Shared Willow

Rent split, chore charts & shared expenses

House rules template

A starting point for the conversation every shared house should have. Switch sections on or off, rewrite them in your own words, then print it for everyone to sign.

House rules

Our home

  1. Quiet hours

    Quiet hours are 10 pm to 7 am on weeknights and midnight to 9 am at weekends. Use headphones then, and close doors gently. Planning a late night or an early start? Ask in the group chat a few days ahead.

  2. Guests

    Guests are welcome. Give everyone a heads-up before someone stays the night, and check with the house before anyone stays more than three nights in a row. Hosts look after their guests, and guests follow these rules too.

  3. Kitchen and dishes

    Wash, dry and put away your own dishes the same day. Wipe the hob and counters after cooking. The sink is not a storage space, and shared pans go back clean.

  4. Food and shared supplies

    Your fridge shelf and cupboard are yours: ask before borrowing. Washing-up liquid, toilet paper, bin bags and cleaning spray come from the shared kitty, and whoever opens the last one adds it to the list.

  5. Cleaning and chores

    We follow the chore rota. Swaps are fine when both people agree and the job still gets done that week. Once a month we give the shared spaces a proper clean together.

  6. Bathroom

    Rinse the shower or bath after use, hang up your towel and take your things back to your room. On weekday mornings, keep it to about fifteen minutes.

  7. Rent, bills and money

    Rent and bills are split as we agreed in writing and paid by the date we set. If you are going to be late, say so early. Shared purchases above an amount we agree get a yes from everyone first.

  8. Heating and energy

    The heating follows the timer we agreed. Turn a radiator down rather than opening a window, and switch off lights and chargers when you leave a room.

  9. Bins and recycling

    Bins go out the evening before collection, by whoever has that job on the rota. Rinse recycling and flatten boxes so they fit.

  10. Smoking and vaping

    No smoking or vaping indoors. Outside, take your ends with you.

  11. Keys and safety

    Lock the front door when you are the last out or the last to bed. Do not lend keys or share door codes without asking the house. Everyone knows where the water stopcock, fuse box and fire extinguisher are.

  12. When something bothers you

    Talk to the person directly and kindly first. If it keeps happening, bring it to a house meeting. We meet for fifteen minutes once a month to check in.

  13. Moving out

    Tell the house as early as you can, and within the notice period in the lease. Leave your room clean and help hand over keys and accounts.

An agreement between housemates. It does not change your lease or your rights under local law.

How to use the template

  1. Read it through together, ideally before anyone moves in or at the first house meeting.
  2. Switch off what does not apply and rewrite the rest in your own words. Quiet hours, guest limits and cleaning standards are where households differ most, so agree specific times and numbers.
  3. Add the housemates' names, print it, and sign it. Pick a review date: what works in November may not in June.

What makes house rules work

Rules that everyone helped write are the ones people keep. Keep each one short and concrete (“dishes done the same day” beats “keep the kitchen tidy”), say what happens when something goes wrong, and leave room for asking: most friction in shared homes comes from things nobody mentioned. The chore wheel and the settle-up calculator turn two of the most common sources of arguments into something you can check.

It is not a lease

This is an agreement between housemates. It cannot change your tenancy, and where it conflicts with your lease or local law, those come first. Check your lease for anything it already covers, such as guests, pets, smoking or notice periods.

Questions

Is this template legally binding?

No. It is a written understanding between the people who live together. Your lease and the law where you live set your legal rights and duties.

Can I add rules of my own?

Yes. Switch on the last section, Anything else, and write them there, or rewrite any section's text. The preview updates as you type.

Is my text saved?

Yes, in this browser's local storage, so you can come back to it. It is never uploaded. Start over clears it.