The Share house Survival Guide to choosing your share house!
I remember my first experience of share accommodation way back in the late 80’s. I had moved to Brisbane from Cairns (aka the ‘big smoke’) and found myself living with roommates who didn’t believe in washing up dishes and smoked in the shower! Needless to say I quickly moved!
Over the years I have lived in share houses all over the world, and I have had some fantastic and not so fantastic experiences. I have bonded with my girlfriends in pyjamas watching Bridget Jones, and dragged drunken flatmates up the garden path (rather than down it). So when I came to stay at Cairns Sharehouse I just thought ‘what a great idea!’ and was happy to offer some top tips for finding a share house (or for the British out there a ‘flat share’)
Once you find a share house it can be one of the most fun, exciting, fun filled times in your life – or an absolute nightmare if you get it wrong L. Either way it will be memorable so I have put together some top tips to guide you on the path to spiritual enlightenment in the land of share accommodation!
I am looking for a share house - what are my choices?
When choosing a share house there are two types of share accommodation:
- Booking a room through an Agent (there are only a handful of actual ‘share accommodation’ agents in Australia and Cairns Sharehouse is the only one in Queensland).
- Private rental through a local homeowner. Usually found in the newspaper or on a noticeboard (for more details on private rentals and the pros and cons check out this interesting website: www.rlc.org.au/sharehousing/intro.html
There is a HUGE difference between renting through an agent and renting a room directly with a home owner (especially if they do not live onsite).
- An agency relies on repeat and referral business so it is essential for them that you are happy in your share house so that you will go and rave about them to other guests!
- It is important that an agency follows health and safety regulations.
- An agency needs to make sure that everything they promise you is in writing and above board in order for them to exist.
- You may sometimes pay slightly more for the services of the agency, but this usually means a better level of service, quality of accommodation and peace of mind that your payments are being accurately recorded and receipted.
If you choose to rent through a private landlord, make sure you are aware of your rights as it can often be your word against the landlords if/when disputes occur.
The 7 Deadly Sharehouse Sins – choosing a share house
So here they are, the 7 deadly ‘share house sins’ which if committed can make the whole ‘share accommodation’ experience go a little pear shaped.
Sin 1 – Presuming ANYTHING
Don’t presume things are included. Seems obvious but don’t forget to find out what is the price per week and especially ask what is NOT included.
- Ask about the bills including electricity, water, air-conditioning, laundry use and internet costs. See below for information on a ‘kitty’.
- Ask if cleaning products are included (as they can be quite expensive).
- Ask if the house is self contained – you don’t want to be up for buying all the kitchen equipment or using old dirty stuff because it’s not provided.
- Ask if the bedrooms come with bed linen as this can be expensive, and ensure the rooms have hotel grade mattresses or at least test the mattress so you know there are no springs in your back!
If the bills are not included it is important that you establish who will pay the bills, approximate costs per week and who will be responsible for ensuring they are split fairly. You need to make sure that bill paying is well organised so no tenants can skip town and leave you responsible for their portion of the bills!
(At CSH they provide all cleaning products, provide hotel grade mattresses, all bed linen, fully equip the kitchen and include electricity and water. Some of the houses also include air conditioning, laundry use and internet. None of the bills are split amongst the tenants to ensure fairness for all).
Sin 2 – Thinking a kitty is a type of animal!
In a private share house, often each guest will put in some extra money (not included in their rent) called a ‘kitty’ toward incidentals such as tea, coffee, butter, milk, bread, sugar, rubbish bin bags, cleaning products etc. Some households leave this up to an ‘honesty system’ whilst others have a set price (e.g. $30/week per person) to cover costs. This can work well if everyone is fair and does not abuse the kitty money, or if the flatmates are shopping and cooking together. It is important to ask if you will be asked to contribute to a kitty.
(At CSH they understand that the guests are all on different schedules and do not operate a kitty system. CSH provide cleaning products and rubbish bin bags and each guest is responsible for their own food. They do have communal food shelves where guests can choose to share foods such as spices, oil, vinegar, salt etc but this is not compulsory and payment is not required).
Sin 3 – Sharing one toilet with 8 people!
