What challenge inspired this recipe?
Establishing a “common ground” and some “ground rules” together as flatmates in the beginning of living together is important to take all the needs of all residents into consideration and respect them. Figuring out and agreeing on common rules together by having to define a “flatmate agreement” is a conversation starter and pushes participants to share their needs, boundaries, etc. when it comes to feeling comfortable and safe in their accommodations and to find compromises together. Agreeing on all of this from the beginning of living together has the potential to prevent conflicts and misunderstandings. Writing the agreement down creates a reference point to what has been discussed and agreed on.
The agreement may include a cleaning schedule, but it could also be a separate document.
Ingredients :
- Maybe providing a template or some guiding questions to the volunteers that they can use as conversation and/or sentence starts when working on the agreement together and/or use as guiding points for their discussion.
Step by step guide
- Volunteers who are living together are asked to a establish a written flatmate agreement
- Person from the organization should explain the purpose of a flatmate agreement to the participants living together
- Maybe give examples of (successful) previous flatmate agreements
- Support volunteers with mediation or guidance, if it seems necessary
- Check in after some time to see if agreement has been established and is being followed by everyone
Important to highlight!There might be general house rules set by the property owner or organization renting the accommodation that have to be followed by all residents. The flatmate agreement is focusing on the rules that the residents agree on together and want to set for their co-living, in addition to the general mandatory house rules that apply for everyone. |
Before you start cooking, keep in mind…
Sometimes it can be difficult to make everyone share openly about their needs, personal boundaries, and points of potential conflict with the flatmates. Especially for persons who share a living space with others for the first time, they might not even be aware of their personal needs and boundaries clearly enough yet to be able to communicate them to others. Therefore, before the flatmates start to establish the agreement together it might be necessary to do some reflection and/or some trust building activities with the volunteers first, so that everyone feels safe, taken seriously, and can clearly communicate their suggestions for the common agreement.
