The information, tips, hints and suggestions contained herein are used as a general guideline and our opinion only, they are in no way a hard or fast method or rule and not intended for legal purposes.

Should you require legal advice, you may contact:-
•  Department Fair Trading •  The Police Department •  Real Estate Institute •  A Solicitor. •  Local court, Small Claims & Disputes.

1. Advantages of Sharing

•  Most people look for share accommodation to take the advantages of quality housing, in a better location, for much less than the cost of living alone.

•  Apart from the rental reduction, other savings may include, sharing bills, Gas, Electricity, Food, and Maintenance. Etc

•  Depending on the number of occupants, expenses can easily be reduced by a large percentage.

•  In most cases shared accommodation is fully furnished and offers use of many conveniences.

•  Another popular advantage in sharing is having company, many long and happy friendships have come about by people meeting people through sharing, a flatmate can often become the equivalent of a family member or best friend.

•  It's a great method for people relocating from another State, City, Town or Country, shared accommodation gives them time to settle in and get a good idea of the new environment, before signing leases and realising their not happy in the area chosen.

•  More than ever people are staying or becoming single and are either buying or renting their homes and due to property price increases find it becomes beyond their means to meet their financial commitments and turn to sharing their home.

•  Not so long ago, shared accommodation was much less common, these days, due to the many benefits, more & more people turn to shared accommodation as an on going lifestyle and find it's a great way to save hard earned cash.

2. What to look for

Many people offering accommodation are of the opinion that by placing an ad in the paper or local notice boards can simply sit back and wait for the phone to ring and find their ideal Flatmate. “It's rarely that simple”.

In order to attract a suitable Flatmate, there are numerous facts to consider, some of them include:-

•  LOCATION: - Most working people prefer to live close to work, the most sought after locations are the ones with easy access to City centres, walking distance to transport, shops, restaurants, beaches, parks and low crime areas.

•  TYPE OF HOME: - Single people prefer to live in low maintenance homes, such as high raise apartments, units etc. Couples or the more mature prefer a house in the suburbs.

•  BEDROOM: - Adults rarely sleep in single beds. A person, who is moving in, will initially feel uncomfortable by totally making themselves at home and tend to use the bedroom as their personal space. Ideally the bedroom should be at least double or queen sized, have built in robes and space for a T.V. or stereo.

•  FURNITURE: - Usually the person moving in will have personal effects and furnishings, ideally the home should be furnished, with the usual mod cons, such as, TV, VCR, DVD, fridge, washing machine, dryer etc. If possible, it is preferable to give the option of either furnished or unfurnished bedroom.

•  STORAGE: - People may have excess furniture and belongings which they may not be able to utilise within the home and may require some storage space, making a spare room, a section of a garage or back yard shed available for storage space, will also increase the chances of getting a Flatmate, sooner.

•  PARKING: - Under cover or secured car space for your Flatmate is a definite advantage.

•  BATHROOM: - It's a huge advantage having a bathroom for your Flatmates exclusive use, females in particular, prefer to have their own bathroom.

•  PEOPLES CHOICE: - Most people prefer sharing with someone of a similar age group. People's lifestyles and activities vary, if you eat healthy food, go to gym regularly and live an active lifestyle, sharing your home with someone who is in to junk food or a beer swilling party animal, will certainly not work out.

•  RENTAL COSTS: - Students, unemployed people and those on a low income have a restricted budget and prefer living with those with similar budgets and lifestyles.

3. Flatmates Agreement

• Generally a share accommodation agreement is a handshake, all parties concerned usually agree verbally to share a home and expenses together.
• It is a good idea prior to making a commitment of living together, to work out the details and mutually agree on any terms and conditions, an agreement saves future disputes and arguments. Should a legal dispute occur it is difficult to prove or solve a verbal agreement.

The Agreement should include:

• All the Details, Terms and Conditions.
• Itemize and do an inventory of personal belongings
• Full names of all relevant parties.
• Address of the Premises.
• Dated and signed.
• Each party signing is to receive signed copy.

4. House Rules

•  Sharing a home should be viewed as a business arrangement, not just a domestic one.

•  In many instances people initially moving in together will be total strangers, the guidelines discussed and agreed to at the initial meeting, will allow all parties concerned to set the ground rules and avoid misunderstandings or interpretations in the future.

•  Sharing a home may include many house rules & chores, most of which have more to do with consideration, hygiene and lifestyle issues, rather than with the law or terms and conditions.

•  Most disputes occur due to people not respecting or considering each others personal boundaries, personal space, home standards or personality conflicts.

•  The best way to avoid disputes and issues is to try and resolve them before they surface. (This can apply on all levels of life and relationships).

•  Generally speaking, most people expect others to have similar morals and ethical levels as themselves, sometimes, what may be considered common sense or just good manners is not automatically put in place by another.

