Share - Housing and Housemates

Sharing rental accommodation is often referred to in Australia as share-housing.  It is a way of life around which a vast but unwritten and largely unspoken set of rules and etiquette has arisen.  Before you jump into share-housing, it is best to be informed about the pitfalls, and some of the most common unspoken 'rules'.  Whilst share-housing can be an incredibly rewarding and positive experience, it also has the potential to make your life a living hell and your experience will differ greatly depending on the personal characteristics of your housemates.

Getting along with your housemates
This does not mean that you have to be best friends with everyone you live with.  It just means that you can all live comfortably with each other.  Living together can test even the closest friendship, and it is important that boundaries of behaviour are set as soon as someone new moves in.

Set boundaries
This is the most important part of getting along with your housemates.  If everyone knows right from the beginning how much cleaning they have to do, when the washing up is to be done, how the bills are to be shared and so on, then a lot of misunderstanding can be avoided later on. Some questions you should ask are:
· Whose responsibility is it to ensure that the rent is paid?
· You need to be clear about how water, electricity, gas and telephone bills are to be shared: for instance, are telephone calls are paid for individually?
· Will food be bought collectively, individually or a mix of both?
· Agree about appropriate noise levels and impromptu parties as well as if smoking or drinking is allowed.

Be patient
Share-housing is one of the best ways to learn diplomacy and tolerance.  Being patient includes being polite to your housemates.

Respect your housemate's privacy and possessions
You should always knock before entering your housemate's room and look after their things. Ask if you wish to borrow something personal, and replace their possessions if you are responsible for breaking them. Of course, levels of privacy will depend on the people you live with - whether they are friends or strangers, their nationality and personal character.

Avoiding Financial Liability
Most people are honest and responsible with their bills, but every now and again, a horror housemate will come along who leaves everyone else to cover their debts when they leave without a trace.  There are a few precautions you can take to avoid liability:
· Make sure that everyone who lives in the house has his or her name on the lease.  If housemates change during the lease, you can have the contract changed with your landlord.  By doing this you ensure that everyone is personally responsible for paying the rent.  If someone is not on the lease and they do not pay the rent, then those people whose names are on it will have to pay regardless;
· Ensure that all of your housemates contribute in equal or relative proportions to the bond.  This means that everyone in the house has a financial incentive not to cause damage to the premises.  If someone has not contributed to the bond and causes damage they can just get up and walk away, leaving you to pay for it;
· If you leave a house but the contract continues, make sure that your name removed from the lease.  Otherwise, you could be responsible for unpaid rent or damage that occurred after you moved out.  You should talk to your landlord about this;
· You should always be careful about having your name on bills such as the telephone and electricity.  The best situation is to have the name of everyone in the house on the bills so that everyone is responsible for paying them;
· Dividing up bills such as the telephone is an area of potential difficulty.  You do not want to be paying for your housemate's long-distance calls to their boy/girlfriend interstate or overseas.  You can solve this problem using a few means:
· Telstra offers a 2 or 3-line system where each housemate has a pin number on your phone which they punch in before dialling, thereby charging that call to their own account.  Call Telstra on 13 22 00 for details.  This service costs around $5/month per extra line;
· Alternatively, you can have a logbook, which people fill in when they make an interstate or overseas call, although this system does rely very much on the honesty of your housemates;
· Finally, Telstra does send out accounts with itemised interstate and overseas calls, so if you have only a few numbers you each call regularly, you can work out what calls you have made from the bill.

Finally, look up a recent book entitled He Died With a Falafel In His Hand (John Birmingham, 1997), which contains hundreds of stories about share housing in Australia.  Not only is it hilarious, but it will also prepare you for some of the more unexpected experiences such as crawly things in the fridge, football teams taking over your living room, and impromptu midnight parties with complete strangers. The movie is available at the video store.