There are many reasons why you might face difficulties when living in shared accommodation. You might have problems with housemates because they are noisy, they don't do their share of the household tasks or there is a clash of personalities. 

A positive first step when choosing to live in a shared house is to work together to create a set of house rules, to which you all try to adhere. These could be regarding communal areas, quiet times, distribution of chores etc.

If problems do arise, you will need to be prepared to talk to your housemates about this. Set up a discussion where each person says clearly what they want. You may be able to achieve a satisfactory compromise. Do this as early as possible, before the problem gets too serious. House discussions could become a regular occurrence to try to iron out any little problems before they become big problems.

Will my landlord help?

Private landlords and letting agencies don’t normally want to get involved in disputes between tenants. However, if talking doesn't sort out the problem, it may be worth asking your landlord for help. In some cases, the landlord may be able to speak to or take action against the other people, although you can't force them to do this. What your landlord can do depends on the type of problem within your household.

Can I just move out?

If you can't reach a solution by talking things through you may feel you have no choice but to leave the property. However, you can't just walk away as it’s likely you will be liable for rent until the end of the tenancy agreement. This means that if you do move out, unless you can find somebody to take over your room, you'll need to carry on paying rent and could therefore end up having to pay two rents.

What can the University do?

The University has the Student conduct procedure that it expects all students to adhere to;

If you are unable to resolve any concerns informally and have concerns regarding misconduct by a fellow student as detailed in the code of conduct, you can raise your concerns with the Complaints and Appeals Office.

Call the police on 999 if you are in immediate danger.

If you wish to report violence from a housemate after the event or if you are experiencing violent behaviour from anyone you live with, you can contact the police here.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Last Updated: April 2024