All I have to say on this one is ‘gross!’. Depending on the size of the property, this will determine how many people you will be sharing with. Make sure you check out how many bathrooms there are versus number of people– if there is 8 people and 1 toilet/shower this can become pretty frustrating when you are in a rush! , but you need to know how many people there will be living in your space. Often you will find in a sharehouse most people are working different shifts and times and it will be rare that all flatmates are all home at the same time. The larger the property, the more opportunities to meet new people, but at the same time there may be more general noise than in a smaller home.
Find out who you will be sharing with – ages, nationalities and what they are up to. Sharing with a bunch of 20 year old students might be perfect for you, or you may be looking for a quiet place to share with a few couples. Being in a house with 7 people who don’t speak English will not improve your language skills either! These little things will affect the vibe in the house and the friendships you make.
(CSH accommodate guests in houses from 3 – 8 people depending on the property. Most properties feature at least 2 bathrooms with 2 toilets. CSH can advise guests of the ages, nationalities, genders of the other people in their apartment prior to booking to ensure a good mix as well as offer personal advice based on their knowledge of their guests).
Sin 4 – Thinking everyone will be as clean as you!
Cleaning is one of the biggest sources of conflict in your average private share house. It is important that the group agrees a roster and general ‘rules of engagement’ or a public lynching may follow. Find out who is responsible for writing the roster, what happens if it is not followed and is there any ‘official cleaner’ to ensure that occasionally the cleaning is done thoroughly. Different people will have different levels of hygiene and there needs to be someone ‘in charge’ or it can all fall apart (this is why communes aren’t so popular here in Oz!).
(At CSH they are big on keeping it clean! They visit the houses everyday to make sure everyone is keeping the shared areas clean and hygienic (so it is fair to all guests). CSH provide cleaning products, have a permanent roster (just to take the bins out each night) and a professional cleaner once a week to really get in and give the bathrooms and kitchen a decent clean).
Sin 5 – Reading by candlelight because nobody can reach the light bulb!
It is important to understand who fixes things around the house and how long it takes. A friend of mine used to rent a room in a private home when the oven broke and it became a running joke about how long it took it to be repaired (she had a a BBQ every night for 7 weeks!). If your toilet is flooding, the lights flickering, or the smoke alarm is beeping and driving you insane, you need to know who will be able to help you and the general response times. You also need to know how to get hold of them quickly and easily! Make sure that the sharehouse you choose has functioning smoke alarms and fire blankets/fire extinguishers in the kitchen areas especially! Also check that pest control is done regularly especially in Cairns as the tropical weather can attract ants!
(At CSH they have a Maintenance Team available 6 days per week and aim to respond to all reported problems within 48 hours unless urgent. They are also available 24 hours/day 7 days per week to report any problems or concerns and they check the smoke alarms every month to comply with all fire and pest control regulations).
Sin 6 – Disliking your flatmates and not knowing what to do about it?
Living in a sharehouse involves a lot of communication, consideration and a healthy dose of sociability. When checking out a private sharehouse, ask them what happens if you don’t get along with your flatmates. Is it possible to reduce your agreed stay, will you lose any money etc. Sometimes personalities just clash and the last thing you want is to be unhappily stuck in a house because you couldn’t afford to move out.
(At CSH they offer a 24 hour money back guarantee so if you move in and don’t like your flatmates you can move straight back out – as well as 4 week minimum stay for flexibility. They also have a large selection of properties that you can easily transfer to, and if there is any ‘unsocial’ or ‘inappropriate’ behaviour from your flatmates, the staff at CSH sort it out e.g if your flatmates never wash up their dishes and ants are everywhere, CSH will be responsible for having a chat to them confidentially saving you the headache.
Sin 7 – Not getting a receipt!
Last but not least – insist on a receipt for every payment! Whether you are living with friends, strangers or your family (well maybe not), you need a receipt for the correct date and amount of money you paid each week. We hear so many stories of private landlords not remembering that the guest has paid and the guest having no receipts to prove any different.
Also find out HOW you can pay (cash, credit card, EFTPOS), WHERE you pay (online, by phone, face to face, direct deposit) and WHEN you pay (weekly, fortnightly, monthly etc)
(At CSH they provide receipts for every payment, allow you to pay anyway you want and ask that you pay weekly to help you keep track of your budget).