A Guide to Co-living Etiquette

Living in a shared space like an apartment, condo, or house with roommates can have challenges. From agreeing on household chores and cleaning rotations to respecting each other’s privacy and personal space, navigating life with others under one roof is not always easy.

Co-living is becoming increasingly popular among students looking for housing during college and young professionals who are just starting on their own. So it is essential to ensure everyone in the living situation is comfortable by setting clear expectations through established rules of etiquette. Being friendly does not mean you have to be best friends with everyone in the house; it just means you enjoy being with them. Introduce yourself to everyone you meet when you first arrive, say hello when you pass someone in the hallway and be friendly with your remote coworking colleagues. A little smile can go a long way.

Be ready to step out of your comfort zone, especially if you are preparing for your first co-Living experience; enter with an open mind and be willing to step out of your comfort zone for a little while. Traveling to a new place and living with a few strangers is not necessarily normal. If you are used to living at home alone, with family, or with a familiar roommate, the idea of ​​co Living may seem a bit daunting. But if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and fully immerse yourself in a new experience, you will be glad you did, and you will get used to co-living in no time.

Getty Images/DigitalVision/Klaus Vedfelt

When you live with many people, it is natural to have some conflict. It could be someone who never does their own dishes, takes someone else’s food, or constantly makes loud calls indoors. Rather than being passive-aggressive, the advice is to communicate calmly with troublemakers and face the problem head-on. A passive-aggressive style can ruin the house’s atmosphere and probably will not make any changes to fix the problem. If there are still unresolved issues after communicating and discussing them, it is time to involve the House Manager to address them.