Introduction

When you share space with other people, it’s important to have rules and boundaries. Living with roommates is a great way to save money on rent or utilities, but it also means that you have to be considerate of others’ needs. A little bit of give-and-take goes a long way when it comes to sharing space without taking up too much room in the common areas (like the kitchen). The following list will help all of us who live together better manage our time and energy while still getting along as friends (or housemates).

Allow for down time.

This is the most important rule of all.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, but it’s important to remember that you and your space are not separate entities. Your body needs time away from other people, even if they’re family members. You need time alone so that you can recharge yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. This is especially true when living with others who are also responsible for their own spaces (i.e., roommates). If one person doesn’t respect this rule or doesn’t understand why it’s necessary for everyone involved, there will be problems down the road for everyone involved — including yourself!

If there are any questions or concerns about this topic please feel free to comment below!

Be flexible.

You’re going to need to be flexible.

• If you’re hosting, be flexible about when and where your houseguests can use the bathroom, whether they can take a shower (and how long they want to take it), and when they are expected to be up in the morning. Think of yourself as hostess with the mostess: it’s your house—you can set your own rules. But always remember that being too strict or demanding of others’ time can come across as rude, which is never good!
• If you are a guest at someone else’s home, remember that their rules apply to you just like yours apply to them—so don’t make more work for them than necessary by making requests like “Can I just use one towel?” or “Can we have breakfast at 9 instead?” The whole point is getting along with each other despite differences in personalities and lifestyles; so unless it truly makes sense (i.e., not having enough towels for everyone), try not asking for too many special privileges or exceptions from their normal routine.

Don’t let the bullshit pile up.

It’s a simple rule, but it’s also one of the most important: don’t let the bullshit pile up.

Your housemates have to deal with you no matter how annoying they find you, so make sure to do your part and clean up after yourself when you make a mess. You don’t want them coming home from work and being greeted by dirty clothes all over the floor or dishes in the sink. And while they may appreciate having someone else to clean up after themselves sometimes, if they’re constantly doing your laundry or cooking for you because they feel bad that they’re not contributing enough around the house (even though they are), then it might be time to have an honest conversation about how things can change between all of you going forward.

Draw lines — and be willing to defend them.

It’s important to draw lines. Having boundaries helps you define your space, and it prevents other people from encroaching on what is yours. As a result, you feel more secure about where you stand in the world and how others relate to you.

But once those boundaries are in place, it’s equally important that you defend them—if someone disrespects your rules or asks for something unreasonable, say no. If someone makes fun of something significant to you, don’t cower away from expressing yourself; stand up for yourself!

Don’t let anybody walk all over you: if somebody thinks they can take advantage of your kindness or generosity by asking for favors without offering anything in return (or worse), don’t be afraid to let them know what happens when people try to take advantage of others’ good nature instead of being willing partners who play fair with everyone else around them too.”

Have a routine, but also have fun.

You need to consider what kind of routine will work best for you and your roommates. Having a routine can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, but if it’s too rigid, it could make things difficult for everyone involved. On the other hand, having no routines or rules at all is not ideal either–if someone is messy or keeps coming home late every night, then that’s going to get old quickly and make everyone else miserable.

Creating house rules will help keep your living space organized and cooperative (or at least less chaotic). Keep in mind that there are many different types of house rules; some might be more restrictive than others (such as requiring dishes be cleaned once they’re used), while others may require cooperation from all parties involved (like setting aside time each day when everyone cleans up).

Keep good records.

To be fair, how many of us really know what to do with our space? Sure, we know it’s a place where we can be alone and relax. But sometimes it might feel more like a place to store things or keep things out of sight.

The first step in making the most out of your space is to get organized and make sure everyone’s on board with the plan. This can help ensure that everybody knows where they stand in terms of sharing the area (and who gets to use it when).

Once you’ve got some kind of agreement in place for using your room, there are some simple ways you can keep track:

• Keep a logbook or notebook detailing when and how people use the space. This will help prevent unwanted collisions or arguments over who gets access first. If someone moves something without permission, you’ll have documentation showing that they did so—this can help avoid unnecessary conflict later on down the line! Even if nothing happens right now, knowing exactly where everything goes will save time later on down—you won’t have to waste precious minutes looking through boxes or drawers trying find something important because everything was placed there by design rather than chance!

Don’t go over people’s heads.

When you’re sharing space with others, your actions have the potential to affect a lot of people. This means that you have to keep in mind how things are going to affect everyone else. Don’t let problems build up or fester. Don’t let situations get out of hand by not addressing them as they arise. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable speaking up about something important, they could be accidentally hurt by your actions when they didn’t even know it was happening!

Get out of the house.

It’s okay to get out of the house, but don’t forget to clean up after yourself.

You have to go out sometimes! It’s healthy for you and your family. Just make sure that when it is time for everyone else in the house to get ready for work or school, they can do so without tripping over your stuff or stepping on anything sharp or broken. Make sure all of your belongings are put away before leaving so that none are left lying around where someone else could trip on them or trip over them while walking across the room. Also remember: if something breaks while you’re away from home, fix it before coming back home!

If you keep your boundaries firm and fair, you will have a better time in shared space

• Be clear about your boundaries.
• Be fair about your boundaries.
• Know what you can and cannot control in shared space.
• Keep an eye on the boundaries of others!

Conclusion

While it might seem like a lot of work to create rules for your shared space, it will ultimately make things easier. You have to draw the line somewhere, so why not make those lines clear and enforce them whenever possible? When you make your house rules clear from the start and stick by them, everyone will know what’s expected of them. This helps avoid conflict later on when people disagree about whether or not something should be done in a certain way.