Agree the basics early
The best time to talk about cleaning is in the first week, before anything has gone wrong. Agree what clean enough means in shared spaces, how you'll split the jobs and what happens if someone doesn't do their share. It's much easier than raising it in February when the bins haven't gone out for a fortnight.
A rota that actually works
Rotas fail when they're vague. 'Clean the kitchen' means different things to different people. Break shared spaces into specific tasks and rotate them weekly so nobody gets stuck with the bathroom every time.
| Task | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | Worktops, hob, sink, microwave, wipe appliance fronts, mop floor |
| Bathroom | Toilet, shower or bath, sink, mirror, floor |
| Bins and recycling | Empty indoor bins, put the right bins out on collection day, rinse caddies |
| Living room and hallway | Vacuum, dust, tidy and clear shared surfaces |
Example weekly rota for a four-person house
Should you get a cleaner?
Splitting the cost of a fortnightly cleaner between four or five people can be surprisingly affordable, and it takes the arguments out of shared spaces. Some landlords include communal cleaning in the rent. If you do book a cleaner, agree as a house what they'll cover – usually the kitchen, bathrooms and shared areas – and keep those areas clear enough for them to clean.
Get quotes from local cleaners
Moving out
At the end of the tenancy, the whole house – including shared areas – needs to be returned in the condition at check-in, allowing for fair wear and tear. In a joint tenancy, deductions are often taken from the whole deposit, so one person's dirty room can affect everyone.
Agree who's cleaning what before people start leaving. The last person out shouldn't be left to clean the kitchen alone. Many student houses book a professional end of tenancy clean and split the cost, which also makes it easier to compare the result with the inventory. See our end of tenancy cleaning checklist.
When someone isn't pulling their weight
It happens in most shared houses at some point. The best approach is a calm house conversation rather than passive-aggressive notes or a group chat pile-on. Be specific about what's not happening and suggest something practical – swapping tasks, a reminder system, or agreeing that people who skip a turn do an extra one.
If one person is consistently leaving the kitchen in a state, it may be worth agreeing basic kitchen rules everyone signs up to. And remember: how the house is left at the end affects everyone's deposit.
Your deposit
Your deposit should be protected in an approved scheme, and cleaning is one of the most common reasons for deductions. Take photos when you move in and when you leave. Our guide to deposit deductions for cleaning explains what landlords can and can't charge.