•  People have different ideas about what is clean and tidy and what is not. Some people still think that chores mean cleaning up their own mess.

•  It should be set out at the beginning, who is going to be responsible for what and what responsibilities will be shared, such as, shopping, washing, cleaning, cooking, mowing lawns etc.

“In almost all cases sharing means equal responsibility”

5. Expenses

•  RENT: - In the case where the shared home is rented, it is important for those not on the lease to ensure that the lessee pays the rent on time to the agent or landlord.

•  Always make sure you get a dated receipt including the amount paid and next payment amount and due date.

•  BOND: - The usual bond is 2 weeks rent in advance; this may vary from one person to the next. Money paid as bond is money set aside in case of damage, cleaning, property replacement, money owing on expenses or vacating without notice.

•  Your bond money receipt should clearly indicate “BOND” and subject to any costs incurred by you, it must be paid in full on termination of your accommodation agreement.

SHARED EXPENSES

•  All shared expenses should be agreed to at the time of the making of the agreement, often people disagree over what is considered their expense.

•  A Flatmate working long hours or is hardly home will not want to pay half the food, phone, electricity bills if they only come home to sleep or do not eat many meals at home.

•  A Flatmate will not want to pay for your long distance or excessive phone calls, if they only use the phone occasionally or solely for incoming calls.

•  Bills such as, Gas, Electricity, Phone and other household and maintenance bills should be paid on receipt, saving disconnections, penalties or late payment charges.

6. Making Contact

•  Your first contact will be the initial phone call; this is your best opportunity to make an impression.

•  Make and keep notes, the phone call should be treated as an information gathering experience, you will need to establish whether or not a face to face interview and home inspection are appropriate.

•  Be prepared to ask and be asked personal questions regarding, age, number of tenants occupying, their ages and occupation, lifestyle, gender, rent, expenses, transport, shops, and other important facilities such as, hospitals, doctors etc.

•  You should also find out, if they are stable, smoke, party at home often, have children, pets, etc.

•  Before you invite the person to your home and give out your address, it is a good idea to ask the person for their full name and contact number, in short, it is important to establish the person's identity prior to giving out your address.

•  If going on an inspection, either invite a friend to come along or tell someone where you are going, who you are meeting and why.

7. The Meeting

•  Before your meeting, take the time to put your expensive or personal items away, give the place a tidy up, air the home out by, opening doors and windows to all the rooms.

•  When your potential Flatmate arrives, try and get to know the real person and someone who you are going to potentially live with make them feel as comfortable as possible, encourage them to be themselves.

•  Show them through the entire home don't just walk them to the vacant bedroom.

•  Always accompany them don't make them feel like they are snooping around. Let them get a feel for the home, it should be a welcoming experience.

•  Be prepared for questions which you will need to answer should they agree to move in.

8. Suggestions

• Most people tend to be a little territorial or just have their own way of doing things, don't expect to move in or have a Flatmate move in and think that your way is the only way, habits, preferences and lifestyle changes will occur naturally or by mutual discussions.
• Flatmates like friends and family may disappoint or hurt us, respect, good communication and consideration, will usually ensure success. (This rule not only applies to share accommodation but in all social relationships).
• Share accommodation is not about Gender, it's about fairness and people should never be put in a position that compromises anyone's trust or safety.
• Be friendly not intrusive, respect your Flatmates space and privacy, appreciate and try to understand your Flatmates mood and emotions, a quiet mood is not always a bad mood.
• Advise your friends or visitors in regards to what is not communal property or food.
• If a friend intends to stay overnight, tell your Flatmate first, no one wants to find a stranger in the house.
• A closed bedroom door is a closed door, if not home, never enter your Flatmates bedroom, or if home always knock first.
• Your or your Flatmates visitors and friends are just that, friends need their own time together, don't jump in and take over or intrude, allow Flatmates time alone together with their friends.
• Don't assume that your new Flatmate does not use drugs, has a criminal record, has an alcohol problem or wants more than a Flatmate. Be direct; ask the big questions up front.
• It is a good idea to do an inventory of peach others property and prior to moving in and give each other a copy, this will eliminate later confusions and arguments.
• Do not offer personal information about your Flatmate unless you are sure it is O.K. to do so.
• In many cases a Flatmate is not required to co-sign the lease and is therefore the Lease holder's responsibility.
• Prior to moving someone into your home, it is important that you check your lease or with your agent/landlord to make sure that you are permitted to have a tenant if so you need to explain your lease obligations and make sure your Flatmate/s agree to follow the terms and conditions.
• It is a good idea to keep records of all Flatmates, some of the details listed below give you the security of proof of identity, and also in case of emergency you can contact work or family.
• Should a legal or criminal matter occur the police will have a much better chance of tracking down the person/s identified.
• Friends/Family names and contact details
• Work details including phone & address
• Car Registration number
• Passport number
• Drivers License
• Photograph/s