Flatshare in Malta: How to keep the harmony in a houseshare
Moving in with strangers, or even friends, can be either a delightful, or difficult path to walk down. They say to know someone, walk a mile in their shoes. Well failing that, try living with them. The close confines of communal living can bring out both the best and the worst in people, with certain personality types more suited to living together than others.
That being said, there are a number of steps you can take to make flat sharing one of the most memorable times of your life when renting property in Malta.
Not all rules are meant to be broken
Nowhere does this apply more than when sharing a space with other people. So start thinking about your non-negotiables before you even look into property rentals in Malta, and house sharing options. Have an open and frank conversation with your potential roomies, preferably even before the exciting moving in day, when everyone is in the honeymoon phase. Trust us that this will save a lot of hassle and grief in the long run.
Clearly outlining things like what food items are considered communal (items like the coffee and toilet paper generally fall in here), along with expected hygiene standards (you’re going to be sharing a kitchen and bathrooms after all) are just some of the more common things to be upfront about to avoid confrontation further down the line.
All that glitters…needs to be cleaned
Photo by Liza Summer from Pexels
Easily one of the most common pinch points when sharing a living space is the cleaning and housework. The easiest way to circumvent this is to sit down together (we find including a few beers normally helps), and iron out a cleaning roster for your rental property in Malta.
Now not everyone has the same standards, so expecting a white glove test every week might be a bit OTT. The key here more than anything is fairness and sharing the load. Things like taking out the rubbish, cleaning bathrooms and common areas should all be factored in, with the allowance for people to manage their private rooms.
I got 99 problems, bills shouldn’t be one
It really pays to split the bills (see what we did there?). As with cleaning, sharing the monthly costs is a sure fire way to ensure no one is feeling hard done by, or left covering all the costs.
Renting a property in Malta, even as a flatshare, will see the tenants liable for the standard bills. Items that would generally be considered communal are things like electricity, water, and internet (incl phone line)and sometimes even the Netflix account. There are numerous ways to divvy up the costs, but we suggest each person takes on a certain bill under their own name, as it proves ultra handy when requiring a proof of address for anything.
Alternatively, there are excellent apps such as Tricount, allowing you to each put in individual expenses and it can work out who owes what. Or you can setup a group bank account that everyone chips in a monthly amount which is allocated to house expenses. The best part is that it can be used as a house kitty, meaning when everything is paid at the end of the month and you have a bit of cash left over, you can splash out on some pastizzi and canoli for the house movie night.
Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels
Lean Green Routine Machine
Sharing space requires a bit of order and respect from all parties involved. This is even more important if you share similar working hours. No one likes being late because someone is hogging the bathroom for 45 minutes each morning (What on earth can they be doing in there?).
Again, communication is key here. Thinking of areas where you overlap, from showers through to unmissable TV shows, and how you can all get equal time is the best way to keep everyone happy in your Maltese property rental.
Breed what you need
At the end of the day, take your time when deciding who you want to share a roof with. Joint renting property in Malta can make you realise that sometimes best friends make lousy housemates, just as complete strangers can turn into live-in legends.
You will be spending more time with them than anyone else, so make sure you have a good understanding of what each of you are looking for.
For all the rest, Quicklets Malta is there to help. From deciding on furnished vs unfurnished, to finding the perfect location, our agents are some of the best in the business and will be happy to guide you.