your house, your rules and you are free to impose any set of rules that you like. Its up to you as to what kind of environment you wish to live in.

If its a normal house share then its up to the collective how they determine the "house rules" so to speak. Civilised adults should be able to come to an arrangement about certain things without needing to draw up a list of rules to pin to the wall.

FWIW I agree with you about some things; gym bags should not be strewn around the house and clothes should not be thrown all over the living room (both show a real level of immaturity and a total disregard for the people you share a house with). Imo however there is nothing wrong with air drying dishes provided they are not leaving an absolute mountain of dishes out after them. These are the kind of things though that you just need to sit down and discuss like adults.